ATLANTA—To reduce the building design industry’s impact on the environment, key leaders in that sector are collaborating to establish carbon-neutral buildings by the year 2030. The American Institute of Architects (AIA), the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), Architecture 2030, the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), supported by representatives of the U.S. Department of Energy, finalized an agreement of understanding, establishing a common starting point and a goal of net zero energy buildings. “This agreement allows the building design sector to move forward with...

TOLEDO, BELIZE—Outpost International celebrated the grand opening of Machaca Hill Lodge at Laughing Falcon Reserve, their first world-class eco-development, on April 14. The eco-chic lodge is nestled amidst the lush landscape of the Toledo District in Southern Belize, idealistically situated on a private 11,000-acre reserve that is home to many of Belize’s jaguars, and is bordered by densely forested limestone hills and the Rio Grande River. From the rainforest canopy just beneath the plateau summit of Machaca Hill, the lodge offers an awe-inspiring look at the jungle and in the distance Seven Hills and the Caribbean Sea. The airy main...

ATLANTA—IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms, announced that The Hotel Management Group, the company’s Americas Operations division, will launch a new environmental initiative to replace more than 250,000 incandescent light bulbs with new energy-efficient compact fluorescent lights (CFL) in guestrooms at over 200 company-managed hotels across the Americas. This is the first of several new environmental programs, both global and regional, that the company is scheduled to introduce throughout 2007. According to Energy Star, a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, a CFL’s...

NATIONAL REPORT—If you are looking to reduce water consumption in your kitchen and still have not implemented pre-rinse spray valves that conform to the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005), now is the time to do so. Thanks to EPAct 2005, all spray valves sold today must have a flow rate of not more than 1.6 gallons per minute (gpm) at 60 pounds per square inch (psi). According to Phil Germinario, director of marketing, sales and customer service for Niagara Conservation, Cedar Knolls, N.J., there was a time when these valves used 3 to 6 gpm. “If you switch from...

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA.—Walt Disney World Resort senior vice president for operations Erin Wallace announced that all Disney owned and operated hotels at the Walt Disney World Resort will become smoke free by June 1, 2007. The policy also applies to all Disney Vacation Club Resorts. With more than 20 Disney owned and operated resorts, this represents the largest single site resort complex to institute this type of smoking policy change. “We make adjustments to our operations based on guest demand,” Wallace says. “This policy complements our efforts to provide our guests with the healthy living options they...

BUFFALO, N.Y.—Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts recently accepted the IMEX Green Meetings Award for its efforts in environmental responsibility and stewardship. Through its commitment to GreenPath, a nationally renowned system of environmental management, Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts received the Silver IMEX Green Meetings Award for hosting a green meeting for the Sierra Business Council (SBC) conference at Curry Village and Yosemite Lodge at the Falls in Yosemite National Park. The conference, held in November 2006, featured many green initiatives and used many environmentally friendly products. Measurable achievements at the SBC conference included 50 percent...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is erecting a new milestone in the march toward a greener government. Now the agency plans to turn its meetings green. EPA is changing its acquisition rules to give preference to facilities that consume less and manage their resources in environmentally positive ways. The rule change was effective May 1. For the first time, EPA will consider environmental achievement along with such factors as price and past performance when buying meeting and conference space. The new regulation is a step toward giving priority to hotels and conference centers that demonstrate green progress....

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has announced that projects seeking certification under the LEED Green Building Rating System can now earn “Innovation in Design” points by using the Cradle to Cradle (C2C) program for certified building products, as well as products certified by other established systems. C2C assesses products on a number of criteria, such as the use of safe and healthy materials; design for material reuse and recycling; efficient use of energy and water throughout production; and instituting strategies for social responsibility. The C2C design paradigm was developed by William McDonough and Dr. Michael Braungart,...

SILVER SPRING, MD.—Choice Hotels International announced that its first Cambria Suites hotel has opened in Boise, Idaho. Like all future Cambria Suites properties, it will be 100 percent nonsmoking. Cambria Suites hotels are designed for guests who want to take their lifestyle with them when traveling, and hotels feature a stylish design that is more intimate than traditional hotel décor, with guest suites that are 25 percent larger than standard hotel rooms. The 119-suite Cambria Suites Boise Airport hotel is owned and operated by The Summit Group Inc., a hotel developer focused on developing, managing, and owning mid-market...

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF.—In celebration of National Arbor Day, Friday, April 27, Doubletree Hotels has launched a month-long “Pledge to Plant Challenge” by encouraging America to help plant 50,000 seedling trees. The initiative is an extension of the brand’s environmental education and preservation efforts. Together with The National Arbor Day Foundation, the hotelier is challenging Americans to “think trees” in an active effort to re-green America and reinforce the importance of trees in our everyday lives. By visiting www.doubletree.com/thinktrees between now and May 31, those making a personal pledge to plant may receive two of their very own seedling...