Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts Turns the Global Switch.

Online, March 22, 2011 (Newswire.com) - All 69 Mövenpick Hotels and Resorts globally will be turning off their exterior lights during Earth Hour on March 26.

Some properties have supported the environmental initiative in recent years, in line with the company's Global Sustainability Programme, but this is the first time that the entire portfolio is participating.

Jean Gabriel Perès, President and CEO Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, said: "We are delighted that all our hotels and resorts will be participating in Earth Hour this year and it clearly demonstrates the importance with which we view environmental matters."

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts is aiming for 20 per cent of its hotels, resorts and cruises to be Green Globe Certified by the end of this year and all properties stamped with Green Globe credentials within two years. The strategy is part of a company-wide programme to establish a common and global approach to environmental, employer and social sustainability.

Earth Hour started in Sydney in 2007, Australia when 2.2 million homes and businesses turned their lights off for one hour to make their stand against climate change.

Only a year later and Earth Hour had become a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries participating. Global landmarks such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, The CN Tower in Toronto, The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and Rome's Colosseum, all stood in darkness in support of the cause.