When Xavier Moraga began working at Paris’ upscale boutique Hotel Gavarni, he immediately began conceptualizing ways to green the legacy hotel. Today, the hotel is the first independent hotel in Paris to receive the European Ecolabel, a strict certification award for the greenest hotels in Europe. Moraga was inspired to green his workplace following a trip along the Silk Road through Tibet. Seeing the ecological damage in the region really changed his entire mindset, even though he was raised to respect and conserve his environment. “It takes teamwork,” Moraga says of Hotel Gavarni’s green status, which is reevaluated each and every year for European Ecolabel status. “Every person on the [Hotel Gavarni team] is really committed to making it green.”