Mount Nelson goes Green!
February 2007 - The Mount Nelson Hotel, one of Cape Town and South Africa’s most respected hotels, has been accepted as member of the Heritage Environmental Rating Programme.

The decision to become part of Africa’s most successful tourism-based environmental management programme comes as international demand for environmentally responsible tourism products increases and awareness of issues such as global warming and sustainability reach new heights. 

Orient-Express Hotels, the parent company of the Mount Nelson and Westcliffe Hotels was one of twenty five signatories to the Hotels’ Environmental Charter which was adopted in 1996 by leaders in the South African tourism and hospitality sector. The signing of the Charter reflected an emergence of similar international initiatives in environmental stewardship by the tourism sector following the Rio Earth Summit and this decision by the Mount Nelson Hotel makes Orient-Express Hotels only the second signatory to honour its commitment made in 1996.
 

“We are confident that the Mount Nelson’s decision to support the principles of Heritage will position the hotel as among the most responsible hotels in southern Africa” says Greg McManus managing director of Qualitour, developers of the Heritage Programme. 

"The efforts that have already been made to address environmental impacts at the hotel are particularly noteworthy and this decision merely underlines a solid commitment to their community” he adds.

The Heritage Environmental Rating Programme has been developed to reflect international best practice in environmental stewardship in tourism and ensures compliance to standards that currently exceed those of ISO14001.  

As part of their commitment towards more responsible and sustainable practice, the Mount Nelson will undergo regular independent environmental assessments to measure and manage the impacts that it has on its environment and on local communities.  The implementation of policies and strategies to manage issues such as sustainable procurement; communications; responsible resource management; corporate social responsibility and others will ensure more effective, sustainable and responsible operating standards by the hotel.

“With 9-acres of landscaped gardens, 201 bedrooms and suites and 6 kitchens supplying 2 restaurants and large banquet facilities, the Mount Nelson Hotel has consistently been aware to conserve energy and its micro-environment and have formulated many successful policies over recent years to achieve this. It was time though to centralise our efforts and to formulate a clear and solid environmental program going forward and it is in this regard that we were delighted to be aligned to the Heritage Environmental Rating Programme”, commented Andrew Cook, Hotel Manager of the Mount Nelson Hotel.

“The decision to support this initiative signifies solid commitment to the principles of responsible tourism and we are proud to be associated with a hotel that has the long-term interests of tourism, the region and future generations at heart,” McManus said.

Heritage Environmental Rating Programme has been developed from seven international environmental management systems, and it is currently being applied at sixty five hotels, resorts, lodges and gaming operation across the region.  Heritage is the most successful programme of its kind in Africa and one of the top three environmental management programmes in the tourism industry worldwide. The programme is recognised by the World Tourism Organisation and is partnered with Fedhasa in the Imvelo Awards held annually to recognise and reward sustainable and responsible tourism standards in southern Africa.