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In May 2010, Marriott International announced an investment of $500,000 in seed money over two years to support CI's freshwater conservation program that helps protect the largest source of fresh water on the planet, located in the mountains of Southwest China. The joint CI/Marriott program — called "Nobility of Nature" — supports sustainable livelihoods like honey production that reduce strains on natural resources, especially fresh water and forests. Fall 2010: The Guanba Bee Farm Cooperative was one of the first projects to receive funding from the program, and is currently undergoing the process to be certified organic. The honey is now being sold in 39 mainland Marriott hotel stores, and all profits from the sale of honey will be donated back to the cooperative.
LEARN MORE: Marriott's Executive Chairman, Bill Marriott, blogs about the project!
In 2008, Marriott came out with a five-point strategy in collaboration with CI that includes: Carbon Offsets/Protecting the Rainforest, Water, Waste and Energy, Green Supply Chain, Green Buildings/LEED certification and Employee and Guest Engagement.
As a key component of the company's efforts, Marriott became the first major global hotel company to calculate its carbon footprint and launch a plan to minimize that footprint by improving energy efficiency; conserving water; building greener, more sustainable hotels and supporting high-quality projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation. As part of this effort, Marriott established a precedent-setting project designed to protect the 1.4 million acre Juma Sustainable Development Reserve, part of the Brazilian Amazon basin.
Marriott is a member of CI's Business & Sustainability Council, a community of companies committed to leveraging their business experience and resources to protect nature for the benefit of humanity.
To learn more about Marriott and its environmental initiatives, visit marriott.com/environment.