The Venetian Macao Achieves Platinum-Level Macao Green Hotel Award
As published on the Sands Confidential Blog
The Sands ECO360 global sustainability strategy is designed to help minimize our environmental impact. It reflects our vision to lead the way in sustainable building development and resort operations. Driven by an aspirational idea, made possible through the dedication and hard work of our Team Members, we continue our journey to a more sustainable future.
The Venetian® Macao was awarded a Macao Green Hotel Platinum Award, the first and only hotel in Macao to earn the top recognition.
The Integrated Resort’s efforts toward waste reduction, electric vehicle parking spaces and charging stations for Team Members and guests, eco-friendly mattress replacement program, monitoring of the environmental performance of shuttle buses, establishing a management plan for reducing food waste, and carrying out regular carbon audits to identify areas of improvement were among the criteria for the win.
“Sands China is truly honored by this distinction,” said Mark McWhinnie, the company’s senior vice president of resort operations and development. “Our company continues to develop and implement innovations as part of the Sands ECO360 global sustainability strategy of our parent company, Las Vegas Sands Corp. This strategy has helped Sands China remain at the forefront of sustainable operations in our industry, while continuing to further reduce our impact on the environment.”
Sands ECO360’s strategy focuses on four pillars: environmentally responsible operations, stakeholder engagement, green meetings and events, and green buildings. Sands China continues to implement several Sands ECO360 strategies at its properties including using energy-saving LED lights and the optimization of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems that saved a total of 21 million kWh of electricity in 2017 – enough to power more than 50,000 households for one month. The company reports annually to the Carbon Footprint Repository for Listed Companies in Hong Kong, and reports to the CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) Climate Change program, with an external auditor verifying the company’s greenhouse gas emissions. Sands China utilizes food waste digesters at all its properties, and has been able to continue decreasing the waste generated per guestroom, even with annual increases in guest visitation. The Clean Plate Challenge, a back-of-house program, has also been successful in decreasing food waste.
The Macao Green Hotel Award started in 2007 and is organized by the Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) in collaboration with the Macao Government Tourism Office. The award was launched to raise the awareness of the importance of environmental management in Macao's hotel industry and to commend hotels who have adopted environmental measures.
Five other hotels at Sands China properties maintain Gold designations from previous years’ awards: Sands® Macao; The St. Regis Macao, Cotai Central; Conrad Macao, Cotai Central; Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel, Cotai Central; and Holiday Inn Macao Cotai Central. The Parisian Macao, newly eligible after opening in September 2016, received its first award, in the Gold category, as did the Four Seasons Hotel Macao, Cotai Strip.
Las Vegas Sands properties across the globe have also been recognized for their efforts towards maintaining sustainable buildings. The Venetian and Sands Expo have the distinction of being the only existing buildings in Las Vegas that achieved LEED Gold Certification for existing buildings in 2010. The Palazzo is the first Integrated Resort property in Las Vegas to achieve LEED Silver Certification for New Construction in 2008. Marina Bay Sands won the Green Mark Platinum Award by the Building and Construction Authority in 2015 and 2018, as well as the Singapore Green Hotel Award by the Singapore Hotel Association in 2017.
To learn more about the sustainability initiatives and performance at Las Vegas Sands, check out our Sands ECO360 2017 Video and Environmental Progress Report.
