NEW ORLEANS—The world’s largest sustainable building conference, The Greenbuild Conference and Expo, featuring the first “net zero” exhibit space, was held in New Orleans, October 22 to 24, with 23,000 attendees and 600 exhibitors.The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center helped Greenbuild set up the first “net zero” exhibit space by utilizing the building’s balcony as the location for solar generated panels that powered an on-site microgrid, generating power to the exhibit booths. The Net Zero Zone showcased how booths in the exhibit hall can unplug from the utility grid and operate totally on power generated by solar...

NEW YORK—Turks & Caicos has deepened its commitment to advancing renewable energy by joining the Carbon War Room’s Ten Island Challenge. The Premier of Turks and Caicos, The Honorable Doctor Rufus Ewing, and Carbon War Room’s Operations Director, Justin Locke, signed a Memorandum of Understanding, committing to work together to reduce the island’s dependence on fossil fuels through increased renewable energy production and improved energy efficiency.The Ten Island Challenge provides the Government of TCI the opportunity and platform to define and realize its own vision of a clean economy. In order to achieve this vision, the Carbon War Room,...

PORTLAND, ORE.—Provenance Hotels, with six locations in Washington and Oregon, is raising the bar on sustainable travel by partnering with the experts in car sharing services and electric vehicle technology—Zipcar and Tesla Motors—to make it even easier and more affordable for guests to use alternative transportation when visiting the eco-conscious cities of Portland, Seattle and Tacoma.Provenance Hotels’ art-filled hotels are conveniently located downtown within steps of each city’s light rail routes, making them the perfect getaways for those who want to go car free. When guests who are Zipcar members need or want to venture further, Zipcar, the world’s...

NEW YORK—The Waldorf Astoria, New York Hilton Midtown, and Carlton hotels have been honored for their environmentally friendly initiatives as recipients of the first ever Sustainability Awards, presented yesterday by the Hotel Association of New York City (HANYC) at the International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show held at the Javits Center.The Hotel Association of NYC’s Sustainability Committee offered awards in three categories: Environmental Protection, awarded to the New York Hilton Midtown for its comprehensive green building efficiency program; Social Responsibility, awarded to the Carlton for its engagement with the community; and Holistic Strategy for Sustainable Hospitality, awarded to the...

ST. PAUL, MINN.—Water scarcity is impacting the vitality of communities around the world. For businesses, it is a significant constraint to growth. The Water Risk Monetizer is a financial modeling tool that enables businesses to factor water into decisions that support business growth and help ensure the availability of this limited natural resource for future generations. The Water Risk Monetizer provides actionable information to help businesses understand the impact of water scarcity to their operations and quantify those risks in financial terms.The Water Risk Monetizer was developed by Ecolab Inc., a global leader in water technologies and services, and...

NEW YORK—The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) New York Metro’s Chapter honored GROHE, a leading manufacturer of premium kitchen and bath fixtures, in its first annual design awards. Announced last month, the awards recognize outstanding design, creativity, commitment and service within the industry. GROHE was honored with three awards: the Sustainability Award, Industry Partner Award and the Creative Invention Award for GROHE Blue Chilled & Sparkling.“We’re honored to be recognized by ASID,” said Cheryl Dixon, Head of Brand and Trade Marketing for GROHE America. “Receiving recognition from esteemed interior designers and the New York design community is especially...

CHALFONT, PA.—DEKRA Certification, Inc. announced that it has certified Hilton Worldwide, Inc.’s energy management system to the ISO 50001 standard. This newest ISO 50001 certification complements Hilton Worldwide’s other global system-wide ISO certifications—ISO 9001 Quality Management and 14001 Environmental Management—which DEKRA Certification issued in 2011 and recertified in 2014. With these three ISO certifications, Hilton Worldwide is one of the first multi-national organizations to certify its entire system globally—more than 4,200 properties in 93 countries—achieving one of the largest ever volume certifications of commercial buildings.  Hilton Worldwide achieved the ISO 50001 certification following a comprehensive upgrade to its LightStay...

CHICAGO—Marriott International has honored Cintas Corporation with its 2014 Supplier Sustainability Award. The annual award recognizes the Marriott supplier that has made a significant impact on its guests and properties through innovative ideas that help Marriott meet its environmental goals.“We’ve established aggressive sustainability goals, so we need suppliers that can partner with us to achieve those targets,” said Denise Naguib, Vice President of Sustainability and Supplier Diversity, Marriott International. “From helping us reduce water and energy consumption to diverting landfill waste with innovative apparel programs, Cintas has been a true partner in assisting us with reducing our environmental footprint.”Marriott...

NASSAU, THE BAHAMAS—The marine environment at Baha Mar continues to flourish, with the introduction of more than 300 coral antlers to the $3.5 billion resort’s eco-reef experience.The eco-friendly coral antlers were installed in July, adding to the artificial eco-reef experience at Baha Mar. Before the antlers were installed, volunteers from Baha Mar assembled each 55 pound antler by hand.The installation of 48 reef balls and 320 coral antlers began in April 2014 by Baha Mar’s environmental team. The reef balls and coral antlers were designed to complement each other by creating optimal conditions for coral and marine life just...

DENVER—Xanterra Parks & Resorts has received a Lodging Sustainability Award. The award was announced at the Lodging Magazine Green + Sustainability Conference + Expo in Las Vegas. A global hospitality company known for its environmental innovations in national and state parks, resorts and other destinations, Xanterra has been long recognized as a visionary in environmental innovation and for its commitment to a softer footprint in those natural places.Sponsored by Lodging magazine, the Lodging Sustainability Awards “recognize the contribution of individuals, groups and corporate entities who exemplify the meaning of sustainability in the hotel industry,” Lodging magazine says. “The winners...