PORTLAND, ORE.—MeetGreen is launching the MeetGreen Calculator 2.0 for Sustainable Events updated to align with today’s standards, track green meeting initiatives and provide state-of-the-art reporting with a newly-designed user-friendly interface. The MeetGreen Calculator 2.0 is a comprehensive tool designed to measure sustainable event management practices by assessing the environmental impact of conference activities in 14 key areas allowing event organizers to benchmark their achievements and compare against other events. Here are just a few of the upgrades: We Meet You Where You Are, Introducing Two Options: We believe everyone should be able to measure the green practices of an event and you...

MACAO—Sands China Ltd. used the month of March to shine an additional spotlight on environmental sustainability, focusing the attention of the public and its team members on two events addressing the ever-important topic of climate change—Earth Hour and an in-house Climate Week. On Saturday, March 25, the company participated in Earth Hour for the 9th consecutive year, turning off lights at all its properties. Beginning at 8:30 p.m., exterior lights and non-essential indoor lights were turned off for one hour at Sands Macao; The Venetian Macao; The Plaza Macao featuring Four Seasons; Sands Cotai Central featuring St. Regis, Conrad, Sheraton,...

NATIONAL REPORT—In the United States, sales of electric vehicles soared in 2016, showing a 70 percent year-over-year increase in monthly sales. For consumers, the choice is bigger than ever; by the end of 2016, automakers were offering about 30 electric models to choose from, such as the Tesla Model S, Chevy Volt, and Nissan Leaf. And even more are on the way, with Ford’s plans to create 13 EV models by 2020, Mercedes saying it will produce 10 by 2025, and Volkswagen, which is at work on 30 different models. What’s more, EV batteries are becoming cheaper and longer-lasting, which...

MINNEAPOLIS—On March 25, more than 350 Carlson Rezidor Hotels from Fiji to Brussels to Chicago participated in the annual worldwide Earth Hour, a worldwide movement encouraging individuals, communities, households and businesses across the globe to turn off non-essential lights for an hour to raise awareness of the need to act on climate change. The Radisson Blu, Radisson, Park Inn by Radisson, Country Inns & Suites and Park Plaza hotels practice Earth Hour—an environmental initiative supported by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)—as an opportunity to engage with guests, employees and business partners to encourage energy savings by organizing several engaging activities...

As published on Green Lodging News, The Rezidor Hotel Group just published its Responsible Business Report 2016. For those of you not familiar with the company, Rezidor’s current core brands include Radisson Blu—the largest upper upscale brand in Europe—and Park Inn by Radisson. Radisson RED is another Rezidor brand. The report, 61 pages long, describes the most important corporate responsibility and sustainability aspects of the company’s operations. Last year was a good one for the company with it being named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the eighth straight year by Ethisphere. The Rezidor Hotel Group also...

NATIONAL REPORT—Wood is a beautiful, industrious material. The logging industry has long been seen as an enemy of the environment. There is perhaps no other more iconic symbol of the green movement than a tree, so people naturally have a bad image of anything associated with destroying trees. While this characterization was largely accurate a century ago, the logging industry has changed. People involved in the industry are finding that their profits can be larger and more sustainable if they operate more like a farm than like a gold mine. That is, they can manage their operations in such a...

WHISTLER, B.C.—The United Nations declared 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, and Fairmont Chateau Whistler has followed suit this spring by introducing a new sustainability initiative. Working in collaboration with ‘Clean the World Canada since the start of the year, Fairmont Chateau Whistler is now diverting discarded soap and amenity bottled products from landfill and is now recycling and repurposing these materials. The repurposed product is being distributed to Canadians in need at local food banks and homeless shelters where the requirement of hygiene products is critical. Since inauguration of the program, the Fairmont Chateau Whistler...

BETHESDA, MD.—Marriott International has been named one of the 2017 NAFE Top Companies for Executive Women by the National Association for Female Executives (NAFE). NAFE recognizes American corporations where women have significant clout to make the decisions that affect their company’s future and its bottom line. The NAFE top 60 companies are featured in the February/March issue of Working Mother magazine. “The NAFE Top 60 Companies for Executive Women are the leaders in the U.S. that have moved women into top executive positions and created a culture where talented women are nurtured, promoted and thrive,” says Betty Spence, President of NAFE. “We...

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM—Green leader and hotel chain The Rezidor Hotel Group has published its Responsible Business Report. Included since 2010 in Ethisphere’s World’s Most Ethical Companies List, Rezidor is committed to being an innovative and responsible hotel company with leading sustainable hotel brands such as Radisson Blu and Park Inn by Radisson. Last year marked an important year globally with the ratification of the COP21 agreement in November and as the first year of implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals which are mobilizing businesses, industries and countries. The year marked an inspiring year for Responsible Business at Rezidor with successes...

Sustainability, like any major change initiative, is dependent on executive sponsorship, but the focus on top leadership buy-in can be skewed. Executive sponsorship is no doubt vital; projects without it have lackluster results and high resentment. So much time is invested wooing executives, but initiatives become watered down by the time they reach managers and frontline employees. This is where it becomes the “because I said so” methodology of change. Note that “I” may be replaced with the name that carries weight or power. If Steve is the CEO, then the mantra might become something like “well, Steve said this...