PHILADELPHIA—Hersha Hospitality Trust announced that the company was recognized with NAREIT’s 2015 Lodging & Resorts Leader in the Light Award. The award, presented annually by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT), recognizes Hersha and its EarthView program for superior and sustainable portfolio-wide energy use practices and sustainability initiatives. Hersha has received the Leader in the Light Award in three out of the past four years and is this year’s co-winner, sharing the top spot with Maryland-based Host Hotels & Resorts.Steven A. Wechsler, NAREIT’s President & Chief Executive Officer, recognized Hersha’s leadership in sustainability and presented Neil...

THE CARIBBEAN—The Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) is calling on the global community to support CARICOM’s (Caribbean Community Secretariat) position advocating for a cap on the world’s temperature rise at 1.5 degrees Centigrade as part of their deliberations during the United Nations Climate Change Conference, taking place in Paris from November 30 to December 11, 2015. In a letter to the Hon. Dr. James Fletcher, Chairman of CARICOM Task Force on Climate Change, CHTA Acting President Karolin Troubetzkoy strongly supported CARICOM’s call for a binding agreement on climate change.“Considering the significant research conducted to demonstrate trend lines and...

PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLA.—PGA National Resort & Spa announced that it has been awarded the prestigious IAGTO Sustainable Golf Course of the Year Award 2016 for the Americas region. This highly valued award solidifies PGA National’s exceptional commitment to the three pillars of sustainable golf: nature, resources and people.PGA National has long been focused on sustainability throughout their extensive 800 plus-acre resort and golf complex. Dedicated Sustainable Development Manager and LEED Green Associate, Kathy McGuire, works closely with all departments throughout the resort, including golf course maintenance and operations, and holds each area accountable for strict guidelines. “The most...

ROCKVILLE, MD.—Avendra, the leading procurement services provider, fresh off the purchase of BuyEfficient, is stepping up its commitment to sustainability with the hiring of a new sustainability manager, Hamzah Abu-Ragheb. He joins Stacey Dash, Vice President, Marketing, Communications & Sustainability in leading the sustainability team at Avendra. The hiring of Abu-Ragheb comes at a critical time for Avendra. The Rockville, Md.-based company, with 7,000 hospitality customers, has just a little more than one year to go to reach its goal of having 100 percent of its suppliers with a sustainability policy in place. Currently, somewhere north of 84 percent...

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK—Thanks to a years-long, and ever-expanding effort by restaurants in Yellowstone National Park, visitors can be assured of a wide range of fresh, healthy food choices. And the National Park Service (NPS) has recognized that ongoing initiative with a 2015 Environmental Achievement Award.Each of the 17 restaurants operated by Yellowstone National Park Lodges offers menu items that use as many sustainable ingredients as possible. In 2014, the percentage of sustainable sourced food in the park was 38 percent, and that number continues to grow as more local farmers and suppliers make more choices available. Each restaurant also...

SPARTANBURG, S.C.—Milliken’s floor covering division launched its first-ever sustainability report to provide transparency and detailed insight into the company’s global operations and product offering.“To Milliken, success is grounded in intentional environmental stewardship and has been for more than a century,” noted Jim McCallum, President of the global Milliken floor covering division. “This report sheds light on the lofty expectations of a holistic approach to sustainability that we set for our company to create innovations that ‘do good’ for the world.”Material issues addressed include: chemical and human health impacts, recycled content and recyclability, resource consumption, supply chain impacts of products...

BREA, CALIF.—The Embassy Suites by Hilton’s Southern California hotels are joining forces with Stop Hunger Now in the fight against hunger. Recently, more than 50 Embassy Suites employees convened at the Embassy Suites Brea—North Orange County hotel to prepare and package meals to help feed the world’s hungry. Stop Hunger Now is a volunteer-based program that coordinates streamlined meal packaging events to provide highly nutritious, dehydrated meals comprised of rice, soy, vegetables and 22 essential vitamins and minerals.Director of Sales Lisa Kotlar says, “Embassy Suites by Hilton Southern California hotels are excited to partner with Stop Hunger Now and...

LONDON—Hilton Worldwide announced it is the first global hotel company to serve Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) eco-labelled and certified cod in its restaurants in 41 properties across the United Kingdom, Netherlands and Belgium. These properties have achieved MSC chain of custody certified status, and Hilton’s 41 remaining luxury and full-service owned, leased and managed properties in these countries are on track to receive MSC chain of custody certification by 2017. This step is part of Hilton’s strategy toward more responsible and sustainable sourcing around the world. Last April, the company implemented a shark fin ban across all restaurants and...

TAMPA, FLA.—The schedule for the Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference America is coming together. The event, slated for January 25 to 27, will be held in Tampa, Fla. at the University of South Florida in the Patel Center. The conference is a project of The International Ecotourism Society and will have the following theme: Transforming Our World Through Sustainable Tourism Solutions. More than 200 tourism professionals are expected for the event.The event’s opening ceremony will be held at Busch Gardens Tampa. Speakers during the conference will include Dr. Kelly Bricker, Professor and Dept. Chair, Department of Parks, Recreation and...

LAS VEGAS—Employees of MGM Resorts International donated more than 154,000 pounds of food to Three Square Food Bank in a continuous effort by MGM employees to extend the staff of life to food insecure residents this holiday season. The food was collected during the company’s sixth annual food drive. MGM Resorts employees gave rice, flour, beans, cereal, canned meats and other food items that Three Square will use to feed the 137,000 local individuals served monthly through its approximately 1,300 community partners. Experts estimate that about 15.8 percent of the population, or more than 305,000 Southern Nevada residents, are...