Green Lodging News this week reported on the opening of Limelight Boulder, a new lifestyle hotel by Aspen One located on the University of Colorado—Boulder’s campus. Built to LEED Gold standards, Limelight Boulder is the largest all-electric hotel in the country. Through energy-efficient systems and the utilization of environmentally responsible materials, the design lowers energy use and minimizes environmental impacts. Early in the design process, WATG coordinated with project stakeholders to remove soil contaminants from the former brownfield site, advancing ecological restoration efforts. In addition, the team carefully designed around a century-old underground spring to preserve its natural flow...

ODESSA, FLA.—Green Lodging News has added Verdafero to the Software/Utility Analytics for ESG Reports category of its Green Product & Service Directory. Verdafero InSights is a cloud-based software service for both hotels and suppliers that offers dynamic data analytics across key indicators to provide an analysis of utility usage and operations by analyzing energy and water consumption, occupancy, weather, company operations and other resource utilization patterns to make better informed decisions on operating costs and environmental initiatives. Verdafero InSights provides in-depth reporting of your greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) for internal and external environmental reporting, serving as a comprehensive view of a company’s...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Travel + Leisure Co., a leading leisure travel company providing more than six million vacations to travelers around the world every year, shared its 2024 Corporate Responsibility Report. The annual report outlines the company’s progress in advancing responsible tourism and embedding sustainable and ethical business practices across its global operations. With a mission to put the world on vacation, Travel + Leisure Co. extends its impact beyond travel through a commitment to responsible tourism and integrates these principles into its core business operations. Travel + Leisure Co. 2024 Corporate Responsibility Report highlights include: Environmental More than 200 million gallons of water...

LONDON—The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), in partnership with Omran, unveiled its Environmental & Social Research (ESR) 2025, showing that while the sector has surpassed its pre-pandemic economic peak, its carbon footprint remains below 2019 levels, and its positive social impact continues to grow. According to the global tourism body, Travel & Tourism’s global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2024 have fallen by 9.3 percent since 2019, when Travel & Tourism was at its peak, and now accounts for a 7.3 percent share of total global GHG emissions, down from an 8.3 percent share in in 2019. While the sector’s environmental...

SOLON, OHIO—Tarkett, a world leader in innovative and sustainable flooring solutions, has introduced 12 accent colors to its VCT II collection. The new colors—spanning all shades of the rainbow—allow for playful creativity in schools and retail settings. “VCT II has been a long-trusted solution for its merging of great design and outstanding value,” said Jason McKee, Senior Director, Commercial Resilient. “With the addition of these new colors, customers can enjoy the same durability and reliability they’ve counted on for years, while also unlocking new ways to elevate their everyday spaces.” The new colors are: Limoncello, Golden Maize, Orange Tango, Red Rose, Bold...

SAN FRANCISCO—Verdafero, a leader in environmental reporting, plans to offer deeper analytics, covered emissions tracking for hospitality customers, and other analytical reporting for hospitality customers. The new features are a direct response to industry climate accountability pressures. Emissions reporting with emissions analytics is a needed compliance tool for hospitality’s climate engine. Verdafero’s enhancements in analytics and emissions reporting ensure hospitality will respond to the new climate of infrastructure regulations. With the provision of the expanded emissions reporting service, Verdafero is the first company to give hospitality operators the ability to monitor and quantify their emissions in a unified platform...

NATIONAL REPORT—Cold-storage rooms may look like simple metal boxes, but their performance is governed by what lies between the inner and outer walls. Insulation determines how efficient the refrigeration is, how much energy is consumed, how long it resists moisture and corrosion, and, ultimately, how reliably it protects food or pharmaceuticals. As energy codes tighten and operating margins shrink, cold storage manufacturers are rethinking everything from the materials they use to the systems that shape them. The industry is moving toward three central priorities: higher performing insulation, precision driven automation, and more sustainable manufacturing practices. Why Traditional Foam Falls Short For...

ATLANTA—The 2025 ASHRAE Building Decarbonization Conference, set for October 22 to 24, 2025, in Chicago, will be the gathering place for professionals to determine how to accelerate building decarbonization strategies. “Decarbonization is not just about technology. It’s about rethinking how we design, operate, and value our buildings,” said 2025-26 ASHRAE President Bill McQuade, P.E., CDP, Fellow ASHRAE, LEED AP. “This conference is about equipping building professionals with the strategies, partnerships and tools needed to make measurable progress. This is the ‘must-attend’ conference for professionals in the business of designing, constructing or operating buildings.” The two-and-a-half-day program will feature 21 seminars, 14 panels,...

HELSINKI—For the second year in a row, Helsinki has been ranked first in the Global Destination Sustainability (GDS) Index. The international Global Destination Sustainability (GDS) Index measures the sustainability of tourist destinations in four different categories based on more than 70 indicators. Over a hundred cities around the world committed to sustainability are included in the comparison. This is the second consecutive year that Helsinki has topped the ranking. “Helsinki is investing in sustainable growth in tourism. Our aim is to make Helsinki a welcoming destination for a steadily rising number of travelers. Being the world’s most sustainable tourist destination for the...

Name: Natily Santos Title: Vice President, Responsible Sourcing Company: Aramark + Avendra International Years in Current Position: Five years, 11 months Primary Responsibilities: As Vice President of Responsible Sourcing at Aramark + Avendra International, she drives sustainable procurement and inclusive sourcing initiatives that have contributed to advancing sustainable practices for operators and clients, as well as generated over $1 billion in economic impact through Aramark partnerships with small and underrepresented suppliers. Company’s most significant accomplishment in sustainability: “There’s no single initiative; we continue to expand and track progress across all programs annually, while identifying new opportunities for improvement. This year, we’ve prioritized growing the Avendra...