NATIONAL REPORT—With an eye on reducing carbon emissions, people moving has certainly evolved in recent years. One good example is the Tesla vehicles used in the Loop below the Las Vegas Convention Center. While a rare example of using electric vehicles to keep carbon impact down, much more common are the advances in energy efficiency in elevators and escalators in hotels and resorts around the world. Because of their presence in most lodging establishments, elevators especially have the potential to have a huge positive impact. Green Lodging News recently spoke with Mark Freeman, SVP Modernization/M&A Integration at Schindler Elevator Corp....

NATIONAL REPORT—Nearly half of the United States population, 150 million American adults, are coffee drinkers. Now think about the cups. Unless you’re drinking your brew at home, you’re likely picking up your java in a paper cup to go. And that’s the problem across the world: nearly 16 billion paper to-go cups are used every year, which leads to 6.5 million trees being cut down and 4 billion gallons of water being wasted. The inside of most paper to-go cups is also coated in a thin layer of plastic, making them unrecyclable. With these issues in mind, many places, ranging from small...

The perspective that meaningful and credible sustainability reporting is an essential requirement for any responsible business is increasingly becoming accepted, by many companies around world. Yet reporting cannot take place in isolation. Sustainability is a critical aspect of business strategy and operational decision-making, which needs to be embedded in the corporate DNA through a transformative process. That process takes time and requires strong leadership at the C-suite level, which has led to the emergence of the Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO). Less than two decades ago, a CSO was a novelty. The first-known CSO appointment was Linda Fisher at Dupont in 2004. By 2011, there were 29 CSOs in publicly traded companies in the...

PARSIPPANY, N.J.—Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has been named among the Best Places to Work in New Jersey by NJ Biz Magazine, for the second year in a row. This prestigious annual list recognizes the top places of employment in New Jersey that benefit the state’s economy, its workforce and its businesses. “Our core values of integrity, accountability, inclusivity, caring and fun, as well as our Count on Me service culture are at the heart of what drives our growth and inspires the memorable experiences we create for our team members, owners and guests,” said Monica Melancon, Chief Human Resource Officer, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. “As a result...

NEEDHAM, MASS.—The Tripadvisor Foundation has revealed an initial $1 million grant to support Afghan refugees. The funding will go towards World Central Kitchen’s mobilization to provide fresh meals supplied by local restaurants for thousands of Afghan families arriving at Dulles International Airport in Virginia, air bases in Spain, and other potential locations as the situation evolves. This effort has already provided over 60,000 meals to people fleeing Afghanistan. “The humanitarian crisis that the people of Afghanistan have been and are confronting is heartbreaking,”" says Stephen Kaufer, Chairman of the Tripadvisor Foundation and CEO of Tripadvisor. “These resilient individuals and families evacuating Afghanistan are experiencing a long, harrowing journey—some traveling up to 48 hours...

LAS VEGAS—Wynn Resorts issued its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report, which includes the company’s collective pledges and defined goals to decrease emissions and confront the mounting risk of climate change. The report also outlines how Wynn Resorts’ ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic ran parallel to achieving a gamut of progressive ESG and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) goals, with significant strides made in community outreach and crisis relief efforts, responsible business practices, and protecting human rights. In the report’s forward, Wynn Resorts CEO Matt Maddox remarked, “A truly great company, one founded on the belief that excellence is...

Average carbon footprint of a hotel stay decreased by 3 percent in 2019. Includes data on energy, carbon, and water from 21,000 hotels across 57 countries. Online tool to support calculation of carbon footprint of hotel stays. Data from the latest Cornell Hotel Sustainability Benchmarking (CHSB) Index shows that the average carbon footprint of a hotel stay decreased by 3 percent between 2018 and 2019, following a decrease of 10 percent between 2015 and 2018. The report contains data from over 21,000 hotels in 57 countries and 365 cities from the 26 global brands, which participated in the study. The greatest...

BETHESDA, MD.—Marriott International, Inc. announced it has submitted its letter to the Science Based Targets initiative, committing to: Set science-based emissions reduction targets across all scopes, in line with 1.5°C emissions scenarios; and Set a long-term science-based target to reach net-zero value chain greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by no later than 2050, in line with the criteria and recommendations of the Science Based Targets initiative. As part of its commitment to net-zero emissions, with support from several organizations including Global Citizen, Marriott has announced its official sign-on to the Race to Zero via the most ambitious standard, Business Ambition for...

NEW YORK—Leading digital travel platform Booking.com released new research revealing that more than half (61 percent) of LGBTQ+ travelers have experienced some form of discrimination when traveling. Conducted with 3,052 LGBTQ+ travelers across three continents, the new study shines a light on attitudes, concerns and travel preferences, as well as past stay experiences, current realities and hopes for a more inclusive travel future. LGBTQ+ Travel Today According to the research, 70 percent say they have to consider their safety and wellbeing as an LGBTQ+ traveler when picking a destination and over half (60 percent) believe that traveling as part of the...

ISSY-LES-MOULINEAUX, FRANCE—Accor, a world leading hospitality group with more than 5,200 properties and 10,000 food and beverage venues throughout 110 countries, has joined the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, a global organization that brings together engaged hospitality companies and uses the industry’s collective power to address and tackle key challenges affecting the planet and its people. Since its creation in 1967, Accor has been a pioneer in developing sustainable travel experiences and investing in innovations to enable positive hospitality experience with a reduced environmental impact. As part of its on-going CSR strategy, in 2011 the Group identified 21 areas of business activity...