Throughout the world, hoteliers are joining organizations with environment-related interests to share ideas, learn, network and market their hotels. Below are some of the organizations that offer these types of opportunities. If you are aware of an organization that should be included below, write to: editor@greenlodgingnews.com.

Twenty-three states (and three cities) currently have some form of green lodging program. Click here to access a list of links for them.

Alliance for Sustainable Built Environments
Milwaukee, Wisc.

The Alliance for Sustainable Built Environments is a group of industry leaders who practice and are recognized for leadership in sustainability. It is committed to delivering sustainable solutions for the built environment.

Allstays
Kingman, Ariz.

This Web site includes a list of green hotels and resorts around the world.

American Hotel & Lodging Assn.
Washington, D.C.

The American Hotel & Lodging Assn. is the United States’ leading industry advocacy and membership organization. AH&LA’s Good Earthkeeping program provides tools and resources to help hoteliers improve energy and financial performance. The campaign, which is a partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program, enables hoteliers to create a comprehensive approach to energy management that assesses current energy performance, sets goals and tracks savings. An Engineering & Environment Committee is also part of AH&LA.

American Institute of Architects
Washington, D.C.

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has been the leading professional membership association for licensed architects, emerging professionals, and allied partners since 1857.

American Society of Interior Designers
Washington, D.C.

The American Society of Interior Designers is the leading organization for interior design professionals.

Audobon Green Leaf Eco-Rating Program
Ottawa, Ont.

Hotels that have been audited through the Audobon Green Leaf Eco-Rating Program have met environmental best practices standards that are required for their rating of one to five green leafs.

BlueGreen Meetings
Portland, Ore.

BlueGreen Meetings is an initiative spearheaded by Oceans Blue Foundation that focuses on developing environmental best practices for all sectors of the tourism industry.

Boston Green Tourism
Boston

Formed as an outgrowth of the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Conventions (CERC), Boston Green Tourism is working to position America’s Walking City as the place to go to find green hotels and meeting facilities. The organization's members include hoteliers, restaurateurs, vendors, convention center and government officials.

Building Owners & Managers Assn.
Washington, D.C.

The Building Owners & Managers Assn. (BOMA) offers an energy efficiency program that was developed by BOMA in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star office. A six-course series provides information, strategies, technologies, how-to guides and resources needed to reduce energy and costs.

Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism
San Juan, P.R.

The Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism, a subsidiary of the Caribbean Hotel Assn., undertakes collaborative environmental activities within the hotel and tourism sector, promotes the effective management of natural resources and provides access to expertise in sustainable tourism practices.

Carpet America Recovery Effort

An all voluntary industry-wide effort to keep carpet from going to the landfills and divert it into either other industries for reuse, or recycle it back to carpet in a cradle-to-cradle process.

Carpet & Rug Institute
Dalton, Ga.

CRI works with its member companies, allies in the field, independent testing laboratories and government agencies to continually improve its best practices in product improvement, environmental responsibility and customer care.

Certification for Sustainable Tourism
San Jose, Costa Rica

Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST) is a product of the Cost Rican Tourism Institute. It was designed to differentiate tourism sector businesses based on the degree to which they comply with a sustainable model of natural, cultural and social resource management.

Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Conventions
Newton, Mass.

EcoRooms & EcoSuites
Saint Charles, Mo.

Educational Institute of AH&LA
Orlando, Fla.

The Educational Institute of AH&LA offers myriad resources—including books and videos—for hotel owners and operators interested in reducing energy costs and improving the hotel environment.

Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, D.C.

The U.S. EPA offers an Energy Star for Hospitality program to the lodging industry. Energy Star for Hospitality is a proven energy management program that helps hotels measure current energy performance, set goals, and track savings. Buildings that earn the Energy Star use about 35 percent less energy than average buildings.

Environmentally Friendly Hotels
Ridgway, Colo.

Environmentally Friendly Hotels’ website includes conservation tips but primarily consists of a list of hotels, bed and breakfasts, resorts, motels, lodges and inns that are committed to the environment and the greening of the hospitality industry.

