Quality Inn and Suites Vernon Becomes First Biosphere Certified Hotel in the Thompson Okanagan
Quality Inn and Suites Vernon has achieved Biosphere Certification, the first hotel within the Thompson Okanagan region to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability management by fulfilling all 17 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in the Biosphere Sustainable Lifestyle Platform.
For Quality Inn and Suites Vernon and their Biosphere lead, Vinil Sood, the journey towards certification took six months. The hotel joined TOTA’s Biosphere Commitment Program in April 2023, began uploading evidence, and, in October 2023, the hotel was officially Biosphere Certified. The team found this process to be approachable because of the many sustainability initiatives that Quality Inn already had in place.
“At Quality Inn and Suites Vernon, sustainability is more than just a buzzword or a set of practices,” said Vinil. “It's a core belief that shapes everything we do, from our daily operations to our interactions with the local community and environment. We believe that sustainability means adopting responsible and ethical practices that benefit our business in the short term and contribute positively to the broader ecosystem in which we operate.”
While Quality Inn and Suites Vernon has verified sustainable practices in all 17 SDGs, they have shown an outstanding commitment towards SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy. Some actions towards commitment to SDG 7 include:
Awareness campaigns on the use of clean energy
Adopting energy efficient practices in their facilities
Prioritizing the use of more renewable and green energy sources, like the solar-powered lighting used in their courtyard
Quality Inn and Suites Vernon’s solar-powered courtyard
Biosphere Commitment Program
Biosphere Commitment is the first achievement an organization works towards after joining the Thompson Okanagan Biosphere Commitment Program. To achieve Biosphere Committed status, an organization must pick three SDGs to work towards, from each area of sustainable development: Environment and Climate Change; Society and Culture; and Governance and Economy.
After an organization becomes committed, they can continue to work through the 17 SDGs and show continued improvement towards sustainability management. Once an organization has verified sustainable actions towards all 17 Sustainable Development Goals, they become Biosphere Certified.
Learn more about TOTA’s Biosphere Commitment Program.
Book a Biosphere Presentation.