Fairmont Hotels reveals its dark side

Never shy to take a leadership stance on issues affecting the planet and the hospitality industry, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is pleased to confirm its participation in Earth Hour 2009, a global environmental awareness event organised by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

On Saturday 28th March 2009 at 8:30 p.m., all 56 of Fairmont's world-class hotels and resorts from Dallas to Dubai will go dark by turning off their lights for one hour - Earth Hour - and in doing so will reinforce the company's pioneering commitment to operational sustainability and help draw further attention to one of the world's single largest environmental issues: climate change.

In addition to switching off principal lighting, a number of Fairmont's properties will also mark this eco-friendly event with creative and innovative programming in an effort to involve hotel guests in this global phenomenon. At Toronto's landmark Fairmont Royal York, the hotel is creating a special line-up of "green" themed cocktails to be served in its famed Library Bar and will also illuminate its indoor pool area with more than 100 floating candles.

In Seattle, the AAA Five Diamond Fairmont Olympic will host a charming candlelit dinner featuring an impressive selection of French-inspired Northwest cuisine in The Georgian. Spreading the word in the United Arab Emirates will be The Fairmont Dubai, which will share facts and figures about lighting usage and tips on energy conservation with guests and local businesses alike.

Not to be outdone, The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, which is 50% powered by a blend of wind and run-of-river electricity generation, will light up its picturesque lakeshore with ice luminaries and invite guests to gather around a roaring fire and enjoy an old-fashioned storytelling session under the stars.

Earth Hour is a global WWF climate change initiative. Individuals, businesses, governments and communities are invited to turn out their lights for one hour on Saturday 28th March 2009 at 8:30 p.m. to show their support for action on climate change. The event began in Sydney in 2007, when two million people switched off their lights. In 2008, more than 50 million people, including several Fairmont hotels around the globe, participated. In 2009, Earth Hour aims to reach out to one billion people in 1,000 cities.

For close to two decades, Fairmont has strived to minimise its impact on the planet through its award-winning Green Partnership programme, a comprehensive environmental platform focused on key areas such as waste reduction, energy management, water conservation, and innovative community outreach programmes.

In 2008, Fairmont became the first luxury hotel brand to address climate change by pledging to significantly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. Working alongside the global conservation organisation WWF, Fairmont agreed to measure its current CO2 footprint according to UN protocol, and has plans to announce a world-class CO2 reduction target in the early part of 2009.

For more information on Fairmont's Green Partnership programme and the company's industry leading environmental initiatives, log on to Fairmont.com/environment.