After years of preparations the UN climate conference, COP15, is finally over, and we are left with a regrettable result – a compromise that satisfies no one. Maybe the outcome was inevitable, who knows, but my thoughts are with the countries not as privileged as we are, who are facing a time where the consequences of the climate changes are about to show its ugly face.
Copenhagen buzz
On a more local and positive level, we, the staff at Brøchner Hotels, are thrilled about how well the two very busy and unusual weeks went by. All of Copenhagen has been turned upside down, and we were no exception. Brøchner Hotels have been an early mover in regards to the environment, and in 2007 we were the first hotel-chain in the world who became carbon neutral. This is why we put so much effort into the climate conference, as we wanted to make a contribution to the process, and tell the world about our environmental initiatives.
Police and Heads of State
Like every other hotel in Copenhagen we have been involved on a much more practical level as well. We now know the direct number to the Danish Security and Intelligence Service, and we have become friendly with several state leaders.
Ibsens Hotel, Hotel Fox, and Hotel Danmark were filled with police officers in need of a bed during their assignment at the conference. Hotel Kong Arthur was graced with such a great number of heads of state, that it could have made the head of even the most VIP-savvy receptionist spin. It’s been busy, frustrating and challenging, but now that we’ve returned to normal, I think it’s safe to say that above all it’s been very, very exciting, and we would do it all again.
Sleigh rides on the Greenland ice sheet
The conference meant a lot of practical challenges for us, and on top of that we chose to grasp the opportunity to discuss the environmental problems on a hotel level. Every day during the COP15 we held our own little convention, where guests and employees had the chance to sit down with our environmental team to debate how a regular hotel in Copenhagen can operate in ways that are the least damaging to the environment. The results have been better than we could have hoped for, and we ended up with almost 100 ideas.
Wow, that’s really impressive! The ideas span from the practical, that can be implemented right away, to the more wide-reaching, that have to wait until CEO Kirsten Brøchner gets the sweat wiped off of her forehead. If one of the suggestions makes possible a significant carbon reduction, it will be rewarded with a carbon neutralized sleigh ride in Greenland. My guess is, that this probably helped fire up under suggestion.
The competition is not over yet, but here at the hotel blog, we will definitely be on the watch and update when the results are in.
Marie Dyekjær Eriksen/ Public Relations
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