LAGRANGE, GA.—It was more than 20 years ago that Interface, the maker of carpet tile, set a very ambitious goal: to have no negative impact on the planet by the year 2020. It called its decades-long project “Mission Zero.” With less than three years to go until 2020, Green Lodging News spoke with Interface’s Mikhail Davis to learn how close the company is to reaching its goal. Davis, based in San Francisco, is Director of Restorative Enterprise and a Certified Biomimicry Specialist. Davis says two of Interface’s key metrics are energy use per unit of production and how much of...

PARIS—Sustainable procurement programs are more integral and widespread than ever before, but face a critical juncture as they scale to reach the next level of maturity, according to the results of the new EcoVadis/HEC Sustainable Procurement Barometer. “Sustainable procurement is no longer a nice-to-have—it’s an integral business function responsible for protecting and improving brand reputation, driving revenue and mitigating business risk,” said Pierre-François Thaler, co-CEO of EcoVadis, the leading platform for environmental, social and ethical performance ratings for global supply chains. “In order to scale up, the mature programs are investing in embedding sustainability into processes across their procurement organizations....

SYOSSET, N.Y.—Emerald Brand and WNW Hospitality Management have announced a partnership which offers WNW hotel properties nationwide a unique competitive advantage by converting to Emerald’s full sustainability program. WNW Hospitality Management is a hotel management company. “We specialize in strategically positioning hotels in local markets, while also creating product differentiation, to gain a significant competitive advantage,” says Marc Soblick of WNW Management. “Emerald’s unique sustainable disposable and cleaning solutions will be the perfect addition to further differentiate WNW hotels from their national competitors.” Emerald Brand specializes in providing innovative sustainable solutions at cost neutral or better, while measuring meaningful environmental savings...

Green Lodging News recently featured Pranav Jampani, Director of Sustainability, Las Vegas Sands Corp., in its Personnel Profile section. During my conversation with Pranav, he said the following, “On a daily basis, we proactively try to reduce our environmental impact. Our goal is to align with science-based targets.” In an article posted on Green Lodging News last August, Caesars Entertainment Corp. was also mentioned as committing to science-based carbon reduction goals. What exactly does science-based mean? According to the Science Based Targets website, targets adopted by companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are considered “science-based” if they are in...

ATLANTA—UPS announced plans to significantly escalate its investment in solar energy as an owner/operator of solar assets starting with at least eight of its facilities in the United States. The installations will be completed by the end of 2017. The estimated $18 million investment will provide a nearly five-fold increase in the amount of power generated from solar at UPS facilities today. With more than 2,580 UPS facilities worldwide, UPS is ideally positioned to expand its investment in renewable energy. UPS expects additional solar deployments to occur over the next several years as it identifies suitable opportunities. The completion of these...

LAS VEGAS—The company’s commitment to providing women-owned businesses with opportunities for economic participation and growth is among the reasons MGM Resorts International was named one of America’s Top Corporations for Women’s Business Enterprises in 2016. The honor comes from Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), a national leader in women’s business development and certification. The annual “Top Corporations” list is the leading national award program honoring corporations for supplier diversity initiatives that reduce barriers and drive growth for women-owned businesses. “Earning this recognition is a great honor for our company,” said Phyllis A. James, Chief Diversity and Corporate Responsibility Officer for...

BERLIN—The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has declared 2017 the year of sustainable tourism. The focus is on the economic, ecological and social objectives pursued by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. For many years, ITB Berlin, through numerous initiatives, has campaigned for greater social equality, protecting the environment and human rights. It makes use of its key role to promote a dialogue with companies in an effort to provide economically, socially and ecologically responsible tourism products and services. In this context, the ITB CSR Day at the ITB Berlin Convention is a driving force. On March 10, leading...

LAAMU, MALDIVES—Six Senses Laamu is surrounded by the infinite blue waters of the Indian Ocean and every day the resort is committed to making the operation more sustainable while simultaneously raising awareness, to guests and hosts alike, about the importance of marine conservation. Staying true to the commitment of protecting the marine life of the Laamu Atoll, Marine Biologists Jenni Choma and Oscar Ignetik have started new projects on turtle identification and coral health and recovery. In July 2016, Jenni and Oscar began identifying the Laamu turtle population. A mere six months later, the database currently stands at 138 unique...

SAN IGNACIO, BELIZE—The United Nations’ designation of 2017 as the “International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development” can have far reaching positive effects on Belize and global tourism, especially if the industry and travelers embrace the tenets of responsible travel, according to The Lodge at Chaa Creek. Lucy Fleming, who with her husband Mick started Chaa Creek as one of Belize’s first eco-resorts in 1981, said the importance of the UN designation cannot be overemphasized, as sustainable tourism will continue to effect so many people around the world. And, the little country of Belize is a prime example of the success...

PARSIPPANY, N.J.—The Wyndham Worldwide 2015-2016 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report reflects the company’s holistic integration of CSR into its business and how CSR continues to be an important driver of its success. Within the last year, the company began tracking progress to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals framework; achieved 22 percent reduction in carbon emissions and 18 percent reduction in water consumption; relaunched the Wyndham Worldwide Charitable Foundation and philanthropy programs to improve future generations around the world; and continued its commitment to diversity with a 16.2 percent diverse spend rate. For the fourth year in a row, Wyndham...