Acquired international certification "Green Glove"

2026/02/15

Grand Mercure Lake Biwa Resort & Spa has obtained Green Globe certification.
Green Grove is a certification program based on international standards developed for the travel and tourism industry that evaluates sustainable initiatives not only through environmental conservation but also through indicators that include social and cultural aspects.
Lake Biwa, surrounded by the rich nature of Nagahama City, where the hotel is located, is a land where the beautiful environment that shows the seasonal expression and the history and culture rooted in the region have been nurtured.
In order to connect this precious natural environment and local communities to the future, Grand Mercure Lake Biwa Resort & Spa is focusing on a variety of sustainability activities as the center of hotel management, providing guests with a comfortable stay and providing friendly options for both the planet and the community.

Certification for Green Globe

The Green Grove was born in the wake of Agenda 21 at the United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 to apply the principles of sustainable development to the tourism industry and is based in Los Angeles. He is also a supporting member of the U.N. World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), and has certified programs in more than 80 countries around the world. Based on four themes: sustainable management (corporate environmental and social policies, employee education, supplier management, etc.), socio-economics (local job creation, fair working conditions, contribution to local communities, etc.), cultural heritage (historical and cultural heritage protection, support for local cultural activities, etc.), and the environment (energy and water consumption, waste management, biodiversity protection, etc.), we have established 44 standards and over 400 compliance indicators to evaluate comprehensive sustainability, including not only environmental conservation but also social and cultural aspects. In order to obtain certification, in addition to document screening, on-site audits by an independent third-party organization are required, and once a year after acquisition, the certification is reviewed to ensure that the standards are met.

Grand Mercure Lake Biwa Resort & Spa achieved 84% of the above indicators on February 13, 2026 and obtained certification.

Various initiatives in Grand Mercure Lake Biwa Resort & Spa
■Initiatives in Rooms
In order to balance consideration for the natural environment and comfortable stays, we are promoting the following initiatives in guest rooms.

1. Installation of reusable water bottles and water servers

In order to reduce plastic bottle disposal, reusable bottles are installed in guest rooms and water servers are installed in various parts of the hotel.

2. Amenities using biomass materials
Amenities are made of biomass-derived materials with less environmental impact.

3. Reduction of Disposable Plastics
As part of reducing disposable plastic, bath amenities have been switched to bottle types.

4． Linen reuse program
As part of the reduction of water and electrical energy, we ask for the reuse of linens such as bed sheets.

■Initiatives at Restaurants
In-house restaurants, we are working to reduce food loss, recycle resources, and use sustainable ingredients.

1. Introduction of automatic toweling machine
Instead of conventional individually-packed paper towels, a machine that automatically comes out by pressing a button is introduced. You can eliminate vinyl packaging and reduce the overall use of paper towels.

2. Reduce food loss by rice robo
Introduced "Rice Robo" automatic rice cooking system. We cook optimally according to the amount provided to reduce food loss.

3. Adopting Rainforest Alliance Certified Coffee
The coffee machine uses Rainforest Alliance certified coffee, produced in sustainable farming. We support initiatives that lead to conservation of nature and support for farmers.

４．Winnow (Food Loss Management System AI)
Use AI systems to measure and manage food leftovers in restaurants to reduce food loss.

■Initiatives in Public Space
Water-saving frames from the shower head in the public bath are installed to reduce the amount of water used.

■Events and Local Activities
1． Cleanup activities on the shore of Lake Biwa
Our staff carry out cleaning activities for the purpose of environmental conservation and beautification of lake water.

Going forward, we will continue to provide comfortable stay for our guests and aim to be a hotel that is friendly to the earth and the community.