Sands China Observes Earth Hour 2019 and Holds In-house Climate Week
11
straight years of supporting Earth Hour
Events are
part of Sands ECO360 global sustainability strategy
(Macao,
April
1, 2019) –
Sands China Ltd. raised
awareness of environmental sustainability
with two events last week – Earth Hour
and Climate Week.
On Saturday, March 30 at 8:30 p.m., Sands
China’s properties turned off their exterior
lights and non-essential indoor lights for
one hour in support of Earth Hour 2019. It
is the 11th year in a row that Sands China
has joined businesses and individuals around
the world to support the global event. All
Sands China properties participated:
Sands® Macao; The
Venetian® Macao; The
Plaza® Macao featuring Four
Seasons; Sands® Cotai Central
featuring St. Regis, Conrad, Sheraton; and
The Parisian
Macao.
Earth Hour first took place in 2007. Its
goal is to raise awareness of climate change
by encouraging eco-conscious individuals,
communities, households and businesses to
switch off their lights for one hour.
Besides the yearly event, Sands China
maintains its long-standing monthly practice
of observing Earth Hour. All its properties
switch off exterior lights, signage and
marquees for one hour on the first Tuesday
of each month.
Sands China held its in-house Climate
Week March 25-29 at its team member
back-of-house areas. The event aims to
encourage team members to take their own
steps to address climate change. One
highlight is an Energy Saving Roadshow,
which gives team members an opportunity
to replace lightbulbs from their homes
with energy-efficient LED bulbs. Team
members brought in lightbulbs from their
homes and turned them in for recycling,
and purchased energy-saving products
like LED bulbs at a discount. In total,
team members bought over 2,500
energy-saving lighting products during
Climate Week.
“Sands China continues to apply the Sands
ECO360 global sustainability strategy with
excellent results,” said Mark McWhinnie,
senior vice president of resort operations
and development for Sands China Ltd. “We’re
very pleased to support Earth Hour each
year, and are glad to see our team members’
positive response to Climate Week. We will
also continue to innovate and use new
technologies to continue reducing our carbon
footprint.”
The Sands ECO360
strategy helped Sands China save 26.3
million kWh of energy in 2018 by installing
LED and other energy efficient lights, and
through optimisation of cooling and heating
systems. Currently, 98 per cent of Sands
China’s hotel suite lighting and other
operational areas are using the latest LED
and other energy saving technologies. The
company’s goal is to reach 100 per cent in
2020.
In another
environmental effort, Sands China recently
banned plastic straws from its internal
operations and from its restaurants, and
switched over to providing paper straws upon
request. It has also put into effect a
complete ban on shark fin, which covers the
entirety of Sands China’s internal food and
beverage operations, as well as all
restaurants owned by the
company.
These and other
initiatives continue to help Sands China
maintain environmentally sustainable
operations, earning the company recognition
for its efforts. Six hotels at Sands China
properties hold the Macao SAR government’s
Macau Green Hotel Gold Award, and The
Venetian Macao has earned Macao’s first-ever
Macau Green Hotel Platinum
Award.
Photo caption:
Sands China Ltd. properties switch off exterior lights and
non-essential indoor lights for one hour during Earth Hour
2019, joining businesses and individuals around the world
March 30 to raise awareness of climate change.
Photo caption:
Sands China team members recycle old light bulbs and buy
discounted energy-efficient LED bulbs during an Energy
Saving Roadshow at Sands China properties’ back-of-house
areas March 25-29.