COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.—First Affirmative Financial Network and the Social Investment Forum, hosts of the 19th annual SRI in the Rockies Conference, have designed their 2008 event to be a green meeting. This year’s conference is expected to draw a record 700 sustainable and responsible investment (SRI) industry practitioners and professionals to Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, October 26 to 28, 2008. According to the Convention Industry Council’s definition, a green meeting is “a meeting or event that incorporates environmental considerations to minimize its negative impact on the environment.” George Gay, CEO of First Affirmative, is planning for the 2008 SRI in...

ATLANTA—CQ Construction and CQ Capital Partners, both parts of the Clarkston, Ga.-based Charania Group of Companies (CGC), are completing construction of a new Cambria Suites property that is located less than one-half mile from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The 143-room hotel, which includes a restaurant, bar, swimming pool and meeting space, is well on its way to earning a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council. According to Rahim Charania, president of CGC, the Choice Hotels International franchised property will open in the first quarter of 2009 and is expected to...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—On October 3, 2008, President Bush signed into law H.R. 1424 and extended the Energy Efficient Commercial Building Tax Deduction as part of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. The tax deduction is not a tax credit (an amount directly subtracted from the tax owed), but a deduction—an amount subtracted from gross taxable income. Tax deductions result in benefits to the taxpayer; thus this newly created program can be used as an incentive to assist in choosing energy efficient building systems. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 included a new tax incentive to improve the energy efficiency of...

ALEXANDRIA, VA.—The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) is now accepting nominations for its first Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Awards, the winners of which will be honored in March 2009. NBTA’s CSR committee established the annual awards to recognize a company for its innovative and significant initiatives to take greater social and environmental responsibility while minimizing the global impact of their business travel programs. “NBTA’s CSR Committee has been a leader in providing resources to help organizations develop, measure and improve travel-related corporate social responsibility efforts,” said NBTA president and CEO Kevin Maguire, CCTE, GLP. “We want to recognize those...

NEW YORK—Thanks to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), hotels throughout the state of New York can receive low cost building energy audits, and incentives on kitchen equipment ranging from reach-in solid door refrigerators to insulated holding cabinets. Incentives run as high as $500 for freezers and ice makers and as low as $30 for pre-rinse spray valves. The services are paid through the System Benefits Charge that many owners and operators in the hospitality industry cover through their electric utility bills. According to Ed Smyth, manager of the Troy, N.Y. office of RLW Analytics,...

BROOKFIELD, WISC.—The 2008 Wisconsin Lodging Conference & Trade Show will be held October 27 to 28 at the Hilton Madison Monona Terrace. This annual conference is the largest gathering of Wisconsin lodging owners and operators in the state. The Wisconsin Innkeepers Assn., the state’s only association representing the entire lodging industry and one of the largest state lodging associations in the country, is the host for this marquee event. The conference will feature a special panel presentation titled, “Exploring Niche Tourism Markets: Green Tourists, Geocaching & Culinary Tourism,” which will help property owners and operators attract travelers who are conscious...

GREENSBORO, N.C.—Quaintance-Weaver Restaurants and Hotels announced that The Proximity Hotel and Print Works Bistro have been awarded LEED Platinum by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED is the USGBC’s rating system for designing and constructing the world’s greenest, most energy efficient, and high performing buildings. Opened in late 2007, the Proximity is the first hotel and Print Works is the first restaurant to obtain the USGBC’s top level of certification. “When we started the design process four years ago, I would have never believed that we could use 41 percent less energy and 33 percent less water without...

BARCELONA, SPAIN—United Nations Foundation founder and chairman Ted Turner joined the Rainforest Alliance, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) to announce the first-ever globally relevant sustainable tourism criteria at the IUCN World Conservation Congress. The new criteria—based on thousands of best practices culled from the existing standards currently in use around the world—were developed to offer a common framework to guide the emerging practice of sustainable tourism and to help businesses, consumers, governments, non-governmental organizations and educational institutions to ensure that tourism helps, rather than harms, local communities and the environment. “Sustainability...

PARSIPPANY, N.J.—Wyndham Worldwide, one of the world’s largest hospitality companies hosting nearly 200 million guests each year, held a “Global Green Day,” an event to officially kick off WyndhamGreen, the company’s environmental and sustainability program, and launch the WyndhamGreen website. Wyndham Worldwide is seizing the opportunity to manage energy consumption as a part of the Company’s overall green strategy across its businesses and brands, which together encompass nearly 70,000 properties in 100 countries. Due to its numerous brands, properties and distribution points, the WyndhamGreen program is expected to have a large impact on the company’s overall carbon footprint. “As one of...

ATLANTA – Chicago, with one of the most recognizable skylines in the world, has long-standing status as a livable urban center. That the city has stood the test of time makes it the perfect backdrop for ASHRAE’s 2009 Winter Conference. The theme will be “Sustainable Urban Design: Engineering Tomorrow…Today.” With a focus that resources must be conserved and environments respected even in urban settings, the ASHRAE Conference takes place January 24 to 28 at the Palmer House Hilton. Held in conjunction with the meeting is the ASHRAE co-sponsored AHR Expo, January 26 to 28 at McCormick Place. Meeting highlights include...