Booking.com just released its 2021 Sustainable Travel Report. I will be running the entire press release about the report in the coming days. Be sure to watch for it. Insights in the report were drawn from 29,000 travelers across 30 countries. There were some survey results that jumped out at me. First, when looking just at the 40 percent of American travelers that said they have not stayed in a sustainable property in the past year, 37 percent said they did not even know that they existed, 16 percent said they could not find any options where they were...

Microfiber pollution awareness is spreading into the mainstream. More than half of consumers (56 percent) already know that washing clothes harms the environment, according to a survey released by PlanetCare as part of World Oceans Day (June 8). Microfibers are tiny plastic particles that synthetic clothes shed during washing. Up to 1,500,000 microfibers are released per wash. Without anything to stop them, microfibers enter wastewater, causing damage to the ecosystems. The growing awareness is also important because we are learning more about the health risks of microfiber ingestion for humans. Polyester and nylon microfibers, for instance, could stunt the ability of the...

Hersha Hotels and Resorts just released its 2020 Hersha Earthview Sustainability Report. Hersha’s proprietary sustainability platform, EarthView, was created in 2010 and exemplifies their belief that they can simultaneously deliver financial value while supporting the well-being of their guests, associates, communities, and the planet. For those of you not familiar with Hersha, they own and operate 48 hotels. Hersha has saved $20 million thanks to Earthview since its creation in 2010. Hersha has experienced a 1.7-year payback on its efficiency investments. In 2019, Hersha announced targets for reducing its environmental impact by 2030 (using a 2010 baseline) and has joined...

According to the Robb Report, Hayri Atak Architectural Design Studio (HAADS) is planning a spinning 152-suite hotel for Qatar that will float and feature the latest green technology—a combination of technologies never before seen in the lodging industry. “The futuristic design is characterized by its unique ability to spin and produce clean energy just like a giant hydro generator,” the article says. “As per the project specs shared by HAADS, the hotel generates electricity by automatically rotating its position and converting the energy of flowing water into electricity. To achieve this, the structure is equipped with a set of propellers and thrusters...

I reported on some examples of this year’s Earth Hour activities (March 27, 8:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. local time) in a previous blog. I since heard from Pechanga Resort Casino (Temecula, Calif.) that it also participated in the activity by extinguishing its bright and colorful exterior lighting for one hour. Pechanga joined thousands of other landmark locations throughout the country and the world in commemorating Earth Hour 2021. Guests at Pechanga at that time saw the ascending multi-colored lights at the ends of the hotel towers switch off (see video), followed by the beams of up and down...

Fortune just released its list of the Best Companies to Work For. According to Fortune, the 2021 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list honors the most heroic companies supporting their people and communities in the United States during this historically challenging year. People analytics firm Great Place to Work surveyed over half a million employees on issues including how trustworthy, caring, and fair the company is in times of crises; employees’ physical, emotional, and financial health; and the company’s broader community impact. Analysis revealed strong links between positive employee opinions and how employees witnessed their senior leaders...

In late March, BREEAM hosted the first ever online BREEAM Awards ceremony. The three-day virtual event celebrated this year’s shortlisted and winning projects with over 400 attendees joining online from all over the world. BREEAM has been the world-leading sustainability assessment method for planning projects, infrastructure, and buildings for over 30 years. The BREEAM Awards is an annual celebration recognizing the projects and organizations that, in the view of the independent judging panel, are leading the way with significant achievements in sustainable building design, development and management. The three-day ceremony, which was hosted by BRE’s Head of Building Performance Services Shamir...

Of course, there is good reason—the pandemic—but this was the first year I did not hear from any public relations representative or anyone else about their plans for Earth Hour which took place on Saturday, March 27 at 8:30 p.m. local time. This past week I did run across a few press releases, however, detailing Earth Hour activities that took place. None of the releases were about U.S. properties. 1. In Sanya, China, Sheraton Sanya Haitang Bay Resort Sheraton Sanya Haitang Bay Resort participated by dimming or turning off non-essential interior lighting, children activities were planned, a band performed in...

For those of you looking for good news in a long stretch of bad news, some news from the U.S. Energy Information Administration may put a smile on your face. Electrical generation by U.S. wind and solar set new records in 2020. In fact, it was 16.7 percent greater in 2020 than a year earlier, according to a SUN DAY Campaign analysis of new data recently released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Similarly, annual electrical production by all renewable energy sources combined (i.e., biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar, wind) reached an all-time high last year and provided more...

Ethisphere, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, today announced the 135 honorees representing 22 countries and 47 industries that have earned the coveted designation of World’s Most Ethical Companies® in 2021. This is the 15th annual recognition of companies that have demonstrated a commitment to ethical business practices through programs that positively impact employees, communities, and broader stakeholders, and contribute to sustainable and profitable long-term business performance. In 2021, nine companies are first-time honorees, while six have been recognized 15 times, every year since the awards inception in 2007. Whereas Wyndham Hotels &...