Through the travels of our consultants, the journeys of our clients and our personal experiences we have all encountered the effects of global warming. Park Avenue Travel understands that in order to preserve the magical places that our clients love to see we must do our part in ameliorating the environment. As a result, we have developed Park Avenue Green. This is our corporate philosophy and company mandate to conserve, protect, and educate consumers on the environment.

This two part policy focuses both on our own practices as a business as well as showcasing and highlighting our suppliers that meet strict environmental requirements to become Park Avenue Green.

Our Part:

Doing our part to protect the environment is not just recommending other businesses that are eco-friendly. To be a true Green company we recognize that we all must sacrifice and do business differently than the way it always has been. To do this we have committed to changing the way we do business, utilizing alternative energy sources, and being strict about wasting resources.

What Park Avenue Travel is doing to be Green:

We have committed to recycling and using recycled products. Every associate has specific waste bins designated only for recycling. All of our printing and paper products utilize recycled paper. Our lighting is all fluorescent lighting that consumes less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs.

All of our office equipment is ENERGY STAR compliant. We have partnered with ENERGY STAR, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s voluntary program that offers businesses and consumers energy efficient solutions to help save money while protecting the environment for future generations. In partnering with ENERGY STAR, Park Avenue Travel, Inc. measures, tracks, and benchmarks our energy performance and we promote increased energy efficiency at each of our locations.

In addition to reducing the amount of energy we consume as a business, we have also committed to only consuming Green electricity. Our entire office is powered by Wind energy through the PECO WIND program. This clean, renewable energy source does not consume fossil fuels nor does it give off carbon emissions. Since its launch in May 2004, PECO WIND has become one of the largest and fastest growing Green power programs in the country. The environmental benefit is the same as planting about 5.3 million trees or not driving 68 million miles. Provided through a partnership with wind energy marketer and developer Community Energy, Inc., PECO WIND is a clean, environmentally-friendly wind power option for customers.

Our corporate philosophy is driven by our commitment to the environment and our Park Avenue Green Policy Document outlines how business decisions must take into account their environmental impact. This written document ensures that being eco-friendly is a part of every decision we make and not just a marketing ploy.

Our Green Travel Partners:

To be a Green Partner, a travel supplier must meet the standards laid out in our Green Policy. The companies listed below have gone above and beyond what others do and not only work to conserve but actively enhance the environment through their actions. These companies not only find creative ways to do business that have a positive impact on the environment they also are actively involved in teaching their guests to be more conscious of the environment. These companies are on the cutting edge of eco-tourism from the standpoint of not just showing their guests a rainforest but because of their overall commitment to education, activities, and defining environmentalism.

	Fairmont Hotels and Resorts - Fairmont Hotels and Resorts have always been on the cutting edge of eco-tourism.  They work diligently to minimize their waste stream and conserve natural resources, particularly through energy and water conservation.  By valuing the natural and cultural heritage of their properties, they give their guests an authentically local experience.  Fairmont complies with all applicable environmental legislation and strive to follow best environmental practices.  They have also made environmental considerations an important aspect of decision-making.  By building local partnerships in the communities where they do business they share their stewardship message, effect positive environmental change, and raise awareness for guests and colleagues.  Fairmont continually identifies areas for improvement and innovation at the property level and support the efforts of the Green Teams at each of our properties.  They have even used Venus Fly traps as opposed to bug zappers to control pests!  Fairmont Hotels and Resorts have made a strong commitment to the environment and have achieved all the requirements necessary to be named Park Avenue Green!
	The Virgin Group – Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Limited, Virgin Galactic The Virgin Group has dramatically scaled up its involvement in combating global climate change by making a massive commitment to invest $3billion in renewable energy over the next ten years. They are committed to the protection of the environment and the prevention of pollution.  All UK Virgin businesses share environmental best practices and discuss the implementation of initiatives to minimize their impact on the environment. Each business is now developing - or expanding - its own environmental plan, and will this year monitor carefully its energy and waste as well as set specific targets for improvement.  The environment plays a role in all Virgin Business decision and Sir Richard Branson is at the forefront of environmental causes.  The Virgin Group is Park Avenue Green because of their overwhelming dedication to not only not contributing to the problem but by trying to find solutions.