Coloraembraces sustainabe,sendingmoneyfor

\.l?9~'O~~S\~

a\.\'ffi~~,~c..~~~'ffi\c..

)'\\C~('\.o\\\'\.~

une2008,

ColoradoBiz

publisheda storyprofilingColoradocompanies embracingsustainablepractices.The oulderOutlookHotelwashigh- lightedforitsinitiativestowardbecominga "zerowasteproperty." Atthetime,Colorado'scapitalwas gearinguptohostitsfirstDemocratica- tionalConventionsinceWilliamJennings Bryangarneredthenominationin1908. NotonlydidDenver'sAugustconvention successfullylaunchanomineewhowenton tobecomethefirstAfrican-AmericanPresi- dentoftheUnitedStates,itcontinuestobe laudedasthegreenestconventioninhistory. Coloradosustainabilityadvocatesboast thatthestate-nowwellwithinstriking distanceofitshighlypublicizedcompeti- tors-isalreadysettingtheprecedentother regionsseektoemulate. The"DNCwasahugeturningpoint," saysJannaSix,educationandoutreach directorfortheAllianceforSustainable Colorado.Sheattributesthecurrentubiqui- touspushtoadaptmoresustainablebusiness practicestothemomentumofthecityand DCscollaborativegreeninitiatives. TheAlliancecollaboratedwithother nonprofitorganizations,government agenciesandbusinessestohostwork- shopsonwasteminimization,energy efficiencyandwater-savingmethods forrestaurants,hotels,eventplanners, printersandsmall-businessowners.Busi- nesseswereinspiredtoimplementgreen businesspracticesthathaveendureda yearaftertheconvention. Just

asColorado's

eco-friendly

initiatives

soaredtonewheights,oneoftheworst economiccrisesinU.S.historyhit.Fol- lowingtheyearVisitDenverreferredtoasa "banneryear,"thetravelandtourismindustry plungedintooneofitsworsteconomiccrises onrecord,withmanycorporateconferences canceledandworkersfacinglayoffscutting backontheirvacationplans. InColorado'sneweconomicreality, shouldcityandstategovernmentinitia- tivescontinuetoencourageandreward costlyretrofittingupgradesthatmunicipal andstategovernmentschampionedprior toOctober'sstockmarketplunge?Ifso, willColorado'snewlygreenedhotelsand resortsbeabletosustainthemselves,not tomentiontheircostlyupgrades,untilthe economybouncesback? "Itisdifficulttofindwaystomakeinvest- mentsinadownturn,"Gov.BillRittersaid when

ColoradoBiz

approachedhimonthe topic.'Thedownturndoesnotpreclude investmentsfrombeingmade"becausein the"newenergyeconomy,"investmentsare primarilyinitiatedby"high-endplacesthat relyoncorporatetravel." Greenpracticescurrentlybeingadapted anddevelopedwillgivehotelsthatmaintain themanevenmorecompetitiveedgeover timebecause,Rittersaid,"sustainabilityis partofourfuture."

NOTIMELIKETODAY

BobTrotter,managerofVaiIValley's newestluxuryresort,TheWestinRiverfront Resort

Spa,believesthattimeisnow. Already,about75percentofeventplanners routinelyrequestalistofthehotel'ssustain- abilityinitiativespriortobooking.Providing thatlistisnotdifficultfortheWestinRiver- front;it'snowvyingtobethefirstColorado hoteltoreceiveLEEDcertification.Trotter sayssomecompaniesselectedthehotelfora conferenceexplicitlybecauseoftheresort's sustainablepractices. TrottercitesChipotleandThuleasex- amplesoftwoColorado-basedcompanies

whose

dedication

tosustainability

such

anemphaticpartoftheirmissionthatthe companies'credibilitywouldbeontheline weretheytopatronizeavenuethatdoesnot addressit.BookingataresortliketheWestin thereforehelpsthecompanymaintainits brand,hesaid. WestinanticipatesreceivingSilverlevel LEED(LeadershipinEnergyandEnviron- mentalDesign)certification,thesecondlevel ofa

points-basedratingsystemthat

includes

[PLANET-PROFITREPORT]

twohigherlevels(goldandplatinum). Thearchitectsandengineersworkedwith Colorado-basedcompanyEastWesttoadd featuresthatminimizethebuilding'simpact ontheenvironmentandthelocalcom- munity.Thisispresentinthedesignofthe buildingitself,whichincludesaroofmade fromrecycledtires,energy-efficientlighting anddouble-panedwindowswithargongas fillingthevoidbetweenthetwopanes.This aidsintheinsulatingabilityoftheglassas wellasabsorbing/reducingoutsidenoise. TheLEEDpointsystemalsorewards goodstewardshipinitiativestakenduring theconstructionprocess.Whentheho- tel'sGypsum-baseddrywal1manufacturer refusedtodrivedirectlytoAvontodeliver theWestin'sdrywallorderonthegrounds

atpolicyrequiredalldeliveriestobe routedthroughDenver,TheWestinRiv-

ersideagreedtoahigherdeliveryfeeto final1ygettheGypsumdrywal1manufac- turertore-route. Theenvironmentwasspared215miles' worthofdeliverytruckfuelemissions,the Gypsummanufacturergotmoremoneyfora 29.9-rpiledeliverythanitwouldhavegotten formakingthepolicy-mandated245-mile delivery,andTheWestinRiversidescored additionalpointstowardLEEDcertification. TheWestinalsoearnedpointstowardits LEEDcertificationbymakingtheRiverfront ExpressGondolausedtotransportWestin gueststothemountaintopofBeaverCreek skiresortalsoavailabletoresidentsofthe cityofAvonatnocost. Ascarsarenotpermittedinthegondola area,thesnowsurroundingtheareastays clean.Atthetown'srequest,thehotelfed thedrainpipeusedformeltedsnowdirectly intothemarshlandfoundationitwasbuilt on,therebyhelpingtoreplenishthenatural horticultureoftheadjacentriverbank.Five acresofthehotel's19-acrepropertyhave alsobeenavailabletothepublicintheform ofparklandswithabikepath,connecting guestsandtownspeopletoriversidetownsall