NATIONAL REPORT—As posted on Green Lodging News last week, the International Tourism Partnership (ITP) and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), in collaboration with 23 leading global hospitality companies, launched a methodology to calculate and communicate the carbon footprint of hotel stays and meetings in a consistent and transparent way. The methodology, called “HCMI 1.0,” is expected to be primarily used by the meetings industry, according to Christopher Brophy, vice president-corporate sustainability, MGM Resorts International.Not included in the announcement about HCMI 1.0 was the methodology itself.“Anyone who wants the methodology can currently request it through either the World...

PARSIPPANY, N.J.—Wyndham Worldwide has been ranked by DiversityInc as one of the top 10 companies (#5) for supplier diversity, and exceeded its 2011 goals in strengthening the diversity of its global supply chain and delivering on its core values. With total diverse spending at more than 15 percent of its overall purchases, Wyndham Worldwide increased spending with diverse suppliers by 49 percent compared to the previous year.“While we are proud of our 2011 results, we do not view diversity as something to be achieved, but rather as an important part of our culture as a global company operating in...

RIO DE JANEIRO—At the RIO+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Marriott International, Inc. and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) announced a partnership to support new environmentally-sustainable hotel development in growth markets in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. The partnership stands to generate millions of dollars in OPIC financing for Marriott hotel projects internationally, demonstrating a shared commitment to the environment and investment in these emerging economies. According to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) recently concluded between the two parties, OPIC will make long-term loans to the third-party owners of the hotels,...

NEW YORK—ECPAT-USA, a nonprofit organization that advocates for policies to protect sexually exploited children, announced that Real Hospitality Group (RHG) has become the first hotel management company in the United States to enter the fight against the commercial sexual exploitation of children by signing the Tourism Child-Protection Code of Conduct. The Code focuses on the protection of children from sexual exploitation in the travel and tourism industries. As a subscriber to The Code, RHG will develop and implement policies that condemn child trafficking and provide training to help their employees identify and report trafficking activities. The company will...

HOUSTON—The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) announced the winners of the AH&LA Achievement Awards, part of the annual Stars of the Industry Awards, which honor stand-out initiatives at hotel properties. In a ceremony held during the AH&LA Summer Summit at the InterContinental Houston near the Galleria, these awards, which have been awarded annually since 1966, distinguish individual hotels that have developed outstanding programs, events, and campaigns. Winners were chosen in the categories of Good Earthkeeping, Community Service, and Diversity, among others.Winning the Good Earthkeeping, Small Property, is the Bardessono Inn & Spa in Yountville, Calif. The Bardessono is...

MIDDLETON, WIS.—There is nothing fancy about the title—The Green Team—but the eight people who make up that group at The North Central Group, an owner/operator/developer of 27 Marriott, Hilton and Carlson properties in the Midwest and Southwest, are relentless about making sure each property is carrying out as many of the company’s 158 green strategies as possible. The Green Team consists of four people from the Middleton, Wis.-based company’s corporate office and four from individual properties. Each hotel’s green progress is rated using a score card consisting of the 158 green strategies that have been pulled together from other...

ALEXANDRIA, VA.—The GBTA Foundation, the education and research foundation of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), announced the expansion of Project ICARUS, the first global travel management sustainability body, representing the interests of the global travel and meetings industry. Project ICARUS will include recognition and awards programs highlighting leading organizations in sustainability and a Global Advisory board with representatives from buyers, suppliers, academics and subject matter experts from Europe, North America, Asia, Australia/New Zealand and Latin America to provide expertise, leadership and guidance on sustainability.“Sustainability is an issue of strategic importance for corporations and organizations in the business travel...

LONDON—The International Tourism Partnership (ITP) and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), in collaboration with 23 leading global hospitality companies, today launched a methodology to calculate and communicate the carbon footprint of hotel stays and meetings in a consistent and transparent way. The group saw an opportunity to improve how the hotel industry communicates its impacts. Currently, approaches to measuring and reporting on carbon emissions vary widely. This can lead to confusion amongst consumers, particularly corporate clients, looking to understand their own potential carbon footprint and meet their own goals/targets in this area. In addition, the number of methodologies...

LAS VEGAS—Crystals at CityCenter has earned the VIVA “Best-of-the-Best” designation by the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), the global trade association of the shopping center industry. Crystals is one of only three 2012 VIVA (Vision, Innovation, Value and Achievement) award winners in the world.“The VIVA ‘Best-of-the-Best’ award honors and recognizes the most outstanding examples of shopping center design and development, sustainability, marketing, and community service worldwide,” ICSC said in a statement.“Crystals is an integral part of CityCenter and was created with a vision to bring a new level of environmental consciousness to the world-famous Las Vegas Strip,” said...

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.—Marriott International, Inc. announced the first hotel to open as part of its LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environment) Volume Program—The Courtyard Scottsdale Salt River in Arizona. The hotel is also the first Marriott-branded property built on U.S. tribal land in cooperation with the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, creating nearly 30 jobs.“This partnership is a symbol of Marriott’s commitment to working with diverse business partners,” said Eric Jacobs, chief development officer, North American Lodging, Marriott International. “Our business thrives on partnerships with organizations that share similar philosophies and values. We believe that we have found a great...