SINGAPORE—Singapore is building a Super Low Energy (SLE) resort in the backyard of its National Singapore Zoo. This zone, called the Mandai Project, aims to support Singaporean flora and fauna and to eventually become a destination for nature lovers. WOW architects, in partnership with Banyan Tree Holdings Limited, is designing treehouses in the shapes of seeds. Perched above the canopy, 338 rooms will feature stunning rain forest vistas. What is Biophilic Design? How will this be made possible? By biophilic design of course. First coined by American biologist E.O. Wilson in 1984, biophilic stems from two roots: bio—relating to life, and philic—indicating appreciation for a specific thing. Biophilic...

AMSTERDAM—YOTEL has opened its doors in Amsterdam. Complete with an all-day dining concept, a stunning deck and a one of a kind outdoor cinema, the 202-cabin hotel offers a slick experience enhanced by clever use of technology and sustainable design at a surprisingly affordable price. The brand’s first hotel in mainland Europe, YOTEL Amsterdam is at the epicenter of the up-and-coming Buiksloterham neighborhood, built on the sunny bank of the Tolhuis Canal. Home to start-ups and creative businesses, the area is also brimming with hip bars, experimental festivals and modern architecture, making it an ideal base for modern travelers. Cabins—YOTEL speak...

LAS VEGAS—MGM Resorts International announced an evolved vision for social impact and sustainability including setting goals to bolster diversity and inclusion, donate millions of meals and continue offering scholarship and educational opportunities for employees and their families. Through a commitment to be “Focused on What Matters: Embracing Humanity and Protecting the Planet,” MGM Resorts is committing to creating a more sustainable future, while striving to make a bigger difference in the lives of its employees, guests and in the communities where the company operates. “As a company with a global presence and more than 80,000 employees worldwide, MGM Resorts recognizes...

ATLANTA—Interface announced Mission Zero success ahead of its original 2020 target. Over the past 25 years, the company drove significant improvements across all key sustainability metrics internally and throughout its supply chain to help meet its objectives. And, Interface galvanized others along the way to implement more sustainable business practices. This created a positive ripple effect that helped the company not only achieve but also extend Mission Zero far beyond its original intentions. Interface’s direction and influence has helped countless others reduce their environmental footprint and work toward net zero impact within their own organizations. Based on 25 years of...

THUWAL, KAUST, SAUDI ARABIA—King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) signed an historic Memorandum of Understanding on the University’s Thuwal campus. The MoU seeks to establish a long-term collaborative framework from which both parties can work towards delivering environmentally sustainable coastal development projects outlined by The Red Sea Project (TRSP). “This collaboration will be a leading example of how best science, technology and fit-for-purpose research, can serve environmentally sustainable coastal development projects, not only in Saudi Arabia, but around the world,” said Tony Chan, President of KAUST. “Our strengths as an institution align...

TORONTO—When we look at dolphins they may appear to be smiling, but nothing could be further from the truth. A new global report from World Animal Protection, Behind the Smile, shows the massive scale and profitability of the multibillion-dollar, dolphin entertainment industry which causes immense animal suffering. This is likely unknown to many Canadian tourists who visit sun destinations like Florida, Mexico and the Caribbean. Some 64 percent of Canadians polled have gone on holiday to a destination where dolphin tourism was offered. Public display facilities confining marine mammals such as dolphins, are not essential conservation or education resources. The animals...

HOUSTON—Waste Management released its 2019 Sustainability Report providing updated data to supplement the company’s full 2018 report titled “Change for the Better.” The report highlights progress on the company’s 2038 sustainability goals, key performance indicators, recycling and recent awards. “Waste Management prepared its first ‘Environmental Report’ in 1992, well before we used the term ‘sustainability,’ and before we regularly reported on environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles,” said Jim Fish, President and CEO of Waste Management. “Little did we know where this journey would take us. As champions for sustainability, we remain focused on our commitment to our planet and...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) announced that Booking.com, one of the world’s leading digital travel platforms, has officially joined as a member of GSTC’s global network. Representing a wide range of tourism stakeholders, GSTC members are active drivers for sustainability in travel and tourism and contribute to the important work of the GSTC in promoting the widespread adoption of universal sustainable tourism principles. Helping protect and preserve destinations around the globe so that travelers can continue to enjoy them for generations to come has been a priority for Booking.com for several years and is one of the key...

BELLEVUE, WASH.—For decades, the average consumer has been contemplating the maze of headlines, claims, jargon, certifications and corporate and public interest platforms that make up the complex world of sustainability. In 2009, when The Hartman Group published its Sustainability: The Rise of Consumer Responsibility report, America’s consumers were reeling from the weight of a catastrophic economic recession. Some of the only bright lights in the otherwise gloomy economic realities of the time lie in those topics that intersect with sustainability (two examples common to both consumers and industry alike, being “saving energy” and another, “hope for a better world”). The...

CINCINNATI—The Procter & Gamble Co. announced that it reached its 2020 goal of purchasing 100 percent renewable electricity in the United States and Canada. The company exceeded its original goal by extending the purchase of 100 percent renewable electricity to Western Europe. These three markets are among its largest and represent over 70 percent of P&G’s purchased electricity. This commitment was achieved ahead of schedule and signifies a strong start to reaching P&G’s goal of purchasing 100 percent renewable electricity globally by 2030. P&G’s largest individual contributors to its renewable energy production are its wind farm in Tyler Bluff, Texas,...