To mark Earth Day 2009 the U.S. Embassy’s Chargé d’Affaires, Mr. Jason Davis, presented Radisson SAS Hotels and Resorts with the Ambassador’s Award for Environmental Excellence during a lunch held at the U.S. Ambassador’s residence on Tuesday, April 21.

Speaking to a gathering of distinguished leaders in business, politics and academia, Mr. Davis praised Radisson’s leadership in demonstrating corporate social responsibility.

Citing Radisson’s use of green technology to reduce water and electricity consumption, Mr. Davis said that “Radisson serves as a model of environmental excellence for other organizations interested in working towards a sustainable society.”

He also commended Radisson for sharing the benefits of its eco-friendly business practices with the people of Malta, noting that a quarter of the water that Radisson Golden Sands produces through its on-site sewage treatment plant is donated to the Parks Department for the irrigation of public gardens and roundabouts.

Mr. Davis also noted that Radisson Golden Sands recycled over 80% of the materials from the demolition of the old Golden Sands hotel and re-used much of this material in the construction of the new hotel.

Minister of Resources and Rural Affairs George Pullicino, who was present at the award presentation, added his praise, noting that the footprint of the Radisson Bay Point hotel was limited to roughly a quarter of the resort’s total land area, leaving ample green space for landscaping and the creation of ecological preservation zones.  Minister Pullicino also encouraged Radisson to share its environmental best practices with other local businesses.

Mr. Davis also recognized the initiatives of Hilton Malta and Mediterranean Insurance Brokers and presented the firms with certificates of achievement for environmental excellence.

Hilton was recognized for its outstanding efforts to conserve and reuse water and its initiatives to encourage hotel guests to do their part to conserve resources and minimize their impact on the environment.

Mediterranean Insurance Brokers, which is the local representative of U.S.-based AON Insurance, was commended for the design of its new eco-friendly office building, which employs a number of state-of-the-art energy-saving features.

Speaking about the U.S. Embassy’s own green credentials, Mr. Davis noted that the new embassy building currently under construction in Ta’ Qali will be an internationally certified green building.

The building will incorporate new technologies for water savings, energy efficiency, and indoor environmental quality by using features such as special windows, sun deflection, and water catchment systems.

In addition, the property and surrounding area will be extensively landscaped with indigenous trees and plants to blend with the natural environment and to reflect both American and Maltese traditions.