Name: John Roberts Title: Director of Elephants & Conservation Activities Organization: Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas & Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation Years with organization: 13 Primary responsibilities: Most of Roberts’ responsibility is split several ways—managing the Foundation, working directly with the hotels to help them through their Green Growth 2050 sustainability certification, and working with the Minor International Sustainability Team on local and global policies to ensure what they do in Anantara is aligned with the vision of the board. Organization’s most significant sustainability-related accomplishment: Roberts says, “I think our greatest sustainability related accomplishment (which also has welfare implications, by the way) so...

ATLANTA—UPS’s 14th annual Sustainability Report provides a comprehensive update on the company’s sustainability efforts, including an announcement that the company has achieved its goal of driving 1 billion miles in its alternative fuel and advanced technology fleet one year earlier than planned.“We had a big sustainability goal as we set out to make the most of our rolling laboratory by driving 1 billion clean miles in alternative fuel vehicles—that’s the equivalent of well over 4,000 trips to the moon,” said David Abney, Chairman and CEO, UPS. “While attaining this goal is new, our commitment to seeking out alternative fuels...

MADRID, SPAIN—The nearly-Zero Energy Hotels (neZEH) e-toolkit, which is available online at www.nezeh.eu, assesses the energy performance of hotels and proposes measures to improve efficiency and increase the use of renewable energy sources towards nearly-zero consumption. The toolkit is the outcome of a three-year long project funded by the European Union.The neZEH e-toolkit evaluates the energy performance of hotels through a questionnaire and identifies options for energy efficiency, including efficient use of non-renewable sources, while raising awareness on the topic through inspiring examples.The project aims to support hotels in Europe to comply with nearly-Zero Energy Buildings (nZEB) regulations, which...

LOS ANGELES—Today the travel industry welcomes Kind Traveler, the first “Give + Get” hotel booking platform that transforms travelers into a financial force that benefits communities, the environment, and animals. Travelers “give” to a local or global charity; as reward for their donation, they “get” an exclusive rate to book directly with the world’s best hotels and unique properties. All of the donations raised on the Kind Traveler platform are given to charity. This new travel site has tremendous potential for positive global impact, considering the financial power of the seven-trillion dollar travel industry. Last year alone more than...

GLOBAL REPORT—The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) launched a new project which aims to ensure that all buildings are “net zero” by 2050, to help deliver on the ambition of the Paris Agreement and tackle climate change.Advancing Net Zero will see WorldGBC and Green Building Councils in countries with some of the biggest projected growth in building roll out net zero building certification and training so that these highly efficient buildings become commonplace over the next 35 years.At least eight Green Building Councils from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Netherlands, South Africa, and Sweden will initially take part in...

SPARTANBURG, S.C.—Milliken & Co. raised more than $500,000 for local nonprofits in Spartanburg, S.C., during the company’s new, multifaceted corporate giving campaign. The program supported United Way of the Piedmont and three Strategic Community Impact Organizations: Northside Development Group, Partners for Active Living and Spartanburg Academic Movement.The 2016 Milliken Community Impact Campaign launched on June 6 with the goal to increase the company’s direct local impact in Spartanburg, home to the company’s global headquarters. The Strategic Community Impact Organizations were selected to align Milliken’s philanthropic initiatives with company core values of vibrant culture, health and quality education.Notably, Milliken associates...

NASHVILLE, TENN.—An effort to raise money for The Purpose Hotel has launched. Celebrity photographer Jeremy Cowart (Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Sting, etc.) is using Kickstarter to gather financial support for the project that aims to fight against injustices of war, hunger, poverty, global warming, racial tension, unclean water, addictions and natural disasters. Every aspect of the global chain will directly contribute to those in need through partnerships and sponsors. Through the project’s Kickstarter, individuals have the opportunity to become co-founders as backers of the project. With a dedicated goal of $2 million in funding, backers of the...

ITHACA, N.Y.—Cornell’s Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) has released the latest benchmarks from an ongoing international project to create default sustainability data for the global hotel industry. The report, “Hotel Sustainability Benchmarking Index 2016: Energy, Water, and Carbon,” led by Eric Ricaurte in collaboration with 11 global hotel firms, analyzes data provided for 8,880 properties. The report, which details the Cornell Hotel Sustainability Benchmark Index (CHSB), is available at no charge from the CHR at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration.“By adding new segmentation by climate and hotel type, we have strengthened our industry-centric approach to this effort, given...

DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA—The Tanzanian based Bakhresa Group has appointed Verde Hotels from South Africa to develop and manage the total overhaul and upgrading of the old Mtoni Marine Hotel in Zanzibar, 2 kilometers from Stone Town. The brand new five star property will be known as Hotel Verde, Zanzibar’s greenest hotel.“We are serious about being the leaders of the green economy sector and therefore we approached the developers of Africa’s greenest hotel, Verde Hotels, to ensure that Hotel Verde Zanzibar will be the greenest hotel in East Africa,” stated Said Salim Awadh Bakhresa, Chairman of the Bakhresa Group.Hotel...

BETHESDA, MD.—Marriott International’s commitment to changing young people’s lives has resulted in more than 4,000 youth employed into the company’s European operations since 2015. An additional 8,000 training opportunities in the form of work experience placements and apprenticeships have been created since 2015, giving young people an invaluable step into employment.Marriott’s commitment to tackling youth unemployment has shaped a promise to create 20,000 training opportunities for young people by 2020 and Marriott can now reveal that it has reached 40 percent of its target in just 12 months. This result has inspired the company to go one step further...