The Glenlo Abbey Hotel is the only Galway hotel to have been awarded a Green Fáilte prize, at the second National Environmental Conference on Wednesday 23 April.

Ulf Oberdieck, Glenlo Green Team Leader, (second from left) picked up the award at the recent ceremony in the Clarion, Liffey Valley Centre.

The hotel received an award in the bronze category and will now progress to silver, according to the hotel's manager Brian Bourke.

Seventeen hotels were awarded the Green Fáilte Award on Wednesday 23 April at the second National Environmental Conference held in the Clarion Hotel Liffey Valley by Tony Killeen TD, Minister of State, Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

The Green Fáilte Award is an environmental certificate awarded to hospitality businesses that prove their commitment to the environment by fulfilling a number of key requirements.

The award is granted based on performance in environmental management systems, waste management, water management and energy management. Properties are audited annually to ensure that the hospitality business is meeting its requirements and is acting responsibly with respect to the environment.

At the conference the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced support for the project for the Hotel and Hospitality Sector, which will work with individual Irish hotels over the next four years to significantly improve environmental management practices, prevent waste and encourage resource efficiency, while reducing operating costs for the sector.

The target of the national programme for 2008 is to recruit 150 of Ireland's largest hotels and help them to make environmental improvements. Over 70 hotels have already signed up and seventeen of these were today granted awards in recognition of the steps they have taken to improve their environmental practices.

The Award Programme is a multi-staged accreditation scheme which allows hospitality businesses to commence implementing Best Practice Environmental Management at their own pace and at a speed that complements their business profile, whilst encouraging them to implement continuous improvement. The awards have four levels; Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum, with accommodation providers who reach Platinum having the opportunity to achieve the EU Flower Eco-Label.

The Hotel and Hospitality Project is managed on behalf of the EPA by a consortium led by the Clean Technology Centre and including Hospitality Solutions Consulting.

At the conference, Maurice Bergin - HSC Ltd - stated that "Irish Hotels stand to save up to €100 million annually if they implement good environmental management within their properties"

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