SAN FRANCISCO—The Board of Supervisors of San Francisco recently passed green building legislation that will improve energy efficiency in existing buildings, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower energy costs, and create green jobs. The ordinance will require owners of existing non-residential buildings to determine how much energy each building consumes, and to make that information public on an annual basis. The ordinance will also require commercial buildings over 10,000 square feet to conduct energy efficiency audits every five years in order to help the building owners and managers optimize building efficiency. “San Francisco needs to increase the energy and resource efficiency...

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte became the first urban hotel in the Southeast to offer a permanently-installed Level II charging station for use by guests driving electric vehicles. The new multi-power station is located in the front drive of the LEED Gold-certified property, is complimentary to hotel guests, and supports the hotel’s commitment to environmentally-friendly practices and operations. The launch of the new Ritz-Carlton plug-in charging station was highlighted by the on-site presence of a Li-Ion Motors Inizio all-electric supercar, designed and built in nearby Mooresville, N.C. Li-Ion Motors is also the creator of the all-electric Wave II, which was on...

TORONTO—Keeping with its commitment to environmental protection and sustainability, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts will participate for the fourth consecutive year in Earth Hour, a global event organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to raise awareness about climate change. On Saturday, March 26, 2011 at 8:30 p.m. local time, all of Fairmont’s 64 world-class hotels and resorts will participate by turning off their lights for one hour. “Climate change impacts us all and is an issue we must address collectively,” said Chris Cahill, president, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. “We continually encourage our hotels to be innovative with their energy conservation...

MADRID, SPAIN—Produced in partnership with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the tourism chapter of the United Nations Environment Program-led (UNEP) Green Economy Report demonstrates how investing in environmentally-friendly tourism can drive economic growth, lead to poverty reduction and job creation, while improving resource efficiency and minimizing environmental degradation. Tourism is one of the most promising drivers of growth for the world economy, according to the report, but its development is accompanied by sustainability-related challenges. An investment of 0.2.% of global GDP ($135 billion at current levels of GDP) per year between now and 2050 would allow the tourism...

NEWTON, MASS.—TripAdvisor announced the results of its first annual survey of more than 1,000 U.S. accommodation owners—hoteliers, B&B owners and innkeepers—who revealed their plans to attract travelers in 2011 and increase repeat customers. According to the survey, 70 percent of survey respondents plan to offer programs in 2011 to reduce their impact on the environment. By contrast, 30 percent of accommodation owners have no plans to implement such programs. Most property owners expect room rates will either hold steady (51 percent) or decrease (4 percent), while 45 percent expect rates to increase. Yet, owners appear to be investing in their...

PORTLAND, ORE.—Highlighting day two (February 22) of the sixth annual Sustainable Meetings Conference at the Doubletree Hotel in Portland was a "Sustainable Meetings Standards" session summarizing the progress of the Green Meetings and Events Voluntary Standards. The lodging industry is anxiously awaiting the completion of the standards—the result of an effort led by the Convention Industry Council’s Accepted Practices Exchange (APEX), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC), and ASTM International. According to Lawrence Leonard, APEX program director and a session panelist, the industry will have to wait a little more. “The standards are...

BOSTON—Some 4,000 renewable energy and green building experts will bring their cutting edge thinking—and very strong opinions—to Boston in March for the BuildingEnergy11 Conference and Tradeshow. Now in its 36th year, BuildingEnergy11 (BE11) is organized by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA), and is the oldest and largest regional renewable energy event in the country. On Tuesday, March 8, three workshops at BE11 will highlight different constructs for gauging energy efficiency and environmental impact beyond the USGBC’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system: Zero Net Energy, Passive House, and The Living Building Challenge. “NESEA believes in the...

PORTLAND, ORE.—The sixth annual Sustainable Meetings Conference, organized by the Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC), kicked off yesterday with a full slate of educational sessions and news that GMIC has grown to 600 members in more than 30 countries. The conference, which has drawn 250 people in person and 60 “virtual” attendees, is being held at the Doubletree Hotel Portland. Four years ago, when the conference was also held in Portland, total attendance was closer to 60. Guy Bigwood, president of GMIC and director of sustainability, MCI Group, told attendees that GMIC currently has 20 chapters up and running...

NEW YORK—Hilton Inn at Penn, a AAA Four Diamond hotel, is nearing the end of a multi-million dollar renovation designed to modernize the property’s 238 guestrooms and suites. The two-phased project, under the creative direction of interior design firm RD Jones & Associates, will update each guestroom with contemporary and sustainable features, including energy-saving technology, WaterSense showerheads and Apple iPads. The renovation is expected to be completed by March 2011. Hilton Inn at Penn maintained its focus on environmental responsibility by integrating sustainable features in the guestrooms that are designed to positively impact the guest experience. Fabrics, wallcoverings and bathroom...

CHICAGO—Companies that occupy office space around the world consider sustainability a key factor in their space occupancy plans, and half of corporate real estate executives say they will pay extra for space in green buildings, according to the fourth annual Sustainability Survey conducted by CoreNet Global and Jones Lang LaSalle.  Conducted in the fourth quarter of 2010, the survey results reveal a corporate real estate industry in the process of reconciling the focus on reducing environmental impacts of buildings with the need to control costs and support corporate financial performance. CoreNet Global, the association of corporate real estate professionals worldwide,...