7,500 trees planted in India and Philippines reinforces commitment to environment protection
SINGAPORE, Oct. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the world's largest and most dynamic hotel groups, celebrates its 75th anniversary with a global commitment to plant 22,500 trees worldwide by 2014. The planting will be carried out through a global partnership with Plant It 2020 -- the non-profit organization that helps reforest the world's cities and forests. The partnership is a symbol of Carlson Rezidor's continued commitment to being a responsible business in the communities in which it operates across Asia Pacific, the Americas and Europe, Middle East and Africa.
"We are marking Carlson's 75 years of success with the planting of 7,500 trees in Asia Pacific. These trees are symbols of strength, longevity and continuity and they represent our long term commitment to the communities that we are part of. As we strive towards our ambition to be a leading hotel management company in this region with 130 operating hotels by 2015, we will also take the lead in being a responsible business taking care of the safety and well-being of employees, guests and customers, engaging in community work and reducing our negative impact on the earth," said Simon C. Barlow, president, Asia Pacific, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group.
The planting of 7,500 trees in the Philippines and in India is to be completed by the end of October 2013. In the Philippines, 3,750 trees will be planted in the Zambales province, one of the regions largely affected by the Mount Pinatobu eruption in 1991, which is currently facing extensive deforestation issues. In India, Ratnagiri -- the south western part of Maharashtra has been selected for the planting of 3,750 trees, as it is one of the world's top ten biodiversity hotspots and is in need of preservation due to uncontrolled mining, logging and other environmental issues. The species selected for this project are indigenous to their locations to ensure they provide both cultural and economic value over time. They will also be planted in non-harvest protected locations, to ensure they reach maturity and benefit local communities in the long-term.
