2015 Annual Meeting The Council's Sustainability Statement

Sustainability Statement

The Council on Foundations would like to thank our conference Sustainability Partner Betsy and Jesse Fink Foundation.

Threats to our natural resource and energy systems undermine the success of our philanthropic work. This year, we are taking measures to increase sustainable practices throughout the conference and demonstrate our commitment to change, including:

• Conference Program – Council is taking special care to reduce paper use - thus no inserts - and use of other materials, thus no bag.  The program is printed with soy inks on 100% recycled content, 100% post-consumer waste, processed chlorine free. Printed in San Francisco to reduce emissions due to shipping, we encourage attendees to recycle the program daily newsletters and badge holder in marked recycle bins.  For each recycled newsletter the Council will be planting a tree through the Arbor Day Foundation.
• Conference Location – San Francisco is one of the “greenest” municipalities when it comes to policies and laws governing waste. Plastic bags, disposable water bottles and Styrofoam are banned throughout the city. Restaurants participate in the city’s mandatory composting program which combines with traditional recycling to divert 80% of the city’s waste from landfill.
• Water Conservation – California is experiencing an unprecedented drought and Gov. Jerry Brown released an executive order to cut water use by 25%. Please be mindful of your personal use during your stay and note that restaurants only serve water by request.
• Sustainable Agriculture and Food Waste – In addition to sourcing local food and utilizing composting programs, both Marriott and reception caterer Paula LeDuc donate excess food wherever possible. Marriott also partners with Clean Fish Alliance on its sustainable seafood program and Paula LeDuc follows the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch List.
• Carbon Offsets – The Council has ensured that this year’s off-site receptions are in walkable distance and encourage those traveling by air or ground to consider purchasing carbon offsets. The Council on Foundations used TerraPass, but there are plenty of options out there.
• On-site – Marriott works with vendors to use products that conserve energy, reduce and divert waste and are comprised of more sustainable materials. Low-energy light bulbs, showerheads that use less water, “room-ready” towels, recycled key cards and pens, and biodegradable laundry bags are just some of the products that help Marriott reduce its environmental impact and meet their goal to reduce energy and water consumption 20% by 2020. Marriott has consistently ranked highest in the hotel sector on the Climate Counts company scorecard.