WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Westin Hotels & Resorts announced the launch of a global, brand-wide Associate Enrichment Program that will introduce the brand’s “Elements of Well Being Platform” to its associates around the world through key touch points. Borrowing from the brand’s signature guest experiences, Westin will now make available special programs for associates designed to inspire healthy choices and overall well-being both in and out of the workplace. The three main components of the enrichment program, SuperFoodsRx, WestinWORKOUT and Breathe Westin, will be extended into each property’s back-of-the-house and a designated “Well Ambassador” at the hotel will be charged with overseeing...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Central Florida Marriott Business Council, a sponsor of the Inaugural Clean the World Gala, is showing what kind of impact a dedicated group of hotel properties can have when they make a decision to help Clean the World. The council of 17 Central Florida hotel properties, representing a variety of Marriott brands throughout the region, will be well-represented at the Gala—in person and with the soaps and bottled amenities they have collected for Clean the World. Since partnering with Clean the World in 2009, the Central Florida Marriott Business Council properties have made 466 shipments to Clean the World,...

MCLEAN, VA.—Hilton Worldwide and its portfolio of 10 hotel brands announced the 2010 results of LightStay, its sustainability measurement system. Since the introduction of LightStay, the company continues to improve sustainability and economic performance and saved more than $74 million in utility costs as a result of the following reductions: 6.6 percent reduction of energy use; 7.8 percent reduction of carbon output; 19 percent reduction of waste output; and 3.8 percent reduction of water use. To date, Hilton Worldwide’s efforts are equivalent to the removal of more than 50,000 cars from the road, water savings that could fill more than...

PARSIPPANY, N.J.—Wyndham Worldwide Corp., one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, has been ranked among the top 100 greenest companies in the United States by Newsweek magazine, and number one among hotels and restaurants. Newsweek ranked Wyndham Worldwide number 73 on its U.S. list based on a number of criteria including the actual environmental footprint and management, which includes policies, programs, initiatives, and disclosures. The report, published on October 17, also factored in Wyndham Worldwide’s reporting practices such as the Global Reporting Initiative and Carbon Disclosure Project, both of which were released by the company in 2011. “Wyndham Worldwide has a...

TORONTO—In an effort to advance far-reaching strategies for energy efficiency and fossil fuel independence in new and operational buildings, the International Living Future Institute unveiled the Net Zero Energy Building Certification program. The program is linked to the Living Building Challenge, widely considered to be the world’s most stringent and progressive green building program. As with the Living Building Challenge, certification is based on actual performance rather than modeled outcomes. Buildings must be operational for at least 12 consecutive months prior to evaluation. “In the next two decades, we are looking at the disappearance of cheap oil, a scarcity of...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol has published two standards to help businesses measure, manage and report GHG emissions beyond their own operations, including the finalized version of long-awaited scope 3 guidance. The Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) and Product Life Cycle standards were developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). According to WRI, the standards will allow companies to measure and manage the full scope of emissions in their value chain and products for the first time, while helping to move businesses and reporting programs to one harmonized global reporting...

BAA ATOLL, MALDIVES—One of the travel and tourism industry’s most exclusive and prestigious events last weekend drew Hollywood A-listers, top business CEOs, a head of state and senior environmental campaigners together in the Maldives to discuss how to make tourism a benefit rather than a threat to the planet’s environment. The event—the SLOWLIFE Symposium, organized by the luxury resort company Six Senses—drew actors Daryl Hannah and Edward Norton, business leader and entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, the heads of two solar power companies and green thinkers Jonathon Porritt and Tim Smit to Soneva Fushi resort in Baa Atoll, Maldives. They were joined...

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—The International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show (IHMRS) will welcome the return of several key industry suppliers to the 2011 market, demonstrating optimism for new business opportunities in 2012 and beyond. More than 700 industry suppliers will connect with some 30,000 power buyers, November 12 to 15, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Among those returning after a brief absence are Cetis, Inc. (telephones and high speed internet), Chef Works (uniforms), Crocs (footwear), Dinex (foodservice equipment), DirectTV (guestroom technology), Electrolux Major Appliances-North America (appliances), GE Zoneline (air conditioners), Groen (foodservice equipment), IMC Teddy (foodservice equipment),...

BOULDER, COLO.—St Julien Hotel & Spa announced that it has attained a 70 percent diversion rate, indicating that 70 percent of the waste produced by the hotel is diverted from landfills for recycling, re-use or composting. “This is a significant achievement that keeps us on track with our goal of becoming a ‘zero waste’ property,” said Peter Walstra, general manager of the hotel. “We have worked tirelessly to identify opportunities to reduce consumption, recycle materials or eliminate needless waste—all without impacting the exceptional environment and experience the St Julien brings to guests. It has been, and continues to be, a...

CAROLINA, PUERTO RICO—Verdanza Hotel in Isla Verde has become the first hotel on the island with a charge station for electronic vehicles (EVs). “At Verdanza we are proud of our efforts to ensure that the daily operation of the hotel is friendly to the environment. The decision to install a charge station was a natural next step in our commitment to contribute to a healthier environment,” said  Rick Newman, president of Verdanza Hotel, adding that although Puerto Rico has not yet reached a critical mass in the use of EVs, it is fertile ground for this type of innovation. “The...