WASHINGTON, D.C.—Since its introduction, the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Pilot Credit Library has been strongly embraced by LEED users as a flexible, interactive mechanism for testing proposed credits in the marketplace and gaining real-time feedback on their usability as well as their ability to meet a credit’s intent.    “Innovation doesn’t follow a schedule,” said Brendan Owens, vice president LEED technical development. “The LEED pilot credit library provides the thousands of volunteers around the globe who are engaged in LEED development with the ability to introduce credit ideas for testing as they emerge. This unique flexibility allows LEED to...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The organizers of the Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference (ESTC), an annual industry conference focusing on advancing sustainability goals for the tourism industry, have set a hefty goal: reinforcing the roles of tourism in building a sustainable future. With a myriad of challenges facing tourism including climate change threats, political and economic instabilities this is not an easy mission to accomplish.  The ESTC co-chairs Dr. Kelly Bricker and Richard Edwards, representing the board of directors of The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), are optimistic, and not just because the idyllic and cheerful environment that this year’s host, Hilton Head...

ITHACA, N.Y.—When large restaurant companies implement sustainability policies, customers seem to react in a contrary way—and their evaluation of those companies may actually diminish. In a new study from the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research (CHR), researchers Michael Giebelhausen and Helen Chun examine this contrary behavior to see how large companies could gain the sustainability credibility they deserve. The study, “Reversing the Green Backlash: Why Large Hospitality Companies Should Welcome ‘Credibly Green' Competitors,’” is available at no charge. Assistance for the research study was provided by McDonald’s USA, a CHR senior partner. Noting consumers’ skepticism regarding large chains’ sustainability initiatives,...

GARDEN GROVE, CALIF.—Hyatt Regency Orange County, a recently renovated hotel near the Disneyland Park, includes “green thumb” on its list of eco-friendly hotel initiatives. High above the hotel’s 653 guestrooms and 65,000 square feet of meeting space rests an organic garden on the 17th story rooftop. Fresh-picked garden bounty, including basil, thyme, Italian parsley, tomatoes and sweet peppers, is used in many of the gourmet dishes served at TusCA, the hotel’s signature Italian restaurant. “We are proud to offer a unique experience for our guests by providing fresh, organic herbs picked daily for the TusCA restaurant right from our...

SAN FRANCISCO—Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco and Enterprise Rent-A-Car announced the availability of the city’s first and only electric vehicle (EV) rental program and charging station to be hosted by a hotel, for the Nissan LEAF EV. The program and charging station are located on property and are available exclusively for property guests. Enterprise is continuing the largest EV roll-out in the nation by adding the Nissan LEAF to the Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco rental program. Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco is the first hotel partner in San Francisco to partner with Enterprise to offer EVs to guests. “Four Seasons...

PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO—The CasaMagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa has started a new program aimed at helping female turtles lay eggs and hatchlings to make it to sea. Guests are welcomed to take part in the conservation effort. CasaMagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort has created a summer tradition and is again inviting guests to take part in a educational vacation experience—the “Secretos del Mar” Sea Turtle Rescue Program, unique among Puerto Vallarta hotels. Guests are encouraged to spend time with a local biologist, learn more about the endangered species and participate in combing the beach so female turtles...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Clean the World Foundation, the largest global distributor of recycled hotel soaps and bottled amenities, has elected two executives and a medical professional to its Board of Directors. Mark Rucker, vice president of Lodging for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., and Bob Scaglione, chief marketing officer at Sharp Electronics Corp., in Mahwah, N.J., were chosen to join the Clean the World Foundation Board of Directors at a June 13 meeting. Dr. Paul J. Skomsky, an Orlando cosmetic dentist, was chosen at a meeting July 7. The appointments are effective immediately. Rucker, Scaglione and Dr....

DENTON, TEXAS—Graduate students seeking to advance their careers in different offshoots of sustainable tourism are gaining unique experience through a joint program of the University of North Texas (UNT) and Costa Rica’s Higher Education and Research Center (CATIE), in Turrialba, Costa Rica. The program allows graduate students to earn a joint degree from UNT and CATIE. Students spend the first year at UNT in Denton, Texas, and the second at CATIE. The program launched last fall with six students. Those students, now in Costa Rica, are expected to receive their degrees in May 2012. The next group of students,...

NAPA, CALIF.—Francis Ford Coppola’s resorts in Belize, Blancaneaux Lodge and Turtle Inn, have formalized two strategic alliances that further the company’s commitment and dedication to fostering best practices in ecotourism and sustainable travel. Blancaneaux Lodge and Turtle Inn have joined the Sustainable Tourism Program led by the Rainforest Alliance, the international nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to helping businesses develop and implement practices spanning sustainable forestry, agriculture, tourism, climate and education. The two Coppola properties have also joined forces with one of the early leaders in the sustainable travel movement, Sustainable Travel International’s global Sustainable Tourism Eco-Certification Program (STEP. “The Coppolas...

DENVER—Xanterra Parks & Resorts is making significant progress toward reaching environmental goals outlined in its 2015 Environmental Vision, a set of aggressive environmental performance goals. The operator of lodging and concessions in national parks and resorts around the country spelled out its progress using environmental performance metrics, called “Ecometrix.” The company’s achievements and measurable progress toward its environmental goals are detailed in the company’s fourth Environmental Sustainability Report. In the report, Xanterra’s president and CEO, Andrew Todd, wrote about the devastation brought about by recent environmental disasters, such as the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Todd cited Xanterra’s...