INDIANAPOLIS—CityWay, a transformative new 14-acre neighborhood in the heart of downtown Indianapolis, is incorporating a number of sustainable initiatives into the new community, including plentiful green space, energy and water efficiency, a recycling program, enhanced indoor environmental quality, carpooling and electric vehicle support. It is also pursuing LEED certification for the new Alexander Hotel, a Dolce Hotel, affirming CityWay’s support for environmentally-conscious design, construction and living for downtown.“Sustainable living and working are central to the vision for CityWay,” said Scott Travis, senior development director of Buckingham Companies. “From the construction phase through its completion, CityWay will remain on the...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Representative Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson has sent a bipartisan letter to U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) president and CEO Rick Fedrizzi, urging changes to the treatment of forest products under the Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) 2012 rating system. LEED, widely used by building owners and operators to certify their materials and operations are energy efficient and environmentally friendly, plans to release a revised rating system, LEED 2012, in November of 2012.The bipartisan letter, signed by Thompson and seven other Members of Congress representing districts with significant rural or forestry interests, urges USGBC to “accept...

ORLANDO—Gaylord Hotels has deepened its commitment to sustainability by partnering with Clean the World to recycle soaps and bottled amenities at all four Gaylord properties in North America—Gaylord National (Washington, D.C.), Gaylord Opryland (Nashville), Gaylord Palms (Orlando), and Gaylord Texan (Dallas).Clean the World projects that the entire Gaylord Hotels portfolio, representing 8,050 hotel rooms, will collect nearly 447,000 soap bars (more than 84,000 pounds of soap) and 62,500 pounds of bottled amenities (shampoos, conditioners, body washes, lotions and gels) annually for distribution to children and families in domestic homeless shelters, women’s shelters, and rescue missions. The sanitized and recycled...

BOULDER, COLO.—The Boulder Creek Quality Inn & Suites has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Energy Star certification, which signifies that the building performs in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency and meets strict energy efficiency performance levels set by the EPA. The certification makes this property the first and only Energy Star rated solar powered hotel in Boulder, Colo.Commercial buildings that earn EPA’s Energy Star certification use an average of 35 percent less energy than typical buildings and also release 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The Boulder Creek Quality...

JEKYLL ISLAND, GA.—More than 300 people gathered Sunday to celebrate the official grand opening of the new Jekyll Island Convention Center. Georgia Governor Nathan Deal held the large scissors and cut the ribbon on the highly-anticipated new convention center, while state delegates, the Jekyll Island Authority board, staff and public came together to usher in a new era for Jekyll Island. The center, which is expected to earn LEED Silver, features numerous eco-friendly elements, including solar panels, a reflective roof, a cistern for collecting and dispensing rainwater, and low-impact lighting. Shells and sea glass from Georgia shores were ground...

CHICAGO—The Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC) received a warm official welcome from one of North America’s most sustainable destinations when Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel formally announced that his community would host the 2013 Sustainable Meetings Conference next April.“This is a perfect example of the City of Chicago and its tourism and convention industry working together to achieve a key goal: attracting more visitors to Chicago,” said Mayor Emanuel. “This conference is one of many that have committed to the city and will create jobs and economic opportunity for our residents.”“We are honored to host this conference and demonstrate the...

PARIS—Accor has officially launched PLANET 21, a comprehensive program covering all of the Group’s environmental, social and community investment actions and placing sustainability at the core of its business strategy worldwide. With PLANET 21, Accor is making 21 commitments and the same number of quantified goals for the year 2015, including: employees trained in disease prevention in 95 percent of hotels, 80 percent of properties promoting balanced dishes; 85 percent of hotels using eco-labeled products; a 15 percent reduction in water consumption; and 10 percent decrease in energy use at Accor’s owned and leased hotels worldwide. The name PLANET...

LONDON—Travel and Tourism is set for a milestone year as the industry’s direct contribution to the global economy is expected to pass $2 trillion in GDP and 100 million jobs. According to research by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the global travel and tourism industry will grow by 2.8 percent in 2012, marginally faster than the global rate of economic growth, predicted to be 2.5 percent.This rate of growth means that the travel and tourism industry is expected to directly contribute $2 trillion to the global economy and sustain some 100.3 million jobs. When the wider economic...

BOSTON—Regulations proposed in Massachusetts by that state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will ban commercial businesses, including hotels, from discarding food waste. Greg Cooper, director of consumer programs for the DEP, expects the regulations to be implemented by the middle of 2014. “My feeling is that it is highly unlikely it will not happen,” Cooper said. The DEP is currently in the process of holding a series of stakeholder meetings in order to develop a framework of what the ban will look like. Those discussions are taking place monthly. The framework for the regulations will done by fall, followed...

LAS VEGAS—Cambria Suites, the upscale all-suites hotel brand from Choice Hotels International, Inc., launched a new food and beverage program that will be rolled out across the brand’s 18 franchised properties in the next few months. The program focuses on meals featuring American comfort cuisine, delivering fun, fresh and familiar foods to travelers that will enhance the customer dining experience. The new menu, kitchen setup and offerings all focus on embracing food trends across the country while encouraging cross-utilization of ingredients and making the restaurant a profit center for the properties.The new food and beverage program is a result...