GLOBAL – Marriott International has launched Connect Responsibly, a new program under Marriott Bonvoy Events, aimed at helping meeting planners integrate sustainable practices into events held across Marriott’s global portfolio.
Connect Responsibly plans to offer meetings and events customers access to detailed Meeting Impact Reports to measure the environmental impact of their events and select options to purchase carbon credits.
The program is anticipated to go live globally at managed and franchised properties from participating brands by the end of October.
“There is nothing like connecting in person, and doing so responsibly makes it much better,” said Erika Alexander, Chief Global Officer, Global Operations, Marriott International.
“With the Connect Responsibly program, we are giving our meetings and events customers options to understand the impacts of their meetings better as we collectively strive to create a more resilient future for travel.”
Fueled by growing demand for meeting solutions that address sustainability and informed by research and consumer insights from its global pilot program, Marriott is focused on offering a Meeting Impact Report through the Connect Responsibly program.
The user-friendly Meeting Impact Report, available after an event, captures event details and property-specific sustainability practices. Using established hospitality industry methodologies, it also calculates the event’s carbon and water footprints.
Marriott expects the Meeting Impact Report to be available in 11 different languages based on location.
Marriott plans to collaborate with South Pole, a carbon asset developer and climate consultancy, to offer meetings and events customers access to select carbon offset projects.
Through the Meeting Impact Report, these customers will have the option to utilize the South Pole online shop to purchase carbon offset projects verified by independent third-party organizations as part of their event.
“Meetings and events are important business for Marriott. Our customers are eager to participate in sustainability efforts. Connect Responsibly expands ongoing initiatives and strengthens our efforts focused on sustainability in hospitality,” said Tammy Routh, Senior Vice President, Global Sales, Marriott International.
“We are excited to build on our sustainability reporting capabilities to provide our meetings and events customers with detailed Meeting Impact Reports and offer access to a select portfolio of verified carbon offset projects, through our collaboration with South Pole.”
This announcement is part of Marriott’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at properties and in the supply chain.
As of April 2024, Marriott is the largest global hospitality company to receive approval from the Science Based Targets initiative for both near-term and long-term science-based emissions reduction targets (SBTs).
To drive progress toward its SBTs, Marriott launched the company’s Climate Action Program (CAP), which includes property-level carbon reduction goals and actions.
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