EDMONTON, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - Jan 21, 2014) - The Shaw Conference Centre, already known for its commitment to operational excellence and sustainability, has achieved BOMA BESt Level 2 certification from the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA). BESt stands for Building Environmental Standards and represents the highest levels of environmental best practices in Canada's commercial real estate industry.

The achievement reflects the Shaw Conference Centre's commitment to environmental stewardship, which is increasingly a priority for locals and visitors attending events in the region. BOMA BESt certification validates that the convention centre continues to meet and exceed industry best practices for building operations and maintenance, in addition to demonstrating leadership on federal Go Green Plus assessments.

"We are proud of our commitment to sustainable best practices at the Shaw Conference Centre," said Cliff Higuchi vice president and general manager. "BOMA BESt certification helps us demonstrate that commitment to clients and guests while providing an effective process to measure our sustainability performance and identify where we can add to our growing sustainability story."

Environmental best practices are part of everyday operations at the Shaw Conference Centre including having a Sustainability Coordinator on staff, an internal Environment Committee, Green Meetings tool kits for clients, food recovery programs, water fountains equipped to fill personal water bottles, battery recycling stations and in-house vegetable and herb gardens. Onsite composting and recycling programs successfully divert more than 50% of waste created at the Centre from Edmonton's landfills.

More information on Green Meetings and sustainability can be found on the Shaw Conference Centre's website and by following @EdmontonSCC on Twitter.

The Shaw Conference Centre, which is owned by the City of Edmonton and managed by Edmonton Economic Development, is a top contributor to the meetings, conventions and special event business in Greater Edmonton, hosting about 700 events and half million guests each year, who in turn $51 million in spending across the province. www.shawconferencecentre.com.