Responsible Business at Green Hotel in Oslo – Let's Take Responsibility!
Taking responsibility for the environment and local community has been an important part of Rezidor's broader commitment to sustainable development for many years. In 2001, this commitment was fortified and placed within the scope of a programme called Responsible Business (RB). Each hotel has a unique RB Action Plan, covering areas such as community outreach, environmental improvement, employee well-being and health and safety. That tradition continues with Responsible Business at this "green" hotel in Oslo. To read more about the RB programme, please visit http://www.responsiblebusiness.rezidor.com/.
The hotels are engaged with both local charity groups and Rezidor's corporate international charity organisation, the World Childhood Foundation. The mission of Childhood is to defend the rights of the child and to promote better living conditions for vulnerable and exploited children at risk all over the world.
Here are some examples of Responsible Business activities and achievements of this green hotel in Oslo:
Customers
Responsible Business is all about communication, and the General Manager drives the efforts we put forward in the programme. A good example is the Responsible Business info in the General Manager's monthly letter. In addition, all guestrooms will soon have a folder regarding the hotel's Responsible Business work and policy. A Responsible Fact Sheet will be used in all sales activities. Responsible Business in Oslo will also be promoted in our contracts. Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel advocates organic and ecological products, primarily in the breakfast room.
Employees - Increase Employee RB Awareness
The hotel has an introduction programme for all new staff, as well as more extensive quarterly Responsible Business (RB) Training Courses. The hotel has an RB Activity Calendar, focusing on various monthly social and environmental challenges, to increase employee awareness. The RB message is spread through a dynamic information board and internal information channel.
Community
Every September, the hotel arranges a "From Children to Children" day for the children of employees to run the hotel for a day and to host different events for children from neighbouring schools. The hotel collects money to support the Strømme Foundation, which is a non-governmental organisation. The foundation's vision is a world with no poverty, and the mission is to eradicate poverty and support people for a better future. The Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel supports charities such as "Nedre Akerselva Vel" and the Network centre MARTE (Red Cross), which is a social network for lonely parents in Oslo wishing to strengthen their social connections through positive gatherings. The hotel also supports the Church City Mission, the Norwegian Air Ambulance, and the Norwegian Police against drug abuse among youth. In addition, the hotel supports Carlson Hotels Worldwide, Rezidor's largest investor, in their commitment to charity.
Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel cooperates with the City of Oslo. In the event of a crisis, the hotel becomes a support centre for relatives and friends in need.
Environment
The Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel strives to reduce the negative impact the hotel operations have on the environment by controlling energy and water consumption, as well as waste generation. To help achieve the hotel's environmental goals, the RB Activity Calendar targets different challenges and indicates activities to execute throughout the year.
The hotel's proudest achievement within this area has been to become the first Radisson Blu hotel to receive the Nordic Eco Label – the Swan Label – in 2003. The hotel meets the world's strictest environmental requirements on energy and water conservation, chemicals and waste disposal. For more information about the Swan Label, visit www.ecolabel.no. For more information about the Responsible Business programme, go to www.rezidor.com.