HEART Runaway Bay Hotel and Training Institution is the first educational institution in the world to earn environmental certification from the prestigious United Kingdom-based Green Globe (21) International.

The Green Globe (21) is widely respected worldwide as a virtual recommendation of the environmental worthiness of an entity.

HEART Runaway Bay joins a growing group of Jamaican hospitality, tourism and manufacturing entities which have already earned certification with Environmental Audits for Sustainable Tourism (EAST) assistance.

EAST is a collaborative initiative between the United States Government through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association (JHTA) and the Jamaica Manufacturers Association (JMA) with technical assistance being provided by a US-based consulting firm, PA Consulting Group (formerly Hagler Bailly Services).

EAST project co-ordinator Hugh Cresser hailed HEART’s achievement as “a major milestone not only for Jamaica, but the entire region”.

HEART’s Green Globe certification follows an intensive programme of environmental management initiatives implemented by the school with support from the EAST project.

It has exposed students to aspects and impacts of the environment, principles of Environmental Management Systems (EMS, international certification programmes and “Best Practices” and a range of other related topics.

Just last week, EAST hosted the “Certified Hotel Environmental Manager” (CHEM) training course at HEART, partnering with the Environmental Engineers and Managers Institute of the USA, to boost the capacity of Jamaica’s hospitality and tourism managers to implement environmental pogrammes.

The course, which complements EAST’s initiatives throughout the island at “greening” the hospitality and tourism and the manufacturing sectors, developed the skills of a cadre of professionals who have already implemented an EMS, are preparing to do so or are training to become environmental officers and managers in tourism establishments.

Last year, Cresser and Consultant Matthew Lonam developed a “green curriculum” which has been integrated into the curricula at the HEART academy and offered to students in the hospitality programme.

Designed to equip trainees with the knowledge, attitudes and skills to implement environmental best practices and effective energy conservation and safety measures in accordance with regional and international standards thereby reducing the negative environmental impacts within hospitality operations, the programme has had some notable success.

Cresser described HEART’s Green Globe (21) certification as “further demonstration of HEART’s leadership in the hospitality industry”.

Noting that a healthy environment is critical to the tourism industry, he said that the hotel sector has to become more proactive, responding to market signals rather than waiting on regulations to put mandatory environmental legislation in place.

Cresser said that “tourists, particularly from Europe, are demanding improved environmental management, eco-tourism or green tourism and education and training are critical ingredients in achieving goals of sustainable tourism”.

“Green Globe (21) certification has positioned HEART as theleading vocational institution within the Caribbean region on sustainable tourism development and environmental best practices in hospitality education”.