HONOLULU, HAWAII—Among the landmark decisions emerging earlier this month from the 2016 International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress is a bold decision to improve standards for ecotourism worldwide. Motion 65, “Improving standards in ecotourism”, proposed by the Yale Tropical Resources Institute in collaboration with The International Ecotourism Society, Nature Seychelles, the African Wildlife Foundation, the WILD Foundation, The Wilderness Society Australia, National Parks Australia Council, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, and the Moroccan Association for Ecotourism and Nature Protection, urges IUCN to renew their definition of ecotourism and address the barriers to its effectiveness as...

PORTLAND, MAINE—For the eighth year in a row, Designtex’s Surface Imaging facility in Portland, Maine, has achieved recertification to the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership’s recognized program for sustainability in the print industry. The SGP program was established to provide third party verification of sustainability efforts and reduced environmental impact in the printing industry. The recertification was awarded after Designtex’s Portland, Maine Imaging facility was audited for its compliance to the SGP Criteria, which includes illustrating how Designtex achieved continuous improvements in energy and transportation efficiency, indoor air quality, waste reduction, and the selection of more sustainable materials. The stated goal...

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND—MCI, a key driver of innovation in global meetings, events, association and congress industries has launched its 2015 Sustainability Report: Harnessing the Power of Community. The seventh sustainability report to date, Harnessing the Power of Community reports on MCI’s annual progress according to the U.N. Global Compact principles and follows the Global Reporting Initiative’s G4 Framework to improve the structure, completeness and comparability of its reports. “Looking to 2016—and beyond—it is clear that corporations have a responsibility to deliver the most responsible products, and we play a key role in changing behaviors and enabling more sustainable commerce,” said Sebastien...

PARSIPPANY, N.J.—Wyndham Worldwide commemorated five years of sustainability leadership with a milestone tree planting ceremony through its partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation, the largest environmental nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees. In an outdoor ceremony including Wyndham Worldwide executives and partners from the Arbor Day Foundation, the company celebrated the fulfillment of its goal to plant one million trees and reinforced the commitment to reducing its environmental footprint by 25 percent by the year 2025. “At Wyndham Worldwide, we work every day to minimize the environmental impact of doing business,” said Faith Taylor, Senior Vice President, Corporate Social...

EDENTON, N.C.—Naturepedic, manufacturing organic mattresses in Ohio, has been awarded Gold Exemplary Recognition by the Sustainable Furnishings Council for its deep environmental commitment and exemplary implementation of a range of best practices for sustainability. The company completed the rigorous process of demonstrating compliance with SFC’s Exemplary Manufacturer Requirements, submitting audited evidence of achievements in operations, in production, and in outreach to attain recognition at the Gold level. Naturepedic is the only Gold Exemplary mattress company among the organization’s nearly 400 member companies. Barry Cik, CEO, speaking for the company said, “The Sustainable Furnishing Council knows the importance of safe guarding...

NATIONAL REPORT—It is often said that trees are the lungs of the Earth. Unfortunately, since man started chopping trees down, the Earth has lost about half of its trees. Rainforests once covered about 14 percent of the planet; now they cover only 6 percent. If not protected, rainforests could be gone in 40 years. “We often forget that deforestation has been one of the major contributors to climate change,” says Jared Carlson, Director, Innovation & Business Development, the Arbor Day Foundation. As trees rot or are burned they release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Live, healthy trees consume carbon...

BRUSSELS—Radisson Blu announced its new partnership with the Soap for Hope program, which recycles used hotel soaps to create fresh bars for distribution in local communities with limited access to hygiene and sanitation. The Soap for Hope program works in partnership with Sealed Air, a leader in food safety and security, facility hygiene and product protection. Soap for Hope was pioneered by Sealed Air to save lives by giving free soap to communities with limited access to soap, to create local entrepreneurs and to help hotels reduce waste through recycling. Capitalizing on the success of projects in Georgia and in...

CINCINNATI—More than 100 thought leaders from the world of hospitality design, development, purchasing and architecture will share their perspectives at the Boutique Design New York (BDNY) trade fair and conference, November 13 to 14, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. “The Next Resort: Beyond Sustainability,” an Intel session presented by NEWH Green Voice, will explore design strategies for creating healthier hotel environments for staff and guests alike. Lorraine Francis, Regional Director of Hospitality Interiors, Gensler, will moderate; panelists include Paul Scialla, Founder, CEO, Delos, and others to be announced. World-renowned designer Karim Rashid, whose remake of Temptation Resort &...

NEW YORK—GFL Skincare’s The Rerum Natura is the first bath amenity collection to achieve COSMOS Organic Certification. GFL Skincare, Europe’s premier hospitality amenity company, has long been known for its eco-certified collections. With the launch of The Rerum Natura, hoteliers now have the ability to provide guests with the highest level organic product available on the market. Named after the famed 1st century BC poem by Titus Lucretius Carus, The Rerum Natura is inspired by authentic preparations and is developed with respect for traditional apothecary formulations and ingredients. Each product is vegan friendly and 100 percent free of parabens, SLS-SLES,...

PITTSBURGH—Humanscale has just become the first manufacturer in any industry to achieve Living Product Challenge certification. The certification, which presents the most rigorous standard for sustainable manufacturing, was officially announced at the International Living Future Institute’s Living Product Expo in Pittsburgh, where Humanscale’s Sustainability Officer Jane Abernethy, a featured speaker at the event, was on hand to accept the award. As a result, two Humanscale products—the Float table, a height-adjustable desk, and the Diffrient Smart task chair—are now to be classified as “Living Products.” “The goals of the Living Product Challenge closely align with Humanscale’s core values and our goal...