ATLANTA—ASHRAE recently formed a task force to address climate change through responsible decarbonization strategies for the built environment. The ASHRAE Task Force for Building Decarbonization (TFBD) has been established to develop technical resources and provide leadership and guidance in mitigating the negative carbon impact of buildings on the environment and the inhabitants of our planet. “In a similar vein to how ASHRAE took the lead in responding to the energy crisis of the 1970s era and defined the energy efficiency journey, ASHRAE has much to offer with respect to paths for responsible decarbonization strategies,” said 2020-21 ASHRAE President Charles E. Gulledge...

ATLANTA—People are more mindful than ever about traveling consciously following the COVID-19 pandemic, reveals a new global survey by IHG Hotels & Resorts. The commissioned research is part of IHG’s launch of “Journey to Tomorrow”: a 10-year action plan comprising a series of far-reaching new commitments to make a positive difference in communities around the world and help shape the future of responsible travel. More than half of the 9,000 adults surveyed across the United States, United Kingdom, China, the UAE, Germany and Australia—with almost two thirds in the United States—agree 2020 and COVID-19 has made them more socially and environmentally conscious about...

LONDON—Expedia Group, the global travel platform and Accor, a world leading hospitality group, in conjunction with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), are joining forces to further extend the UNESCO Sustainable Tourism Pledge (hereinafter also “The Pledge”). This strategic tripartite agreement will see 3,358 global Accor hotels join to promote environmental sustainability and sustainable tourism worldwide. The UNESCO Sustainable Tourism Pledge promotes responsible practices, community resilience and heritage conservation, with the goal of changing the nature and impact of global tourism. Under The Pledge, parties commit to supporting the reduction and elimination of single-use plastics and promoting local economy...

MEMPHIS, TENN.—FedEx Corp., home of the world’s largest cargo airline, recently announced an ambitious goal to achieve carbon–neutral operations globally by 2040. To help reach this goal, FedEx is designating more than $2 billion of initial investment in three key areas: vehicle electrification, sustainable energy, and carbon sequestration. This includes a pledge of $100 million to Yale University to help establish the Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture, accelerating research into methods of carbon sequestration at scale, with an initial focus on helping to offset greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to current airline emissions. “We have a responsibility to take bold action in addressing climate challenges,” said Frederick W. Smith, Chairman and CEO, FedEx Corp. “This goal builds on our longstanding commitment to sustainability throughout our operations,...

LANCASTER, PA.— According to Sustainable Composites LLC, 3.5 billion pounds of leather waste is burned or sent to landfills each year. “A pound of scrap is thrown away for every person in the world,” says Frank Fox, partner Sustainable Composites. Fox and his business partner Tom Tymon found that unacceptable and officially launched their company last year—after figuring out a way to turn leather scraps into a very affordable yet luxurious material called enspire leather. The “e” denotes the environmentally positive aspect of the product while recognizing the endless inspiration the product can deliver to designers, manufacturers, and consumers. Fox...

COLOGNE, GERMANY—HRS, a leading global corporate lodging platform, introduced a first-of-its-kind solution that gives corporations and employees a way to organize travel more sustainably. HRS’ Green Stay Initiative, in pilot this quarter, leverages proprietary technology to give procurement leaders and everyday business travelers an intuitive system to identify, compare and prioritize hotels that contribute to reducing the ecological footprint of the lodging portion of the typical business trip. HRS is assimilating data from thousands of hotel groups and independent properties as part of a groundbreaking framework, including details on energy consumption, water use, and waste disposal. Through the unprecedented normalization...

PALMA, SPAIN—Iberostar Hotels & Resorts is a hotel chain with more than 120 four- and five-star hotels, located in the most popular holiday destinations in Europe, Africa, and America. The Iberostar hotel portfolio offers customers beachfront hotels, city hotels and heritage hotels. In addition, there is the Grand category, the highest level of luxury and excellence. Iberostar’s Wave of Change movement is an initiative based on three complementary but different action lines: eliminating the consumption of single-use plastics, promoting responsible seafood consumption and the improvement of coastal health. Leading Iberostar’s work under the Wave of Change movement is Dr....

CORK, IRELAND—Johnson Controls, a global leader for smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, announced it has joined The Climate Pledge, a commitment co-founded by Amazon and Global Optimism. Signatories of the Pledge commit to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, ten years ahead of the goal set out in the United Nations’ Paris Climate Agreement. Johnson Controls is one of 53 organizations that have now signed the Pledge, and the move comes hot on the heels of the company’s announcement of new environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments, science-based targets, and its own net-zero carbon pledge. The pact will see Johnson...

ST. PAUL, MINN.—Ecolab Inc., a global leader in water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services, ranks third on Barron’s 2021 list of the Most Sustainable Companies in the U.S. The list ranks companies based on 230 performance indicators, including workplace diversity and greenhouse gas emissions, and how they performed for five key constituencies: shareholders, employees, customers, community and the planet. Ecolab has been named to Barron’s Most Sustainable Companies in the U.S. list every year since it was first released in 2018. “Sustainability is core to our purpose to make the world cleaner, safer and healthier,” said Ecolab CEO...

FAROE ISLANDS—For those of you not familiar with their location, the Faroe Islands are a North Atlantic archipelago located 200 miles north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway between Norway and Iceland. Like Greenland, it is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Last October, the 130-room Hilton Garden Inn Faroe Islands opened on the islands in Torshavn with a bundle of unique green features. Green Lodging News recently corresponded with Kate Mikesell, VP Corporate Responsibility, Hilton, and Martin Restorff, General Manager of the hotel, to learn about those green gems. For Kate Mikesell, VP Corporate Responsibility, Hilton: Q: Explain how...