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Within
three years of opening, Aurum Lodge obtained the following ratings and
awards. We are proud of these achievements, but believe that awards
/ certifications are not the only yardstick by which eco-lodges
or eco-tourism should be measured.
- 2000
Five Green
Leaf Eco-rating by the Hotel Association of Canada. This has now become the Audubon Green Leaf Eco-Rating Programme and Aurum Lodge is still
the only property, which enjoys the top five leaf rating.
- 2001
Nominated finalist for the Alberta
Emerald Awards.
- 2001
Recipient of Alberta’s first ever ALTO award for sustainable
tourism. For close-up view
of the award.
-
2002
Pollution Prevention Award in the small business category
from the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME)
- In
2001/2 we also held the Green Globe 21 Certification. We discontinued
our membership, because no criteria were communicated for members
or the general public to verify how certifications were achieved
(Unlike the Green Leaf programme, which subjects participants
to a rigorous evaluation and on-site inspection and provides suggestions
for improvements). It is our view that a “certification”
or “rating” which is not transparent, lacks credibility.
- As for the new Hotel Association of Canada Green Key rating, we have decided not to join it for now. It is our opinion, that rating criteria have been watered down to allow more members to obtain a higher rating and to maximise the number of participants (this can easily make a programme a revenue generating proposition, rather than a reflection of true environmental responsibility). The HAC rating is based on self-assessment, rather than mandatory inspection, which is unacceptable in our view (in contrast, every property applying for the Canada Select rating is inspected annually). The programme "recognises properties committed to improving their fiscal [!?] and environmental performance"... As such, we feel that it plays into the hands of those organisations who are already marketing themselves as "green" when all they do is implement cost saving measures. The consumer is given minimal information as to the criteria and method of evaluation / rating (Unfortunately, too many certification / rating agencies look at "brick and mortar" improvements only, which are usually implemented with operating cost reduction in mind and not the environment. Or they look at written policies, rather than what is actually enforced...).
Being familiar with some of the highly rated properties in the HAC Green Key programme we simply cannot agree with some of their rating resultsl (e.g. a luxury hotel chain, which built a conference centre in the environmentally sensitive heart of Banff National Park in order to improve their bottom line by adding dozens of rooms and attracting business, which clearly does not belong in the Parks - ignoring the damage, pollution, wildlife disturbance and reduced enjoyment for park visitors resulting therefrom, and threatening conservation groups opposing the project with litigation - clearly does not deserve a five key rating...).
More than ever, it is imperative, that the traveling consumers make their own assessment as to a property's environmental performance, not so much based on ratings and words (marketing hype), but rather on their actions, policies, services and activities offered, etc. To-date, we do not believe that there is an eco-rating which truly reflects the environmental responsibility of participanting properties.
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