What are the SDGs?
SDGs stands for "Sustainable Development Goals," an international set of goals adopted unanimously by member states at the UN Summit in September 2015, aiming for a sustainable and better world by 2030. It consists of 17 goals and 169 targets, pledging to "leave no one behind" on Earth.
Hotel Granvia Okayama endorses the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals and, as a company committed to serving the local community, will actively participate in addressing regional and social issues through its SDGs initiatives.
Preventing global warming (energy saving)
As an energy-saving measure, we are promoting the conversion of building lighting to LEDs. LEDs are considered environmentally friendly because they have a long lifespan and are energy-efficient*, resulting in lower CO2 emissions, and they do not contain lead or mercury found in fluorescent lamps.
*LED light bulbs are said to be approximately 85% more energy-efficient than conventional light bulbs.
In addition, we are implementing other water-saving measures, such as using water-saving toilets, installing water-saving devices on faucets, and introducing an "Eco Linen Card" that allows guests staying multiple nights to choose whether or not they want their bed Linen changed. We are also taking resource-saving measures, such as digitizing registration cards (accommodation registration cards) and promoting paperless internal meetings.
Building a circular economy
We are taking various measures to reduce food waste, such as informing our banquet guests about the "3010 Movement" and reducing unsold takeout products by listing them on the food sharing service "TABETE".
*3010 Movement: This initiative encourages people to enjoy their meals for the first 30 minutes and the last 10 minutes to reduce food waste.
Furthermore, since 2021, all food waste generated from the hotel (approximately 47 tons per year) has been provided to Biodiesel Okayama's biomass power generation project, contributing to clean electricity generation.
Community coexistence and social contribution
In addition to regular cleaning around the hotel, we actively participate in local cleaning activities such as the "Asahi River Cleanup" organized by the Okayama Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the "Hyakken River Cleanup" organized by the Okayama City Environmental Bureau.
We donate the plastic bottle caps we collect within the facility to the NPO Eco-Cap Promotion Association. The donated eco-caps are converted into recycled plastic raw materials, and the proceeds are used for medical support and various environmental education programs for children.
In addition, we promote local production and consumption, and have registered two stores (PRIX D'OR and BISAI) as retailers of "Okayama Organic Pesticide-Free Agricultural Products," providing environmentally conscious ingredients.
Employee training and creating a comfortable working environment
We have adopted an environmental declaration as a guideline for our environmental improvement activities, and all employees carry an environmental declaration card. In addition, we conduct SDGs education for all employees to foster awareness of solving social issues.
As part of our efforts to promote diversity, we are promoting the employment of foreign nationals and people with disabilities, reviewing internal regulations to be more gender-sensitive, and conducting human rights training.
In addition, as part of our childcare support measures, we have implemented a part-time employee system, attracted a daycare center near the station (Postmate Nursery School), and expanded our childcare subsidy program for staff.
External communication, awards, certifications, etc.
Our efforts to reduce food waste have been featured in various media outlets.
- - Inclusion in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' "Collection of Best Practices for Reducing Food Loss in Restaurants and Other Establishments (Second Edition)" (No. 17)
- - JR West station poster "Let's run eco-friendly!" displayed (No. 13)
- - Regarding the donation of surplus food to Food Bank Okayama: Sanyo Shimbun article published (August 13, 2020, page 20)
- - Included in the "JR West Group Integrated Report 2020" (p.32)
- - Published on JR West Japan's website under "Our Thoughts and Actions"
- - Included in the "JR West Group Integrated Report 2021" (p. 40)
- - Articles about the TABETE initiative were published in "VISION OKAYAMA" (March 14, 2022 issue, p. 7) and Sanyo Shimbun (April 13, 2022, page 6).
- - Feature article on SDGs published in "Monthly Hotel & Ryokan" (May 2022 issue, p. 53)
In fiscal year 2019, we received the "JR West Group Environmental Award (Global Environmental Protection Promotion Category)".
As an external certification, we obtained the Eco Mark "Hotel/Ryokan Version 2" in April 2019.
The Eco Mark is a certification system based on the International Organization for Standardization standard ISO 14024 "Type I Environmental Labeling System." Operated by the Japan Environment Association, it is awarded to products and facilities recognized as contributing to environmental conservation, such as those with minimal environmental impact.
Toward creating a hotel that is friendly to everyone and
the environment through new initiatives
As a company committed to coexisting with the local community, we are deepening our understanding of the SDGs and striving to create hotels that are friendly to everyone and the environment. Furthermore, to achieve the JR West Group's vision of a "safe and prosperous society where people meet and smiles are born," we hope to contribute to achieving the SDGs by realizing a West Japan area where everyone—including future generations—can continue to thrive.