European Hotel Managers Assn.
Rome, Italy

The EHMA includes hotel managers operating first-class and luxury hotels who are concerned with safeguarding the ethical foundation of their profession. The organization’s Web site includes numerous articles pertaining to environmental management systems.

FreshStay

This Web site includes a directory of hotels that are 100 percent nonsmoking. Properties are listed by U.S. region. Non-U.S. hotels also are included.

Global Green Hospitality Consortium (GGHC)
Singer Island, Fla.

GGHC was founded to provide the hospitality industry with the resources needed to implement sustainable standards and practices offered by various green associations, state and federal programs. Federal programs include EPA Green Partnership, Energy Star and the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

Green Globe
Murrieta, Calif.

Green Globe is the worldwide benchmarking and certification program which facilitates sustainable travel and tourism for consumers, companies and communities. The organization’s website includes a list of participating hotels, resorts and lodges.

Green Hotels Assn.
Houston, Texas

Hotels in this organization include hoteliers interested in instituting programs that save water, energy, and reduce solid waste. Members benefit by receiving a publication called “Guidelines and Ideas” that includes information on how to save money while being environmentally friendly at the same time.

Green Hotels Directory
Seattle

The GreenHotels Directory, an online reservation system designed for travelers seeking environmentally-friendly hotel accommodations, was launched by a partnership between Environment News Service and ARES Travel Network. Business and vacation travelers are able to instantly locate and make online reservations at hotels offering responsible conservation features.

Greenlodge.org
Phoenix

Green Lodge is an online guide to green hotels. Each hotel that is listed on Green Lodge has either been certified by an independent third party program or has taken significant voluntary steps towards reducing the property's environmental impact.

Green Mechanical Council
Neenah, Wisc.

The Green Mechanical Council’s (GreenMech) mission is to educate contractors, field technicians, and industry leaders about creating and maintaining environmentally sound residential and commercial mechanical systems.

Green Meeting Industry Council
Portland, Ore.

The Green Meeting Industry Council is dedicated to improving meeting management practices by promoting environmentally responsible strategies through the collaborative efforts of meeting industry stakeholders.

Green Restaurant Assn.
Sharon, Mass.

The Green Restaurant Association, of which hoteliers can be members, provides services in research, consulting, education, marketing and community organizing. The GRA utilizes a collaborative strategy that involves restaurants, manufacturers, vendors, grassroots organizations, government, media and restaurant customers. The GRA’s model provides a convenient way for all sectors of the restaurant industry, which represents 10 percent of the U.S. economy, to become more environmentally sustainable.

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities
Toronto, Ontario

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities's mission is to increase the awareness of the economic, social and environmental benefits of green roof infrastructure across North America and rapidly advance the development of the market for green roof products and services.

Green Seal
Washington, D.C.

Green Seal is an independent, nonprofit organization that strives to achieve a healthier and cleaner environment by identifying and promoting products and services that cause a minimal amount of pollution and waste. Green Seal certifies these using internationally recognized methods and procedures. The Web site includes a list of hotels that have been Green Seal certified.

Green Suites Certified Green Hotel Program
Upland, Calif.

Green Suites® Certified Green Hotel Program aims to recognize and honor hotels for what they have done to protect the planet. Hotels are awarded a leaf rating based on environmental practices and products they have implemented. Guests have the ability to both find listed green hotels and self-audit the hotels based on the properties' listed environmental initiatives.

Green Tourism Business Scheme
Scotland

The Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS) is an accredited VisitScotland Quality Assurance scheme. It is operated in Scotland on behalf of VisitScotland by a not-for-profit company called Green Business UK Ltd.

Green Vacation Hub--The Global Guide to Green Travel
Yachats, Ore.

Linking travelers with accommodations that emphasize good health and green practices, the Hub is at the center of sustainable travel. www.GreenVacationHub.com is a low-cost, high-impact tool that specifically links guests to lodging that promotes good health and a sustainable world. The Hub gives green businesses high visibility by utilizing critical Web access to link travelers with accommodations.

