Langham Place Addresses Thermal Pollution Issue in Hong Kong

March 25, 2010 - PRLog -- 26 March 2010, Hong Kong – Hong Kong may not be the first place you think of when looking for a sustainability story, but as Langham Place proves, it’s in big cities where the largest gains can often be made.  

Langham Place, Mongkok, Hong Kong is a five-star modern, streamlined building rising 42 storeys from Hong Kong’s vibrant heart, blending trendy sophistication with contemporary chic to create an oasis of calm.

Operating in a city that appears crafted from neon, the hotel is an inspiring example of how sustainability can be achieved in a comprehensive and cost-effective manner; even when the odds of making a difference appear to be stacked against you.

Hong Kong’s concrete jungle of high-density high rise development has created a unique environmental challenge. Called Thermal Pollution, heat is trapped by the concrete structures and released is into the atmosphere at night.

This, and the lack of airflow between buildings, has contributed to the creation of heat islands within the city. Daily ambient air temperatures have been mapped at up to 5 degrees Celsius higher than in lower density areas, and at night the warming effect is also evident.

As humans, our natural response to excess heat is to crank up the air conditioning even further. This however creates a multiplier effect, and contributes to the original problem.

Langham Place is one of more than a thousand hotels using an Australian-developed sustainability solution. The EarthCheck Program provides a framework for businesses to increase operational efficiencies, maximise the benefit of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, and minimise environmental impacts.

“In our market, sustainable business practices are becoming increasingly important,” says the hotel’s General Manager Shaun Campbell. “We are continually seeking out the most environmentally-friendly ways to operate and use EarthCheck to stay abreast of international standards of best practice.”

EarthCheck’s science-based approach is considered at the forefront of sustainability management systems. It should be, when you consider it was developed by the world’s largest not-for-profit research centre into sustainable tourism – the Australian Government-funded Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre. The Program also leverages some $260 million worth of academic research and contains more than a decade of industry benchmarking data.

In December 2009, Langham Place underwent EarthCheck Benchmarking to compare their performance in 8 indicators, against that of similar properties. The results showed that they exceeded Best Practice levels in the five indicators of Energy Consumption, Potable Water Consumption, Waste Recycling, Community Commitment and Pesticide Products.

The next step for the hotel will be certification and for this they will be independently audited to provide credibility.

“The newly emerging carbon economy has helped create an impetus for change,” explained Stewart Moore, CEO of EarthCheck. “The bottom line is now a triple one and this requires holistic consideration of social, environmental and economic impacts. There is a desire to look for ways to operate in a more sustainable manner, but also a risk of becoming caught up in the green wash of supposed “eco” claims.”

For Langham Place, implementing the EarthCheck Program has resulted in resource consumption decreases of 6% for energy and 11% for water.

As any hotelier will tell you, these savings have a flow-on effect that is reflected in the fattening of profit margins and puts paid to the argument that to be kind to the planet, it will cost industry more than it can gain.


Langham Hotels International has a legendary hotel heritage dating back to 1865 when The Langham in London originally opened as Europe’s first Grand Hotel. For over 140 years, this flagship hotel has been at the forefront of sophisticated and gracious hospitality. Today, all Langham Hotels worldwide inherit the same philosophy that reflects elegance in design, innovation in hospitality, genuine service and captivation of the senses creating a truly unique hotel experience.

The group is pursuing an aggressive portfolio growth strategy using its distinctive brands and affiliate – The Langham, Langham Place and Eaton. Currently 20 hotels, including affiliates, are open or in the pipeline across four continents.

Langham Hotels International is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Great Eagle Holdings (Stock Code: 0041) which was founded in 1963 and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 1972.

EC3 Global is the world's largest certifier of sustainable travel and tourism operators. With more than 1000 clients in over 60 countries, The company’s EarthCheck Program responds directly to the major environmental problems facing the planet, including climate change, waste reduction and non-renewable resource management. It provides benchmarking, certification and performance improvement systems that result in average savings of 30 per cent for energy and waste stream, and 20 per cent savings for water consumption. Go to www.earthcheck.org  or   www.ec3global.com



For further information please contact:   
         
Langham Place, Mongkok, Hong Kong
Katie Malone
Director of Communications
P:  +852 3552 3050
E:  Katie.malone@langhamhotels.com
W: hongkong.langhamplacehotels.com

EarthCheck
Chantal Dunbar
EC3 Global Communications Manager
P:  +61 401 058 159
E: chantal.dunbar@ec3global.com
W: www.earthcheck.org

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EC3 Global is the world's largest certifier of sustainable travel and tourism operators. With more than 1000 clients in over 60 countries, The company’s EarthCheck Program responds directly to the major environmental problems facing the planet, including climate change, waste reduction and non-renewable resource management. It provides benchmarking, certification and performance improvement systems that result in average savings of 30 per cent for energy and waste stream, and 20 per cent savings for water consumption. Go to www.earthcheck.org or www.ec3global.com