LONDON—The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and faculty and scientists of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health released two vital case studies on Sustainability Leadership by The Travel Corporation (TTC) and Intrepid Travel. WTTC and Harvard researchers aim to support and highlight Travel & Tourism companies leading the way, as they work to build the business case for sustainability in the sector. This collaboration has encouraged the sharing of best practices and has supported sustainability as a core strategic priority to ensure the viability of the sector and the co-creation of thriving sustainable societies. WTTC and Harvard T.H. Chan...

SOLON, OHIO—Tarkett, a worldwide leader in innovative and sustainable flooring and sports surface solutions, has released its 2020 Corporate Social & Environmental Responsibility (CSR) report. Fully audited by an independent third-party organization, KPMG, this report showcases the company’s ongoing sustainability performance. “In the last ten years, we have achieved strong progress in sustainability. In many cases we have exceeded our 2020 objectives, developing circular economy initiatives, reducing our carbon footprint and eco-designing our products with healthy materials,” says CEO Fabrice Barthélemy. “Opening a second chapter in its sustainability strategy, Tarkett is leading the way in its industry. As part of our ‘Change...

Transitioning America’s buildings away from burning fossil fuels for heating and water heating, toward equipment powered by increasingly clean electricity is key to meeting the nation’s climate goals, including President Biden’s commitment to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Innovative energy code language, developed by the New Buildings Institute in partnership with NRDC and released recently, will provide a template to help get cities and states on track to reduce energy use as well as carbon emissions in new buildings. Buildings are responsible for around 40 percent of all carbon emissions in the United States, so addressing their efficiency and emissions...

CHEVY CHASE, MD.—One of the fastest growing hotel management companies in the United States—PM Hotel Group—also happens to be one of the ones most committed to corporate responsibility. The Chevy Chase, Md.-based company has its own Director of Sustainability + Facilities (Christie Berlin), manages four LEED hotels, including one LEED Platinum (Home2 Suites by Hilton Silver Spring, Md.) and purchases 100 percent green energy. “We started 10 years ago with 11 hotels,” Berlin says. “We now manage 51 and are working on three development projects at the moment.” “This company has always been committed to corporate responsibility,” Berlin adds. “It definitely...

INTERNATIONAL REPORT—As the world emerges from the pandemic, there is an increasing amount of buzz about sustainability, particularly the climate crisis. Governments around the world are setting ambitious decarbonization targets in advance of the COP26 event in the United Kingdome in December. Investors are putting increasing pressure on companies to measure and disclose their sustainability impacts, and consumers are showing more propensity towards sustainable products. What does this mean for the hospitality industry? While many companies have robust and well-established sustainability programs, and the carbon intensity of the global hotel sector has decreased by 10 percent since 2015, the pandemic has added pressure in areas such as...

PARIS—Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its award-winning Fairmont Sustainability Partnership, now part of Accor’s Planet21 program. In continuing to set the industry standard in sustainable practices, Fairmont along with Accor has announced the goal to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. A commitment has also been made to eliminate any remaining single-use plastics in guestrooms, meeting areas, and restaurants across all hotels by the end of 2022. “Thirty years ago, our forward-thinking team literally wrote the book on environmental sustainability in the hospitality industry with the very first edition of our famed Green Partnership Guides,”...

OFFENBURG, GERMANY—Meiko Green recently received the sustainability award from British media outfit Footprint for its expertise in warewashing and systems technology for kitchen and other food waste. Footprint is an influential voice in the sustainability debate within the British food service sector, so the award is an indicator of industry opinion. Paul Anderson, Managing Director of Meiko UK and responsible for Meiko Green in the United Kingdom, accepted the award in a digital ceremony. The Footprint Awards have been used to reward responsible business practices, innovative entrepreneurship and sustainability for 10 years including late March when 1,200 participants from all...

FRANKFURT AM MAIN—Deutsche Hospitality is putting sustainability at the very heart of its global corporate approach. The group has completely redrawn its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Strategy to emphasize that a strong commitment to the environment and to society will now form the foundation of all business activities. “We need to make decisions which are not detrimental to the environment or to future generations. This should be self-evident to us,” stated Marcus Bernhardt, CEO of Deutsche Hospitality. “Hoteliers are an active part of a society looking to create enduring and sustainable values. For us, Corporate Social Responsibility means taking...

World Oceans Day is an international day that takes place annually on June 8. The concept was originally proposed in 1992. No matter where your hotel happens to be—even in Death Valley—consider the plight of the oceans on June 8. According to Conservation International, each year by weight, three times more trash is dumped into the ocean than fish caught, a third of the world’s wild fisheries are overexploited or depleted, and in the past 40 years, populations of marine species have been cut in half. (Perhaps you should plan an event to raise awareness about the ocean’s plight...

MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA—Sandals Resorts International, the Caribbean’s leading hospitality company, honored its longstanding commitment to environmental and marine conservation this past Earth Day by celebrating the work of its philanthropic arm, the not-for-profit Sandals Foundation that highlights the intractable relationship between the visitor and the visited. Among the key initiatives this year is an intensified mission of planting 10,000 fruit, timber, and mangrove trees to protect terrestrial and coastal zones across the Caribbean. According to SRI Executive Chairman Adam Stewart, an expert on the connections between tourism and its impact on local economies, the success of tourism and the livelihoods of Caribbean people are inextricably linked to...