Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE:MAR) recently released its second full comprehensive Sustainability Report, using guidelines set forth by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). In it, Marriott announced $2.5 million invested in its environmental portfolio over the past three years, and significant contributions to workforce development for disadvantaged youth around the world to help them gain skills and jobs.
Through a global portfolio of partnerships called ?World of Opportunity,? Marriott has been a catalyst for addressing rising youth unemployment with programs such as the Youth Career Initiative (YCI) in nine countries, SOS Children?s Villages and The Prince?s Trust in 24 European countries and The Ritz-Carlton?s ?Succeed Through Service? in 26 countries. For 21 years, the Marriott Foundation for People with Disabilities (MFPD) has provided job and life-skills training for young people with disabilities. Through the MFPD, more than 13,500 youth have been placed in mainstream employment with 3,500 employers, including Marriott, across nine cities in the U.S.
?For Marriott, creating a sustainable future includes preserving the environment, but it also means creating more jobs and stronger communities,? said Mari Snyder, vice president of social responsibility. ?Over the next two years, we plan to hire approximately 100,000 people in our growing portfolio of hotels, two-thirds outside the United States. These programs are equipping disadvantaged youth with employable skills that can hopefully prepare them for jobs with Marriott.?
The results of Marriott?s 2011-2012 Sustainability Report are reported to shareholders, customers, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and associates, who Marriott works to inform about its priorities and actions, understand their evolving expectations and viewpoints and create opportunities to address substantive issues through partnerships and collaboration.
In the report, Marriott captures results from 2011 in the areas of environmental, economic and social responsibility performance. Highlights from the report include:
- A 12 percent reduction in water consumption per occupied room and a four percent reduction in energy consumption per square meter since 2007.
- The launch of a Green Hotel Global, an online tool giving guests and business customers access to a comprehensive list of environmental metrics and practices for each hotel in the Marriott portfolio.
- Investing in sustainable development with the announcement of plans to open the company?s first hotel in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
- Hiring nearly 36,000 associates in 2011 with plans to hire approximately 100,000 more people around the world over the next two years.
- Becoming the first in our industry to tap into social media gaming with My Marriott Hotel on Facebook, showcasing the opportunities and growth potential attainable in hospitality careers.
- Delivering ?Human Rights and the Protection of Children? training to all associates worldwide and participating in the International Tourism Partnership?s Human Trafficking Working Group that created an Industry Position Statement on Human Trafficking.
- Securing a $200,000 grant for YCI from the U.S. Department of State?s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons in order to include rehabilitated survivors of human trafficking into the YCI program in Mexico, Vietnam and Brazil.
- Marking the three-year anniversary of the company?s $2 million commitment to the Juma Sustainable Development Reserve in Amazonas, Brazil to protect 1.4 million acres of rainforest.
- Helping to protect the source of fresh water in southwestern China?s Sichuan Province through the company?s Nobility of Nature program in partnership with Conservation International. The initiative promotes sustainable jobs?such as beekeeping and honey production.
?Our success depends on providing the information and transparency that our stakeholders increasingly expect,? said Arne Sorenson, president and CEO of Marriott International. ?It also depends on being true to this purpose: to provide the opportunity for rewarding travel experiences for our guests, the opportunity for personal and professional growth for our associates, and the opportunity for a better and more sustainable future in the communities where we live and work.?
Comments and feedback related to the report are welcome at [email protected]. For more information about Marriott?s corporate social responsibility initiatives or for a full copy of the report, visit www.marriott.com/socialresponsibility. For more about Marriott?s environmental initiatives, visit www.marriott.com/environment.
Sustainability reports based on the GRI framework are used to determine the sustainability issues most pertinent to the organization; benchmark organizational performance with respect to laws, norms, codes, performance standards and voluntary initiatives; demonstrate organizational commitment to sustainable development; and compare organizational performance over time. The Sustainability Reporting G3 Guidelines are the foundation of the framework. For more information on the GRI, visit www.globalreporting.org.