Audubon Green Leaf™ Eco-Rating Program

This program provides the assurance that audited lodging facilities have met environmental best practice standards that are required for a rating of one to five Green Leafs. The program began in 1998 to meet the lodging industry's desire to provide quality guest services, while minimizing their impact on the environment. Through a comprehensive and credible method for assessing the extent of the environmental measures undertaken, participating facilities can reduce environmentally-related costs and gain a marketing advantage. By earning a rating in the Audubon Green Leaf™ Program, you’re confirming your commitment to water quality, water conservation, waste minimization, resource conservation, and energy efficiency.	New York lodging facilities and NYSHTA members Click here for the NY Green Lodging Certification Project.
Consumers already buy green, now they can stay green as well.
“The Green Hotel pilot program will assist lodging properties in reducing their environmental footprint, decreasing overhead costs and improve their overall competitiveness. P2I is proud to assist the NYSDEC in this effort, which will ultimately enhance New York’s lodging industry, reduce pollution and improve environmental quality throughout the state.” Anahita Williamson Director of the NYS Pollution Prevention Institute
	In 2009, New York State selected the Audubon Green Leaf™ Program to help meet state-wide hospitality "greening" goals.
Green Leaf™ Eco-Rating Members include:
Hotels Motels Resorts Conference Centers	Inns Bed and Breakfasts Tourist Destinations

Audubon Green Leaf™ Eco-Rating Program
The Audubon Green Leaf™ Program is offered jointly by Audubon International and Green Leaf™ Environmental Communications as a venture to improve the environmental performance of all types of hospitality centers by providing educational assistance to owners, operators, and staff. Click Here To Learn More

Program Cost

Any lodging facility can enroll in the Audubon Green Leaf™ Eco-Rating Program. There are two ways to join the program. The Basic Membership Fee affords access to materials and information to help make improvements at the facility before obtaining Eco-Rating. Within three years of initial enrollment, the facility must complete the Eco-Rating process. The Eco-Rating Membership Fee affords all the benefits of the Basic Membership level but also allows the facility to become Eco-Rated. All lodging facilities are encouraged to immediately enroll at the Eco-Rating level to take advantage of the full benefits of the program.

Basic Membership Fee: Basic Membership Fees are $100.00 per year for Tiers I and II, and $200.00 per year for Tiers III, IV, and V.  If the facility wishes to become Eco-Rated mid-year the difference of the Basic Membership Fee and the Eco-Rating Membership Fee (first year) is due.

Eco-Rating Membership Fees: Eco-Rating members will be able to market themselves as a Green Leaf™ Facility and use Audubon International's and the Green Leaf™ Environmental logo. When a facility enters as an Eco-Rating member, the following fee schedule takes effect:

Note: This three-year fee cycle starts again in Year Four, when the facility is Eco- Rated once again. For members within the Commonwealth of Canada, fees apply in Canadian dollars. For members outside the Commonwealth of Canada, fees apply in United States dollars. NYSHTA members click to continue for pricing.

Elements of Eco-Rating
The Audubon Green Leaf™ Program is a practical, comprehensive way to measure your facility's environmental performance. It emphasizes four core areas of perfomance:

The Green Leaf™ Survey is a questionnaire designed to give us a detailed environmental profile of all functional areas of your hotel.  It’s easy to follow and has questions requiring simple responses. By providing you with a list of well-established “best environmental practices,” developed with industry and outside stakeholder input, you can tell us where and how you’ve been using eco-efficiency.  The Survey’s four main sections – Energy Efficiency, Resource Conservation, Pollution Prevention and Environmental Management –cover issues ranging from energy efficient equipment to indoor air quality to water conservation to environmental policies and communication. It takes about three or four hours to complete.  It can be completed in hardcopy or by filling out a PDF form online.

Table of Contents for the Eco-Rating Survey

As a program member, you can begin to implement or expand environmental management practices using this Eco-Rating Survey and additional educational resources available online.

Sample Questions from the Eco-Rating Survey

Member Benefits
Owners and managers of hotels, motels, inns, B&Bs, resorts, and accommodation facilities of all kinds can see a host of benefits from participating in the Audubon Greenleaf™ Eco-Rating Program for Hotels, such as:

• Third-party, credible verification by a non-profit environmental group.
• Public recognition and marketing benefits as an environmental leader.
• Easy identification as a ‘green hotel’ for millions of ‘green’ travelers.
• Structure, information, tools, and advice to reduce operating costs.
• Enhanced staff job satisfaction through their involvement

Business Value
A hotel can reduce its costs and increase its market share, while protecting the natural environment:

• The Mayfield Inn and Suites in Edmonton, Alberta, achieved savings over $170,000 annually, with a 3.75 per year payback period, by replacing its rooftop air conditioning equipment.
  
  
• The Royal York Hotel in Toronto, Ontario, purchased and installed energy-efficient replacement equipment, contributing to energy savings of $28,000 per year.
  
  
• The Holiday Inn Harbourview, Halifax, Nova Scotia, achieved annual savings of $65,000 for energy conserving practices and over $30,000 annually for garbage and laundry eco-efficiency practices.

Frequently Asked Questions
How was the program and the eco-rating criteria created?
The Audubon Greenleaf™ Eco-Rating Program was launched in Canada over a decade ago—one of the first eco-rating programs in the world for the lodging industry.  Stakeholders from industry, government, and the environmental community helped to identify “best practices” across the core areas of the program.  These best practices are reviewed periodically to ensure that leading practices and technologies define environmental leadership in the program.  Today, the program is administered jointly by Audubon International and the founder of the program, Greenleaf Environmental Communications, Inc.

How does this program differ from other environmental rating and certification programs?
The Audubon Green Leaf™ Eco-Rating Program for Hotels was one of the first programs, run by a third-party environmental group, to address environmental performance in the lodging industry.  Thanks in part to the program’s leadership, today there are numerous local, state, and regional eco-certification and ratings programs in the travel, tourism, and lodging sectors.  Many of these programs are focused more on compliance with environmental laws and regulations, rather than environmental excellence.  While each has value in helping to spur environmental leadership, the Audubon Green Leaf™ Eco-Rating Program for Hotels is unique in that it is international in scope, uses a standardized checklist for evaluating environmental performance, includes environmental education and hands-on staff assistance (as needed), and requires a site visit by a trained individual to verify eco-rated practices.

Who manages the Audubon Green Leaf™ Eco-Rating Program for Hotels?
The Audubon Green Leaf™ Eco-Rating Program is jointly managed by Audubon International and Greenleaf Environmental Communications, a for-profit partner.  The President of GEC, Kevin Gallagher, was instrumental in founding the program over ten years ago as Vice President of TerraChoice of Canada, with input from the environmental community and lodging industry alike.  Membership management and ratings of hotels is managed by GEC, with input from Audubon International, while educational materials and some on-site verifications go through Audubon International staff.  Mr. Gallagher and his staff also manage the voluntary environmental ratings program for marinas in Canada, officially recognized by the Canadian government.

Is there a multi-facility rate?
Yes. The program pricing listed is for individual registration only.  Please contact Kevin Gallagher, President of Green Leaf™ Environmental Communications to learn about discounted rates for multiple facility enrollment, Innkeeper and B&B group rates, and other pricing discounts.

Audubon Green Leaf™ Eco-Rating Profiles