Hotel & Catering International Management Assn.
Sutton, England

Hospitable Climates is a voluntary energy efficiency agreement between The Carbon Trust and HCIMA which aims to reduce carbon emissions and their impact on climate change. Participating businesses receive a free service through a series of Energy Measures fact files offering guidance on how to improve their energy efficiency—saving money while improving the quality of their guests’ experience.

Hotel Association of Canada
Ottawa, Ontario

The Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) is the national organization representing the accommodation industry in Canada. Its membership encompasses the provincial and territorial hotel associations, the corporate hotel chains, independent hotels, motels and resorts and the many suppliers to the hotel industry. The HAC Green Key Ecommodation Rating Program is designed to recognize hotels, motels and resorts that are committed to improving their fiscal and environmental performances.

Hotel Motel Engineer Assn.
Huffman, Texas

The Hotel Motel Engineer Assn. publishes a quarterly magazine that frequently features ‘how to’ articles to help engineers do their jobs better and save energy and resources at the same time.

International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education
Richmond, Va.

Members of I-CHRIE can participate in an environmental studies special interest group.

International Ecotourism Society
Washington, D.C.

The International Ecotourism Society promotes responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people. The website includes links to local ecotourism organizations.

International Facility Management Assn.
Houston

The International Facility Management Assn. is a proponent of sustainable building and safe work practices, including providing a high-quality indoor air environment.

International Hotel & Restaurant Assn.
Paris, France

The IH&RA is the only international trade association exclusively devoted to promoting and defending the interests of the hotel and restaurant industry worldwide. The organization is an advocate of sustainable development of tourism and the environment.

iStayGreen.org
Peoria, Ariz.

At the social networking site iStayGreen.org, users can create their own profiles, interact with other users, interact with property management, review and rate properties, and plan and reserve their online travel.

Japan Ecolodge Assn.
Kyoto, Japan

The Japan Ecolodge Assn., based in Kyoto, Japan, strives to promote sustainable and low-impact tourism throughout Japan. It offers educational materials in English and Japanese to its members.

Leonardo Academy
Madison, Wisc.

The Leonardo Academy is a nonprofit organization that promotes sustainability and helps organizations reduce the environmental impact of their buildings, products and operations. Leonardo Academy helps those interested in acquiring offsets for emissions and certifies the level of offsets achieved.

The Network of the Hospitality Industry
Shawano, Wisc.

The Network of the Hospitality Industry has a Sustainability Committee with the following mission: "Leading the hospitality industry in promoting education, inter-cooperation, and endorsed policies for environmentally responsible practices, construction methods, materials and environments."

Philagreen Hospitality Assn.
Philadelphia

The Philagreen Hospitality Assn. was formed in 2008 and is open to hospitality industry members in the Greater Philadelphia area who are interested in adding efficiencies to their operations through wise energy management, water conservation, waste management, etc.

Rues Hotel Selection EcoFriendly Hotels Worldwide
Citrus Springs, Fla.

Rues Hotel Selection EcoFriendly Hotels Worldwide, a referral hotel group, was launched in Bolivia in 1994. It is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the development of independent—small and midsize—ecofriendly hotel and tourism businesses around the globe.

Sustainable Buildings Industry Council
Washington, D.C.

The Sustainable Buildings Industry Council’s mission is to advance the design, affordability, energy performance and environmental soundness of America’s buildings.

Top Canadian Hotels
Peachland, B.C.

This website is dedicated to providing travelers with a comprehensive collection of Canadian “green hotel“ accommodation and travel information. The Canadian owned and operated site also includes a Green Travel Blog.

Tourism and Hospitality Institute for Sustainable Development
Lausanne, Switzerland

Tourism Partnership
London, England

U.S. Green Building Council
Washington, D.C.

The U.S. Green Building Council is the United States’ foremost coalition of leaders from across the building industry working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work.

Are you aware of an association that should be included on this list? If so, contact Glenn Hasek at greenlodgingnews@aol.com.