Marriott International is ranked number 12 on Computerworld magazine's 'Top 12 Green IT Companies' list and is only lodging company to make the list this year.
Computerworld recognized Marriott for its continued efforts to implement innovative methods for making its hi-tech operations more energy efficient and less wasteful.
A highlight of Marriott's IT environmental achievements include a new cooling system for the data center and improved temperature management, which allowed a 5 to 7 degree temperature increase. These changes have resulted in reduced water consumption of approximately 58% since 2007. Also of note are the company's extensive use of server virtualization, desktop power management and recycling of IT assets.
"This award illustrates our continued commitment to applying technology in new and innovative ways in an effort to reduce energy consumption," said Carl Wilson, executive vice president and chief information officer, Marriott International.
Building on more than 20 years of energy conservation experience, Marriott is committed to protecting the environment. The company's Spirit To PreserveŽ environmental strategy calls for: greening our $10 billion supply chain; further reducing energy and water consumption by 25 percent per available room by 2017; expanding our portfolio of green hotels and buildings, including 300 LEEDŽ (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design)-certified hotels, by 2015; educating and inspiring employees and guests to support the environment; and investing in innovative, large-scale conservation projects worldwide.
Marriott has been recognized for its environmental leadership in the hotel industry by several groups, including Ceres, an alliance of investors and environmentalists; the non-profit organization ClimateCounts.org; and Travel + Leisure magazine. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently awarded Marriott its Sustained Excellence Award for the third straight year, and has awarded its ENERGY STAR label to 323 Marriott hotels, the most of any hotel company.
