NEW YORK—A new poll of more than 600 business professionals conducted on PwC US’ recent webcast, Boosting Your Bottom Line Through Eco-efficiency, found that 52 percent of respondents rank eco-efficiency as a high or growing priority. The PwC poll results indicate that businesses are putting greater emphasis on efforts to drive financial savings and build a competitive advantage in the market by being more ecologically efficient and reducing their environmental impact. PwC also launched a new report titled, “Less Can Be More: Better for the Bottom Line and the Environment,” offering ideas for companies considering eco-efficiency strategies. “Identifying...

NATIONAL REPORT—Architects, designers, facility managers and business leaders pursuing LEED certification may now be able to earn credit for specifying level certified furniture products under the USGBC’s new Pilot Credit 80: Environmentally Preferable Interior Finishes and Furnishings—a credit that specifically recognizes products that have been third-party certified to the ANSI/BIFMA e3 Furniture Sustainability Standard.Scot Horst, senior vice president, LEED, USGBC, made the announcement at BIFMA’s 2013 Annual Meeting.“BIFMA and the office furniture industry have been at the forefront of sustainability and transparency in product manufacturing and its willingness to engage with USGBC has created a uniquely collaborative process that...

PARSIPPANY, N.J.—RCI, a global leader in vacation exchange and part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands, recognized the winners of its 2013 RCI Green Awards at a recent ceremony in Carlsbad, Calif., home of Grand Pacific Resorts, the developer of all three winning properties. RCI senior leadership presented the awards to the general managers of Grand Pacific Palisades Resort, Carlsbad Seapointe Resort and Hilton Grand Vacations Club at MarBrisa.“Going Green is not only the right thing to do, it’s fiscally responsible, and our guests expect us to be good stewards of the environment,” said David Brown, co-president, Grand...

NEW YORK CITY—Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Carter Strickland, CEO of NYC & Company George Fertitta, and CEO of the Hotel Association of New York City Joseph E. Spinnato announced that eleven of the city’s premier hotels have joined the New York City Hotel Water Conservation Challenge. As part of the challenge, each hotel will reduce their annual water consumption by 5 percent and thereby save a total of approximately 13 million gallons of water each year. Commercial buildings in New York City, and hotels in particular, represent a significant opportunity for water and financial savings because they...

SACRAMENTO, CALIF.—On Monday, August 12, 2013, California’s Assembly Natural Resources Committee approved SB 254 (Hancock/Correa) by a 7-0 bipartisan vote. The intent of SB 254 is to create a used mattress recycling program that will keep old mattresses out of landfills, off highways, and out of vacant lots and alleys. Per the authors of the legislation, Senator Loni Hancock representing Berkeley and Senator Lou Correa representing Santa Ana, this type of legislation creates a win-win situation by furthering California’s overall recycling goals.Specifically, SB 254 creates a used mattress recycling program that will have a dedicated funding mechanism, reduce the...

MINNEAPOLIS—Executive Chef Aaron Hagerdorn announces that Prairie Kitchen & Bar, which just celebrated its first anniversary at Hyatt Regency Minneapolis, now features an outdoor patio on Nicollet Mall, an expanded menu with summer specialties, and also utilizes three on-premise beehives for honey used in menu items and handcrafted cocktails.The 5,500-square-foot restaurant specializes in locally grown and seasonal items that evoke the Scandinavian and farming heritage of Minnesota. Chef Hagerdorn is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. “Our enhanced menu features items that reflect Minnesota’s unique heritage with a continued emphasis on fresh ingredients native to The Land...

LAS VEGAS—MGM Resorts International unveiled the United States’ first commercial fleet of compressed natural gas (CNG) fueled Cadillac Escalades during the National Clean Energy Summit at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. Uniquely converted by World CNG, a nationally recognized leader in alternative fuel technology, the six EPA-certified luxury vehicles will service ARIA Resort & Casino and Bellagio Resort & Casino.“We are excited to introduce the nation’s first commercial fleet of CNG Cadillac Escalades, which is further demonstration of our company’s commitment to drive innovation in environmental stewardship, while maintaining the highest standards in guest service,” said Jim Murren, chairman...

LONDON—The International Tourism Partnership and Greenview seek hoteliers’ views and perspectives on sustainable supply chain management. Earlier this year, ITP’s supply chain working group performed a high level risk mapping exercise of the supply chain in order to inform the future direction of the group’s activities. Weighing various criteria of spend, risk, impact and the likelihood of success, it gave a strong steer to the group where the opportunities for collaboration lay.In the next phase of its supply chain work, ITP has teamed up with Greenview to create a common framework for the hotel industry to discuss and approach...

NEW YORK—Fifty percent of global consumers surveyed are willing to pay more for goods and services from companies that have implemented programs to give back to society, an increase of five points (45 percent) from 2011, according to a new study from Nielsen, a leading global provider of information and insights into what consumers watch and buy. Willingness to spend more with socially responsible companies increased in 74 percent of the countries Nielsen measured.The Nielsen Global Survey on Corporate Social Responsibility surveyed more than 29,000 Internet respondents* in 58 countries. The percentage of consumers willing to pay more increased...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown will hold its fourth annual Sustainability Fair (formerly Green Fair) on Friday, August 16h from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. in the hotel’s Colonnade Room. The event will showcases the eco, health and safety efforts of many D.C.-based organizations as well as the hotel’s own sustainability program.The following organizations will be represented: Balance Gym, Better bodies by Bethany, CarsToGo, ChemSearch, Dietztogo, District of Columbia Department of the Environment, District of Columbia Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU), Eco-Artware, Fairmont Pittsburgh (LEED Gold Certified), Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown’s Beekeepers, KEYS for the Homeless, KARMA by Erwin...