Some of New York City’s most iconic and luxurious hotels including the Waldorf Astoria and The Peninsula have signed a pledge to reduce their emissions as part of a citywide plan that aims to remove the equivalent of 100,000 cars off the roads.
A total of 16 hotels have joined Mayor Bill de Blasio’s NYC Carbon Challenge, promising to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 30 percent over the next 10 years.
That represents 32,000 metric tons of emissions and $25 million in energy cost savings.
“In joining the NYC Carbon Challenge, New York City’s iconic hotels are now also worldwide leaders in the fight against climate change, and are once again redefining excellence in the hospitality sector to include responsibility for climate action,” said Nilda Mesa, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, in a statement.
“While visitors to NYC for the most part won’t be able to see the building system changes, these steps will be every bit as important to the city as the steps the Rockettes take.”
In 2014, New York received 56.5 million visitors. Together, the 16 participating hotels represent more than 11,000 rooms.
Hospitals, universities, office and residential buildings have also committed to joining the carbon diet as part of the mayor’s plan to reduce citywide greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050.
Buildings make up nearly three-fourths of citywide greenhouse gas emissions.
Meanwhile, Hilton Worldwide became the first hospitality group to achieve the US government’s Superior Energy Performance certification last month. Facilities that obtain the label have improved their energy performance by up to 30 percent over three years. Certified Hilton hotels include Washington Hilton, Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort and Hilton Union Square San Francisco.
Want a guilt-free stay in New York at an environmentally-conscious hotel? Here are the 16 hotels participating in the NYC Carbon Challenge:
- 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge
1 Hotel Central Park
Crowne Plaza Times Square
Dream Downtown
Grand Hyatt New York
Hotel Pennsylvania
Hudson Hotel
Loews Regency Hotel
Lotte New York Palace
The Pierre – A Taj Hotel
The Peninsula New York
InterContinental New York Barclay
InterContinental New York Times Square
Roger Smith Hotel
Waldorf Astoria New York
Westin New York at Times Square
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