LANSING—The Michigan Department of Energy, Labor, & Economic Growth (DELEG) Bureau of Energy Systems is launching Green Venues Michigan, a statewide green certification program for entertainment venues, convention centers, and similar facilities. It is designed to encourage and assist facilities to adopt cost saving, green practices which conserve natural resources and prevent pollution. The Green Venues Michigan program was modeled after DELEG’s successful Green Lodging Michigan program. Four venues have received the Green Venues Michigan Certification as part of a pilot launch. They are include: Michigan International Speedway, Detroit Institute of Arts, Pierce Cedar Creek Institute, and Grand Valley State...

LONDON, U.K.—Jurys Inns recently polled its guests to find out just how green they really are when staying at a hotel. Seven out of 10 guests claim they don’t forget to pack their eco-conscience when staying at a hotel and make an effort to follow the same green practices they would at home when they’re away. One in five people said they check out a hotel’s green credentials before checking in, claiming that in addition to location, service and value for money, it is a high priority when deciding which hotel to book. This supports other recent research from...

LAS VEGAS—Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas, a hotel located at the new CityCenter on The Strip, has achieved LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). It is the first hotel in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group to receive a LEED rating, and marks the sixth LEED Gold certification for CityCenter, which is one of the world’s largest sustainable developments. “Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is known for demonstrating its leadership in the hotel industry,” said Rajesh Jhingon, general manager of Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas. “We are honored to have the Group’s first LEED Gold certified hotel.” Mandarin Oriental Highlights • The...

ATLANTA—A new program to inform building owners and operators, tenants and prospective buyers on the energy use of buildings, similar to a nutrition label on food or miles per gallon ratings on cars, was launched to encourage the building industry to find ways to cut energy use and costs. The Building Energy Quotient program, which will be known as Building EQ, will include both As Designed (asset) and In Operation (as operated) ratings for all building types, except residential. It also will provide a detailed certificate with data on actual energy use, energy demand profiles, indoor air quality and other...

ORLANDO—The second annual Green Lodging and Hospitality Conference, held at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Fla., from December 9-11, featured a strong group of speakers but failed to attract the crowd one might expect from one of the largest hotel centers in the world. Attendance was 175 for the event, including approximately 50 vendors. The conference was hosted by the TREEO Center, University of Florida. Highlights of the conference included a keynote presentation by David Jerome, senior vice president for corporate responsibility, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), and presentations with titles such as “Green Lodging from 10,000 feet, How...

HONOLULU, HAWAII—Outrigger Enterprises Group received the inaugural “Green Leader Award” recently from Reynolds Recycling for being top recycling and sustainability leaders in Hawaii’s tourism industry. Outrigger’s owned and operated hotels in Waikiki have prevented more than 48,000 pounds of recyclable material from entering Honolulu’s landfill by recovering more than one million beverage containers from their guestrooms since 2006. “With over 4,000 guest rooms in Waikiki, we realized that our combined efforts could make a significant impact in keeping Hawaii green,” said David Carey, president and CEO of Outrigger Enterprises Group. “Hawaii’s beauty rests heavily on our pristine environment and as...

W. CONSHOHOCKEN, PA.—At its recent meeting, the ASTM board of directors authorized ASTM’s management to develop the capability to offer certification services. Titled the ASTM International Certification Programs, the new initiative is sponsored by ASTM International and offers the opportunity for certification of products (materials, products, services and systems) as well as personnel. The recent action by the ASTM board is a response to inquiries, particularly in the areas of new standards development activities, for ASTM to provide certification to meet expressed needs for independent, third party demonstrations of compliance to standards. Similar requests have come to ASTM from...

BERKELEY, CALIF.—Ethical Traveler’s new report, “The World’s Best Ethical Destinations,” identifies the 10 countries in the developing world that are best protecting their natural environments, promoting responsible travel, and building a tourism industry which provides real benefits to local communities. “There’s no doubt that worldwide interest in mindful, responsible travel is growing—not only among travelers, but within the countries that host us,” says Jeff Greenwald, executive director of Ethical Traveler and co-author of the report. “Now is the perfect time for savvy travelers and well-intentioned governments to evolve together, each encouraging the other. This is especially true in the developing...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—In the wake of an extended global economic slump, local communities are pushing ahead and expanding their green building programs. More than one in five U.S. cities with populations greater than 50,000 surveyed by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) report having a policy to promote green buildings, accounting for more than 53 million people. The AIA initially conducted this survey in 2007 for a Local Leaders in Sustainability report that has just been updated. The new report, “Green Building Policy in a Changing Economic Environment,” is an inventory of policies and best practices intended to help policymakers...

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Rolling out the “green carpet” for drivers of electric and hybrid vehicles, Element Hotels announced its goal to install electric car-charging stations at all of its properties by the end of 2009. A worldwide first for a hospitality brand, the program comes after piloting a charging station at Starwood-owned Element Lexington. Element Hotels is Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.’s new eco-chic brand. The ChargePoint Networked Charging Station was developed by California innovator Coulomb Technologies. In partnership with Carbon Day Automotive, it will be available at Element hotels currently open, and will be available for installation at properties...