Being one of the leading Norwegian corporations within the property, hotel and restaurant industries, the Olav Thon Group strives in particular to focus on its environmental efficiency, with careful management of energy and waste of core concerns.
With initiatives ranging from eco-aware shopping centres and green conferences to sustainable offices and carbon-neutral hotels, the Olav Thon Group has shown that corporate social responsibility is a significant part of its agenda, and is as a result considered as one of the green front-runners in Norway.
Norway’s first carbon-neutral hotel
In 2011, Thon Hotel Arendal became Norway’s first carbon-neutral hotel, following the groups’s environmental commitment and objective of delivering low emission products.
Being one of Norway’s largest hotel chains, all Thon Hotels have the Eco-Lighthouse certification. With over 2.6 million guest nights per year, a special focus has been put on environmental efficiency with initiatives like eco-friendly consumption, energy savings and reduced waste.
The Thon Hotels launched the concept of Green Conferences in 2013, and since a total of 17 Thon hotels offer conferences for eco-aware customers. The goal has been to achieve the largest possible reduction in carbon emissions related to the conferences, and is a partnership with the Eco-Lighthouse Foundation and its climate partners.
Philanthropic bottle deposits
The Olav Thon Group also makes use of innovative ways to make a positive social and environmental impact. The latest campaign was made with the owner and founder Olav Thon, promoting the depositing of returnable bottles in the Group’s shopping centres.
When returning the bottles the consumers are given the option of participating in a lottery in exchange for a donation, with the opportunity to win up to 1 million NOK.
The surplus of the initiative is given to Red Cross, and the humanitarian organization has of today received 106 million NOK from the project.
Watch the campaign video for recycling bottles in support of a good cause with founder Olav Thon here:
The Olav Thon Group also works systematically with corporate social responsibility in the areas of human rights, labour, the environment, anti-corruption and social engagement.
As a member of the UN Global Compact since 2012, the Olav Thon Group publishes an annual sustainability report, showcasing how the group strives to operate responsibly and sustainably.
Read Olav Th0n Group’s latest CSR reports (2013) here and here (2014).
Mariann Karlstad, CSR adviser in the Olav Thon Group, became a Premium member of The Social Business Club in order to extend her professional network and to gain more inspiration and knowledge about CSR from other practitioners in the field of CSR.
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