Universal Beijing Resort Awarded LEED Gold Certification for Sustainability Efforts
As previously reported, Universal Beijing Resort is scheduled to open this year, and the park is rumored to begin soft openings this month. Just as the resort is gearing up for visitors, Theme Park Insider reports that Universal Beijing has been awarded the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification under the LEED for Cities and Communities rating system. Theme Park Insider added information about the LEED criteria.
According to the resort, LEED for Cities and Communities evaluates development for natural systems and ecology, transportation and land use, water efficiency, energy and greenhouse gas emissions, materials and resources, and quality of life.
Universal Beijing Resort has committed itself to these practices, thus becoming the first theme park in the world to earn this impressive award. Tom Mehrmann, President and General Manager of Universal Studios Beijing Park and Resort, commented on the resort’s commitment to sustainability:
We have worked to plan and create a theme park resort destination that is good for the environment, good for our guests and team members and good for our community. This is an ongoing effort that will continue long after certification. Our guests, team members and community residents will directly benefit from what we are doing.
So how did Universal Beijing Resort become the world’s first theme park to receive such an honor? The resort plans to reclaim more than 713 million gallons of water a year, and its planned greenhouse gas emissions are less than half of the allowed per capita requirement set by the LEED Cities and Communities standard. Public transit is one of the contributors to this effort, and the resort includes a metro station for two lines and electric shuttles for employees. The resort also helps cut down on greenhouse gas emissions by having on-site housing for over 8,000 team members and 420 acres of green space.
In addition to the Universal Studios Beijing theme park, Universal Beijing Resort will have a CityWalk dining and shopping area and two hotels, the Universal Studios Grand Hotel and NUO Resort Hotel. Universal Studios Beijing has seven themed lands, including the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Opening as the fourth Universal resort to include the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Wizarding World Beijing attractions include Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey inside Hogwarts Castle, Flight of the Hippogriff, “The Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle,” and the Three Broomsticks restaurant.
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