Plaza Athénée Bangkok Earns ISO 20121 Certification

Following an extensive systems assessment, Plaza Athénée Bangkok, a Royal Méridien Hotel, has successfully completed the final stage of ISO 20121 certification, making it one of the very first ISO 20121 accredited hotels in the world.

ISO 20121 certified the hotel for Sustainability Event Management System for the planning and delivery of sustainable meetings.

The comprehensive system audits covered every aspect of the hotel’s operations and was independently conducted by SGS (Thailand) Limited, one of the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification companies.

“We are very pleased to have successfully implemented ISO 20121 standards because we believe that economic growth and the wellbeing of society are inextricably tied to the health of the environment,” said Ms. ChooLeng Goh, General Manager of the Plaza Athénée Bangkok, a Royal Méridien Hotel. “This demonstrates how we embrace our responsibility for environmental, social and economic stewardship and are committed to integrating these practices and sustainability principles into our core business strategy.”

ISO 20121 is a sustainability event management system designed to help event organizers improve the sustainability of their activities while creating a more sustainable environment, economic and social. Since the hotel began implementing its green initiatives in Q1 2012, ISO 20121 was the next logical step given the large number of events that are held in the hotel each year.

As an individual hotel and as part of Starwood Hotels and Resorts, ISO 20121 certification complements Starwood’s global focus on reducing energy use by 30% and water consumption by 20% by 2020.

The hotel’s green management efforts in 2013 have been yielding encouraging results. As of July, consumption of electricity had been cut by 9.4%, water by 5.03%, and paper by 4.9% year-on-year. Carbon footprint profiling revealed a 47.05% reduction in printer ink consumption and a 25.0% reduction in plastic bottle use.

To achieve ISO 20121, the hotel had to show that it has considered all economic, social and environmental issues relevant to its operations. The mission includes helping Thai suppliers by buying local products and showing others how to be sustainable.

A Sustainability Event Management System Plan specific to the hotel’s MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, Exhibitions) business invites customers to contribute to environment, economic and social sustainability while still enjoying successful events and delightful experiences. Features of the hotel’s “Green Meeting Package” include tables and chairs without linen, setting up stationery and water stations for consumption as-needed, air conditioning set at an ambient temperature of 25 degrees Celsius, avoiding unnecessary paper presentations and eco-friendly coffee and lunch breaks.

“The critical environment issues of air pollution, climate change and deforestation are increasing, it is crucial for us to work together to improve the environment of our planet and create a sustainable world for next generations,” said ChooLeng Goh.