Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts’ 21 hotels in Europe have achieved Green Globe certification, placing the Swiss hospitality company on target to become the most certified hotel company in the world to receive the Green Globe seal. The news was announced at ITB 2012.

“We have been very committed to achieving Green Globe certification across all our properties in Europe and in the process enjoyed very positive feedback and engagement from our employees,” explained Mövenpick’s chief operating officer for Europe, Ola Ivarsson.

Along with the certification process Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has been encouraging its employees to learn more about environmental and sustainability issues by developing an e-learning tool kit that can be accessed online. European employees spent a total of 10,000 hours in training, and each property established a team to liaise with Green Globe.

Based on their own successful model, which used the framework for Strategic Sustainable Development, Mövenpick have been sharing their knowledge and e-learning tools with other hotels and industry partners by making them available on their website.

Green Globe Certification CEO, Guido Bauer said, “Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has taken a systematic approach to measure all the operational savings that have been made through the reduction of energy and water usage and non-recyclable waste.

“At the same time real commitments have been made to support the communities who host their hotels and resorts. I firmly believe that through the Green Globe Certification programme, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts is now a world leader in sustainable tourism and it has our independent verification as an assurance of this achievement.”

Initiatives that the hotel group has rolled out across its European properties include the introduction of biodegradable pens, wooden key cards, ecological bathroom amenities and Mövenpick Fairtrade Coffee, as well as ensuring that where possible, food is sourced locally and from organic farming. Every hotel also collaborates with organisations that work towards improved community welfare.

Mövenpick’s Middle Eastern hotels have already achieved Green Globe certification and the programme is being rolled out across in Africa and Asia properties in coming months.