It was a busy last week with Earth week peaking on Earth Day, Thursday, April 22. There were numerous newsworthy announcements worth mentioning.
First, Hilton released its Environmental, Social and Governance Report. The ESG Report highlights the company’s environmental and social performance during a tumultuous year. Among the report’s highlights: The company took steps to increase sourcing of renewable energy at hotels around the world, in line with the company’s science-based targets. In 2020, most Hilton-managed hotels in the United Kingdom began procuring 100 percent renewable electricity.
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts announced it is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its award-winning Fairmont Sustainability Partnership, now part of Accor’s Planet21 program. Fairmont along with Accor has announced the goal to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
‘Imagine There’s No Hunger’ Campaign
Hard Rock International announced its continued partnership with global nonprofit WhyHunger and activist-artist Yoko Ono Lennon to launch the “Imagine There’s No Hunger” campaign, a unified effort to raise awareness and funds to combat global hunger and poverty. As a part of the campaign and inspired by John Lennon’s iconic song “Imagine” and the 50th anniversary of its release, Hard Rock is introducing its 37th Signature Series—the John Lennon, “Imagine There’s No Hunger” Collection—for purchase online and at Hard Rock Hotels, Cafes and Casinos worldwide.
SH Hotels & Resorts, a subsidiary of global private investment firm Starwood Capital Group led by Chairman and CEO Barry Sternlicht, that manages 1 Hotels, Baccarat Hotels & Resorts and Treehouse Hotels announced the launch of MISSION by SH, a cause-driven rewards program that allows guests to offset the climate impact of their stay by donating their reward dollars toward carbon offset projects.
On Earth Day, MGM Springfield (Mass.) hosted U.S. Green Building Council CEO & President Mahesh Ramanujam, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno and other government and community leaders for an Earth Day ceremony celebrating the resort’s multiple certifications under the United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. MGM Springfield is the first private sector hospitality development to earn LEED Neighborhood Development certification at the site level. The development also has four building-level LEED certifications, all rated LEED Gold or Platinum.
Travel Corp. Sets Carbon Neutrality Goal
In celebration of Earth Day, The Travel Corp. and its family of brands announced a five-step Climate Action Plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, and support their continued efforts to achieve the organization’s sustainability goals.
Hotelbeds, “the world’s leading bedbank”, welcomed global hotel chains IHG Hotels & Resorts and Accor to its Green Hotel Programme, further strengthening its commitment to sustainable tourism. IHG and Accor are the latest industry players to join the Programme which was launched in October 2020 to identify, highlight, and promote sustainable tourism within the Hotelbeds portfolio. Their properties join thousands of hotels that are now certified as sustainable and promoted as such to Hotelbeds’ 60,000 travel trade clients via the “green filter” that also includes details of certifications and offer tags.
And for fun, on Earth Day ‘Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach announced the launch of a new sustainable food and cocktail happy hour series, Earth to Cup. The Earth centered menu created by Chef Frederic Hoffmann features crave-worthy, small bites reflective of bounty home to Hawaii complemented by cocktails handcrafted in partnership with Gastronomista blogger Emily Arden Wells.
Watch for these news items in more detail in the days and weeks ahead on Green Lodging News.
Green Lodging News Adds Vapor Klean to Product & Service Directory
Green Lodging News has added Vapor Klean to the Cleaning & Maintenance/Steam/Vapor category of its Green Product & Service Directory. Vapor Klean offers the MondoVap® Steam Vapor System. It is designed for cleaning pros who need the ultimate in hotel disinfecting capabilities. From carpet and upholstery cleaning to tile and grout restoration to killing bed bugs and dust mites, it is exceedingly capable. At the heart of the system is Advanced Vapor Technologies’ proprietary TANCS® nanotechnology, a factory-installed internal component that works at the molecular level in concert with superhot dry steam at the surface to eliminate bacteria and viruses in 7 seconds or less. In a peer-reviewed scientific study, MondoVap was found to kill the EPA surrogate for testing the efficacy of products to combat COVID-19 in 3 seconds. That is a level of performance chemical disinfectants may never achieve. Call (844) 633-3437 or e-mail glen@vapor-klean.com for more information.
Who is Your Sustainability Champion?
Green Lodging News is always looking to profile sustainability champions in our Personnel Profile section. If you would like to nominate someone for this section of Green Lodging News, contact me at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.
Looking for Guest Columnists
Every two weeks Green Lodging News posts a new guest column on its website. (Click here for examples.) The guest column also appears in the weekly e-newsletter. Green Lodging News is currently in need of industry experts to contribute occasional guest columns. Experts may include consultants, architects, designers, suppliers and those who own or operate green lodging establishments. Columns may be articles that take a stance on a particular subject or be strictly educational in nature. Columnists benefit by having their photo included along with a one paragraph description of their company. Interested in writing a column? Contact Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.
Get in the Green Suppliers Spotlight!
Green Lodging News, lodging’s leading environmental news source, publishes Green Suppliers Spotlight, an e-blast to 23,955 subscribers that features the lodging industry’s leading green products and services. The e-blast features multiple vendors—unlike the current Green Supplier Spotlight that allows one supplier to “own” the Green Lodging News subscriber list for one e-blast. (Click here for a Green Suppliers Spotlight sample.)
Green Suppliers Spotlight is published weekly on Thursdays to general managers, owners, management companies, directors of sustainability, directors of engineering, facilities managers and many others who are either in purchasing positions or who influence purchasing decisions. Suppliers of green products and services throughout North America and beyond are invited to participate in the e-blast. (Minimum two suppliers per e-blast.) Green Suppliers Spotlight was created to give vendors an opportunity to reach a high number of industry purchasers at a very low cost—as low as $200 per e-mail. (Click here for rate sheet.)
Those advertising in Green Suppliers Spotlight can include up to 100 words, one image, contact information and multiple links to their website in their ad. At the end of each month, a report will be sent to each supplier with information on delivered e-mails, opens and click-throughs.
Planning Advertising for 2021?
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