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UNIT 4: ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
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The EMS of the Hotel Nikko Hong Kong is used as a practical study programme
for final-year students of the Department of Building Services of the Hong Kong
Polytechnic University.
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• The partnership began in 1992 when the students performed an audit
on the hotel’s water and energy consumption and indoor air quality;
• In 1996, the hotel created an annual environment prize awarded to the
final-year student of the Department of Building Services of Hong Kong
Polytechnic University who demonstrates outstanding performance: a
certificate, a trophy, and a scholarship worth HK$5,000;
• In 1997 the hotel and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University published
‘A Guide to Energy and Water Conservation in Hotels’, a practical guide
for managers and engineering staff based on experiences gained from
auditing hotels in Hong Kong;
• The hotel is currently working with Hong Kong Polytechnic University
to develop training materials to assist the entire Hong Kong hotel
and catering industry to implement EMS and work towards ISO 14000
certification;
• The Hotel is a sponsor of the Hong Kong Annual Business and Industry
Conference and participates in tree-planting efforts and fund-raising
activities for environment charities.
Eco Paradiso Hotel, Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico, collaborates with
inhabitants of the neighbouring town, Celestun, in:
• Developing and updating an ecology information brochure made
available to visitors;
• Conducting an ecology training programme for tour guides, all from
surrounding villages.
The Casuarina Beach Club in Barbados has won an award for its continuing
contributions to the St Lawrence community. The hotel has adopted a school,
and sponsors and participates beach clean-up activities and tree-planting
efforts. The hotel has also begun a turtle-watch programme involving guests
and local people in protecting the nesting areas, observing turtle behaviour
and, if necessary, assisting hatchlings to reach the ocean unharmed.
MONITORING AND DOCUMENTING THE PROGRESS OF THE
ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME
‘You cannot manage what you cannot measure.’
Monitoring and documenting on-going environment performance will enable
businesses to:
• Assess whether targets and objectives are being met;
• Identify plans that are not being successfully implemented;
• Identify the corrective and preventive actions needed to improve
performance.
Monitoring should be regular. A standardised environment-monitoring format
helps standardise data-collection and record-keeping across the company. The
following is an example of a monitoring format used for documenting water and
energy consumption.