Statewide Green Lodging Contract

Statewide Green Lodging Contract February 2003 - CIWMB approved the Statewide Green Lodging Contract for Phase I work for a total of $30,000. AB498 – CalEPA in consultation with DGS to improve Environmentally Preferable Purchasing in State Agencies

Statewide Green Lodging Contract Governor’s Executive Order D-16-00 Blueprint for Sustainable State Facilities (Dec. 2001) Government can promote more sustainable lodging facilities in the state through its own travel business by strongly encouraging State employees to stand and hold meetings at hotels that are environmentally responsible.

Statewide Green Lodging Contract Average 150 room hotel in California purchases more goods in one week than 100 families purchase in one year. =

Goals To define the environmental standard for lodging properties in California. The standard includes seven major facility categories. Waste minimization Reuse + recycling Energy efficiency, conservation and management * Waste water management * Most attractive to hotel owners

Goals Management of freshwater resources Hazardous substances Environmentally and socially sensitive purchasing policies

Survey Contractor will conduct a survey to determine extent to which hotels in selected parts of California can be described as green properties. Survey will explain importance of project to State and the hotel industry. Screen questions for qualified participants (General questions about property size) Screening questions for identifying green practices.

Survey Results of survey will be used to: Identify the extent to which the hotels use conservation and recycling practices. Develop a continuum on which the hotels can be placed. Descriptive data from survey will be used in conjunction with Green Seal’s standard to develop criteria and a rating system to select hotels for field audit. Approximately 30 hotels will be selected for audit.

Field Audit Conducted in two metropolitan areas in California. Criteria in checklist format Purpose of audit is to determine the extent to which the hotels measure up to State standards. Field Audit results will provide updated information to the Department of General Services travel website for State employees to utilize.

Marketing Contractor will develop methods for marketing green lodging to state employees Challenges: State employees traveling on state business, are not mandated to stay at green lodging facilities. Revenue generating incentives (i.e., increased “heads in beds”) do not currently exist for hotels to become green.

Marketing Challenges: A marketing scheme to encourage hotels to become green does not exist. A marketing awareness campaign, targeted at state employees, does not exist. Fiscally challenging times, hard to introduce new program.

Cover letter Cover letter explains survey. Co-signed by California Motel and Lodging Association Clean up misconceptions that green programs increase costs while compromising quality, and that guests simply do not want it. In many cases environmental technologies cost a little more, but that absolutely pay for themselves.

Contact information Roberta Kunisaki Senior Integrated Waste Management Specialist 1001 I Street Sacramento, CA 95812 (916) 641-6815 Rkunisak@ciwmb.ca.gov