WASHINGTON, D.C.—Last month, the total footprint of commercial projects certified under the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED Green Building Rating System surpassed one billion square feet. Another six billion square feet of projects are registered and currently working toward LEED certification around the world. “This traction demonstrates the transformation of the way we design, build and operate buildings,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. “Not only does green building contribute to saving energy, water and money, it also creates green jobs that will grow and energize our economy.” The milestone is a testament to the global effort...

AUSTIN, TEXAS—As the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) closed its public comment period for its Green Guides, EnviroMedia Social Marketing released new research that shows 65 percent of Americans would prefer just one seal for green products over the hundreds now that are causing confusion. It’s increasingly hard to determine if a product is truly “green.” Certifications like Energy Star help consumers address energy efficiency. However, new standards for water use, packaging, recyclability, toxics, and carbon impact are competing for attention and space on the product label. The research shows Americans most trust a third-party certification system, like the Good Housekeeping Seal,...

DEZHOU, CHINA—Located in China Solar Valley in the Economic Development Zone of Dezhou, the Solar Valley Micro-E Hotel is part of Sun-Moon Mansion, the largest single solar powered structure in the world. Sun-Moon Mansion, an 800,000-square-foot building, includes more than two thousand solar collectors on its roof. The hotel opened in December 2009 and is part of complex that features solar air collectors, seasonal heat storage, solar heating and cooling, ceiling radiation, geothermal system, photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation, PV lighting, energy-saving glass, sun-shading panels, external wall insulation, and rainwater collection. The five-star Solar Valley Micro-E Hotel was constructed by Himin...

PARIS—Euro Disney S.C.A. Group (“Euro Disney”) and Groupe Pierre & Vacances Center Parcs (“Pierre & Vacances”) recently unveiled their new concept of a vacation destination based on the search for harmony between man and nature. The destination would be, in its design and in its operations, a unique model of sustainable development for tourism and be called Les Villages Nature de Val d’Europe (Villages Nature). As a mixed-use resort, Villages Nature will work with visionary landscape architects to develop new lodging and leisure experiences that will provide multiple opportunities for visitors to interact with nature. These activities would be...

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.—Despite its sensational natural environment, neither the City of Scottsdale nor the State of Arizona have a luxury eco-resort. That’s all about to change thanks to a unanimous approval from the Scottsdale City Council. Planned close to Scottsdale’s 20,000-acre McDowell Sonoran Preserve, one of the largest natural parks and preserves in the county featuring the scenic Sonoran Desert, the project is being promoted by developer Lyle Anderson Co. A member of the Scottsdale Hall of Fame, Anderson was the developer behind Desert Highlands and Desert Mountain. Combined they offer seven Jack Nicklaus golf courses with Desert Highlands being...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—In one respect, this year has been a good one for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its Energy Star for Hospitality and Entertainment program. In another respect, the year has not been so impressive. According to the EPA’s most recent report on Energy Star hotel benchmarking activity, as of July 2010 there were 5,262 hotels using the Energy Star Portfolio Manager to benchmark their energy performance. That is up from 3,123 buildings in 2007, 3,685 buildings in 2008, and 4,920 in 2009. Participating hotels are located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—To help find solutions to the nation’s bed bug problem, the Federal Bed Bug Workgroup is convening a second national summit set for February 1 to 2, 2011, in Washington, D.C. The summit is open to the public and will focus on ways the federal government and others can continue to work together on management and control of these pests. The first federal bed bug summit was held by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in April 2009. Since then, EPA has helped organize the Federal Bed Bug Workgroup, which consists of EPA, the Department of Housing and Urban...

PARK RIDGE, N.J.—The Hertz Corporation, the world’s largest general use airport car rental brand, and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced a joint partnership to bring in Hertz Global EV, a program developed by Hertz using 100 percent electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, to key Starwood select-service hotels in North America. Starwood’s select-service portfolio includes the Element Hotels, Aloft Hotels and Four Points by Sheraton Hotels brands. “Hertz’s partnership with Starwood is a natural step in the development of our Global EV program,” said Mark P. Frissora, Hertz chairman and CEO. “As we expand our EV network, we are...

NEW YORK CITY—While guests and other stakeholders make it clear that they expect hotels and restaurants to improve the sustainability of their operations, hospitality managers are grappling with the many aspects of sustainability, including customer demand, cost effectiveness, supplier and stakeholder engagement, global trends, and system-wide implementation. The latest Sustainability Roundtable, held at Proskauer in New York City in November 2010 and produced by the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research, brought together corporate management, owners, operators, and suppliers to discuss those issues and myriad other aspects of sustainability. Chaired by associate professor Alex Susskind, of the Cornell School of Hotel...

PHOENIX—The Arizona Hotel & Lodging Assn. (AzHLA), in partnership with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) and the Arizona Office of Tourism (AOT), has officially launched the state’s first “Certified Green Lodging” program, which streamlines the requirements for Arizona hotels to designate themselves as environmental stewards. This new program was conceptualized by AzHLA and was developed due to the demand from hotel members and visitors looking for a consistent application that could measure green hotel efforts. After conducting extensive research of other statewide green lodging programs, AzHLA selected a model that provides a workbook where hotels accumulate a certain...