STAMFORD, Conn.—With more than half of its current and future properties in areas facing critical water issues, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has shared its holistic water story detailing the company’s efforts to tackle this important matter. As part of the company’s overall strategy on water issues, including scarcity, flooding, and quality, Starwood has set a system-wide water reduction goal, introduced new technology and dedicated on-property actions, offered conservation-focused guest programs, and joined with community partners.
“Some say water is the new oil and, as we execute a global growth strategy, water is not only an environmental consideration, but also a potential business risk that impacts guests, properties and the communities where we operate,” said Ken Siegel, chief administrative officer, general counsel, and head of global citizenship at Starwood. “Starwood has to look beyond conservation and leverage innovation and partnerships to limit its environmental impact, support and enhance its local economies, and protect people and the planet, all while delivering an unmatched guest experience.”
In July, Starwood announced that it was nearing its 20 percent water reduction goal by achieving a 17.26 percent decline in water consumption since 2008. The reduction follows the launch of Starwood’s 30/20 by 20 environmental goals in 2009, aimed to cut energy use by 30 percent and water use by 20 percent by 2020 globally.
