Sands ECO360, the global corporate sustainability program of Las Vegas Sands under the Sands Cares corporate citizenship initiative, released its 2015 report outlining the five-year journey the company has taken as it works toward global sustainability.
Las Vegas Sands built its sustainability strategy in 2011 around four key pillars to achieve the greatest environmental impact — green buildings, environmentally responsible operations, green meetings and stakeholder engagement.
Las Vegas Sands has exceeded its carbon footprint target with an 8.1 percent reduction from the 2010 baseline for existing properties and a 19.6 percent reduction from the 2012 baseline for newly opened properties. The company also improved its waste diversion rate by 11.5 percent and 12.2 percent over baseline at existing buildings and newly opened properties respectively. More than 24,000 tons of materials were diverted/recycled, which represents 30 percent of the company’s waste.
Electricity consumption has also been reduced by 16.8 percent in existing properties and 11.8 percent in newly opened properties. Water consumption has decreased by 2.6 percent in the last year.
“Leading the global sustainability efforts of the organization affords me with the unique opportunity of seeing first-hand the tremendous efforts our team members make on a daily basis to reduce our impact on the environment,” Katarina Tesarova, vice president of global sustainability for Las Vegas Sands, said in a statement. “Developing and implementing a comprehensive sustainability strategy focused on leaving a responsible, cleaner, and safer world for future generations is incredibly rewarding.”
Las Vegas Sands was recognized in the 2015 CDP’s Climate A-List and Climate Disclosure Leadership Index for management and measurement of greenhouse emissions, and was also listed in the 2015 Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for its corporate sustainability efforts in North America.
Properties include The Venetian, The Palazzo and Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas, Sands Bethlehem in Pennsylvania, and Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. The company also owns a portfolio of properties on the Cotai Strip in Macao, including The Venetian Macao, The Plaza and Four Seasons Hotel Macao and Sands Cotai Central, as well as the Sands Macao on the Macao Peninsula.
