WASHINGTON, D.C.—Many foam sofa cushions in the United States contain flame-retardants known to pose risks to human health, according to a new peer-reviewed study released late last month. Researchers at Duke University and University of California found that 85 percent of couches contained toxic or untested flame-retardants, some of which are linked to cancer. In response, business leaders from the Sustainable Furnishings Council, the Specialty Sleep Assn., and the American Sustainable Business Council said that chemical regulations must be improved in order to support public health and a healthy economy.“Our way of protecting consumers from toxic chemicals is broken,”...

ORLANDO, FLA.—The NAFEM Show (North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers), scheduled for February 7 to 9 in Orlando at the Orange County Convention Center, will feature more than 500 exhibitors, many of whom will display the latest in energy-efficient foodservice equipment. More than 125 companies will participate in the WHAT’S HOT! WHAT’S COOL! new product gallery. This gallery will showcase new products offering benefits such as labor savings, sanitation, green benefits, food safety, reduced life cycle costs and more.New to the show this year is an educational session entitled, “LEED Basics for Foodservice.” The session will be held...

ALEXANDRIA, VA.—The GBTA Foundation, the education and research foundation of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) and Project ICARUS announce the first Outstanding Achievement Awards for Sustainability in business travel and meetings across North America.The Project ICARUS Global Advisory Board and Sustainability Committee looks to recognize travel buyers, suppliers and intermediaries who can demonstrate outstanding leadership, innovation and commitment to delivering best in class sustainability programs, product and services across North America.“This year we have seen an increase in the number of companies building sustainability into their business travel and meetings programs and we are thrilled to recognize those...

Turner Construction just released the results of its 2012 Market Barometer Survey. A total of 718 executives participated in the survey. They represented the following types of companies: architecture (49 percent), construction (19 percent), real estate consulting (11 percent), corporate owner-occupant (9 percent), developer (9 percent), engineering (9 percent), real estate owners (7 percent), corporate tenant (3 percent), and broker/real estate service provider (2 percent). Eighty-four percent of respondents said their companies were committed to environmentally-sustainable practices. Executives were most likely to cite financial factors as being important to their companies’ decisions on whether to incorporate green features in...

LAS VEGAS—It could be a record for educating the largest number of associates about sustainability, diversity and inclusion, community engagement, and giving in one—well, nine—fell swoops. On December 16 to 18 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, MGM Resorts International will host more than 45,000 MGM associates who will each witness one of nine scheduled 90-minute performances of “Inspiring Our World.” Inspiring Our World is a musical performance focusing on MGM Resorts International’s values that will be put on by employees.In all, 70 performers were selected to bring the show’s message to their colleagues. About 130...

SAN FRANCISCO—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced a $3 million grant from Google that will catalyze the transformation of the building materials industry and accelerate the creation of healthier indoor environments.“Healthy, non-toxic building materials are a critical component in green building,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO & founding chair, U.S. Green Building Council. “Fostering awareness of the materials we put into our buildings is of paramount importance, since many materials can link to a host of environmental and health issues. Working with Google enables us to broaden our efforts in the materials industry as we prepare for the...

PARSIPPANY, N.J.—For the second consecutive year, Wyndham Worldwide, one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, is ranked No. 1 among hotels and restaurants by Newsweek magazine in their annual Greenest Companies survey. The rankings evaluate the environmental performance of the largest publicly traded companies in the United States and around the world.Ranked among the top 100 greenest companies in the United States, Wyndham Worldwide was evaluated on a number of criteria including its environmental footprint and management, environmental policies, programs and initiatives. The survey also considered the company’s reporting and disclosure practices, including the Carbon Disclosure Project and its...

BOSTON—When it comes to corporate social responsibility, consumers want more than an aspirational mission statement, according to research by Cone Communications. According to 2012 Cone Communications Corporate Social Return Trend Tracker, 84 percent of Americans hold companies accountable for producing and communicating the results of CSR commitments by going beyond the mission to robustly communicate progress against well-defined purpose. Some 40 percent go as far as to say that they will not purchase a company’s products or services if CSR results are not communicated.Companies that proactively share the details and results of their CSR efforts, rather than just their...

WASHINGTON—The Urban Land Institute (ULI) Greenprint Center for Building Performance, a worldwide alliance of leading real estate owners, investors and financial institutions committed to reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions across the global property industry, has announced the addition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. as a new member.“At Starwood, we believe that economic growth and the well-being of society are inextricably tied to the health of the environment,” said Frits van Paasschen, CEO for Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “As one of the leading hospitality companies in the world, we have an obligation to be good stewards to...

MINNEAPOLIS—During the month of September, Carlson Rezidor hotels across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas and Asia Pacific were invited to take action in their hotels and communities by organizing social and environmental activities and raising funds to support World Childhood Foundation, an organization under the patronage of Queen Silvia of Sweden focused on aiding children at risk for abuse and exploitation.“Our annual Responsible Business Action Month is a call to action for our 35,000+ employees in the 70 countries in which we are present to place a special emphasis on doing sustainable business, giving back, and making...