There is a wide range of "green" or eco-ratings in the marketplace ranging from the relatively simple to the fully integrated and comprehensive. Their growth has paralleled the increased level of environmental concern in the collective conscience. Even though the hospitality industry has been slow to adapt any one of them as a single standard for many reasons, the industry as a whole has also been slow in looking for opportunities to reduce its level of resource intensity. The problem with both the slow uptake on sustainability activities and the eco-ratings is that they are tactical reactions to an issue of strategic importance.

The hospitality industry for years has dealt with environmental and other issues on a property-by-property basis. Labor, waste disposal, recycling, food suppliers and much more has typically fallen under the purview of the General Manager (GM). The wide range of municipal regulations and the importance of local market knowledge make it easier to delegate these responsibilities to the GM rather than coordinating everything centrally. In these instances, not having uniformity across a corporation is in the best interest of the local property and corporate central office because this structure helps to maximize profitability for corporate, for the property, ...