The Ministry of the Environment published the following press release on its website:
Environment Minister Franz Untersteller: “I hope that as many companies in the state as possible will follow the example of the ideas and commitment of a flagship company like the ECO-INN.”
Today (27 July), Environment Minister Franz Untersteller presented the ECO-INN Hotel in Esslingen with a so-called Viabono certificate. The association Viabono e.V. certifies sustainable hotels and travel products with the aim of promoting modern, environmentally and climate-friendly tourism in Germany. According to this certificate, the ECO-INN is the hotel with the lowest CO2 footprint per overnight stay in Europe, in particular because the hotel’s electricity and heat are generated 100 per cent from Neckar hydropower by means of its own turbine and historic water wheel, and the surplus electricity is fed into the public grid. In addition, the rooms are furnished with sustainable materials that are harmless from a building-biology perspective, and the zero-waste breakfast buffet offers mainly regional products of organic quality.
“More and more guests want to travel in a deliberately environmentally and climate-friendly way,” said Environment Minister Untersteller. This is why the CO2 footprint has become increasingly important in recent years. He was pleased that the ECO-INN, as one of the first signatories of the state’s WIN Charter, is committed to the CO2 footprint and to practicable and transparent sustainability management. “We need flagship companies like this,” said Untersteller. “I hope that the ideas and commitment of the ECO-INN will inspire many more companies in the state to set out on the path to sustainable business and to join our WIN Charter.”