ROCKVILLE, MD.—From innovative technology to conserve energy and water to even more ambitious diversity goals for hotel ownership, the 2022 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report released by Choice Hotels International, Inc. highlights significant new steps that should cut utility costs, save time for franchisees, and increase the company’s ESG commitments. “Choice Hotels International shares a uniting belief that tomorrow will be even better than today, and we are committed to building that better tomorrow,” Choice Hotels International CEO Patrick Pacious says in the report. “As one of the largest lodging franchisors in the world, we are building on more than 80...

LIBERTYVILLE, CHICAGO—EVBox, a manufacturer of innovative EV charging solutions, announces the continued growth of its U.S. production footprint with an updated state-of-the-art production facility at its North American headquarters. EVBox’s investment in the 60,000-square-foot facility and its associated U.S. operations have already resulted in the creation of 45 jobs with the employee count expected to double before year’s end. As electric cars increase in popularity, charging at fuel-retail destinations will be naturally needed but destination charging—public and semi-public charging at destinations including the office, supermarkets, and hotels—is also becoming an essential part of tomorrow’s electric mobility infrastructure. According to EVBox’s...

At least several companies offer their own version of a wash and dry station for a public restroom. It is a great idea to dispense soap, wash one’s hands, move them over a bit and then dry them in one motion. Saniflow Corp. posted an article earlier this year entitled, “Wash and Dry Stations: What are they and why are they the best method for hand hygiene?” The article does a great job explaining what these stations are, the benefits they provide, and where it is best to install a washing and drying station. Below is a slimmed down...

PALO ALTO, CALIF.—EverCharge, a leading provider of large-scale electric vehicle (EV) charging devices and management systems, formally announced its ten-year Endurance Program. As part of EverCharge’s commitment to sustainability, the program guarantees access to the necessary components to maintain EverCharge’s commercial Level 2 (L2) charging stations for 10 years. EverCharge designs and manufactures its own hardware to provide a high level of quality and supply chain control, and is proud to be one of the few companies to manufacture its charging products in North America at its factory in Hayward, Calif. The vertical integration is the basis of the Endurance Program,...

HOLLYWOOD, FLA.—Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming announced the release of its 2023 Corporate Social Responsibility Report: Fifty Years Forward. Social purpose has propelled Hard Rock since its inception in 1971, guided by its founding mottos: Love All-Serve All, All Is One, Save The Planet, and Take Time To Be Kind. “Our brand mottos have shaped who we are as a brand for the past 50 years while setting the foundation of our future,” said Paul Pellizzari, Vice President of Global Social Responsibility at Hard Rock International. “Today, Hard Rock and Seminole Gaming operate 250+ cafes, hotels and casinos spanning...

COMMERCE, CALIF.—Nora Lighting, a leading manufacturer and designer of high-quality lighting solutions, announces the launch of their new Iolite Can-less LED downlights. Based on the award-winning Iolite Series, can-less LED downlights are an innovative new lighting product that provides a sleek and modern lighting solution for residential and commercial spaces. The modular design allows for a variety of options including CCT options, field changeable optics, trims, and filter accessories. What sets the Ioltie Can-less LED downlights apart from other lighting solutions is their ease of installation. The can-less design means that there is no need for a bulky recessed housing, allowing...

LONDON—Pentair, a leading provider of water treatment and sustainable solutions, announced it received the 2023 Energy Star Partner of the Year—Sustained Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy. “Pentair is built on delivering smart, sustainable water solutions with the aim to create products and solutions that are more efficient and have a reduced environmental impact,” said Karla Robertson, EVP, General Counsel, Secretary and Chief Social Responsibility Officer. “We are proud of our continued collaboration with the EPA and honored to be recognized as an Energy Star Partner of the Year once again.” A Decade...

LOUISVILLE, KY.—Schneider Electric, a global leader in the digital transformation of energy management and sustainability, has been chosen by Choice Hotels International, one of the largest and most successful lodging franchisors in the world, to provide AI-assisted technology to help more than 6,000 franchisees in the United States autonomously track and manage energy consumption and sustainability data. Schneider Electric will equip the company with EcoStruxure Resource Advisor, Schneider Electric’s AI-assisted, cloud-based solution for managing enterprise-wide energy and sustainability data. The platform will deliver preconfigured dashboards that enable hotels to automatically track their energy and water consumption while calculating their emissions....

NATIONAL REPORT—In this article, CBRE’s Alan Jutte provides insights on a study of hotel operating statements from CBRE’s Trends in the Hotel Industry which showed that new properties with energy-efficient features resulted in substantial energy savings compared to older or less efficient properties. The study concluded that while sustainability efforts can lead to reduced costs, the extent of these savings may depend on various factors such as room size, building size, amenities, building materials, etc. Sustainability is an increasingly crucial component across almost all industries. Embracing new and more efficient business models and technologies is expensive, and often developers and operators...

If your company has set goals—even ambitious goals—for greenhouse gas emission cuts in the next decade and you are satisfied with those goals, it is time to reevaluate. That is the message from a very important UN report released last week from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). In a nutshell, the report said we are all not doing enough to keep temperatures to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Temperatures have already risen to 1.1°C above those levels, a consequence of more than a century of burning fossil fuels, as well as unequal and unsustainable energy and land use. Said the...