PARK RIDGE, N.J.—The Hertz Corporation, the world’s largest general use airport car rental brand, and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced a joint partnership to bring in Hertz Global EV, a program developed by Hertz using 100 percent electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, to key Starwood select-service hotels in North America. Starwood’s select-service portfolio includes the Element Hotels, Aloft Hotels and Four Points by Sheraton Hotels brands. “Hertz’s partnership with Starwood is a natural step in the development of our Global EV program,” said Mark P. Frissora, Hertz chairman and CEO. “As we expand our EV network, we are...

NEW YORK CITY—While guests and other stakeholders make it clear that they expect hotels and restaurants to improve the sustainability of their operations, hospitality managers are grappling with the many aspects of sustainability, including customer demand, cost effectiveness, supplier and stakeholder engagement, global trends, and system-wide implementation. The latest Sustainability Roundtable, held at Proskauer in New York City in November 2010 and produced by the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research, brought together corporate management, owners, operators, and suppliers to discuss those issues and myriad other aspects of sustainability. Chaired by associate professor Alex Susskind, of the Cornell School of Hotel...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Interface Inc. recently announced that, as part of its Mission Zero commitment to eliminate negative environmental impact by 2020, the company pledges to obtain third-party validated environmental product declarations (EPDs) on all InterfaceFLOR products globally by 2012. The maker of environmentally responsible modular carpet has also unveiled an interactive report, “2010 Mission Zero Milestones,” sharing 16 years of progress and previewing the challenges ahead in the next decade. Finally, Interface issued a call to action for other companies, large and small, to set bold goals in the pursuit of sustainability. “With the multitude of environmental labels in the marketplace,...

SHANGHAI, CHINA—URBN Hotels & Resorts is collaborating with Vanke, China’s largest residential real estate developer, to construct and operate what could be the most forward-thinking, sustainably-built and green-operated hotel in Asia. The 20,000-square-meter boutique hotel is part of a larger project which will become a 200,000-square-meter commercial, retail and residential development in the Sanlin district of Pudong in Shanghai, China. URBN’s $46.7 million project will include 55 hotel rooms, 50 URBN serviced residences, and 4,500 square meters of dining, wellness and art spaces.Vanke has engaged URBN Hotels & Resorts to bring its philosophy of inspiration, sustainability and connection to...

NASHVILLE—As part of Tennessee’s ongoing Sustainable Tourism initiative, a green certification workshop will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. November 30 in Memphis at Marriott Memphis Downtown. Sponsored by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, this workshop, the final of five scheduled throughout the state this year, will facilitate discussions and solicit partner input regarding the development of a state green certification program for the tour and travel industry. In addition, the events will provide continued sustainable tourism resources, case studies, best practices and access to leading experts. This initiative will...

GRATON, CALIF.—Ceilume, manufacturer of decorative ceiling tiles, announced the launch of its sustainable ceiling tile collection. The tiles are made from the company’s new Ceilume-P40-Plus, a proprietary material with 60 percent recycled content (40 percent post-consumer, 20 percent pre-consumer) which diverts soda and water bottle waste from landfills. Ceilume Sustainable tiles set a new standard for environmental responsibility in the ceiling tile industry, and received recognition in the 2010 American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) Bloom Awards in the Innovative Materials category. In addition to using 80 percent less material than conventional tiles, Ceilume Sustainable tiles are fully returnable at...

CHICAGO—Architects, designers, retailers and consumers now have an American National Standard that helps identify sustainable and environmentally-preferable wallcoverings: NSF/ANSI 342: Sustainability Assessment for Wallcovering Products. NSF International, an independent, not-for-profit organization committed to protecting public health and the environment, announced the adoption of the first American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-approved wallcovering standard at Greenbuild 2010. The NSF/ANSI 342 sustainable wallcovering standard was developed through the National Center for Sustainability Standards, which was founded by NSF to develop national standards and protocols for measuring sustainability attributes and conformity assessment programs to help verify sustainability claims. The Center is helping to eliminate...

CONCORD, N.H.—The New Hampshire Sustainable Lodging & Restaurant Program will hold its annual Sustainable Hospitality Conference on Tuesday, November 16 at the Attitash Grand Summit Conference Center in Bartlett. The morning’s sessions will focus on savings through energy efficiency and renewables. Stacy Doll, formerly the head of the Mount Washington Resort’s Green Team and now the coordinator of the New Hampshire Energy Collaborative will open the conference with a talk about what the New Hampshire Climate Action Plan means to hospitality businesses. A panel of leaders from the industry will talk about their efforts to improve energy efficiency and use...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released its list of the top 50 organizations using the most renewable electricity. The Green Power Partnership’s top purchasers use more than 12 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually, equivalent to avoiding the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the electricity use of more than 1 million average American homes. Green power is generated from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, and low-impact hydropower. Hilton Worldwide is the only lodging-related company in the top 50 at No. 37. Twenty-nine percent of Hilton’s power purchases are for green power. The Intel...

MCLEAN, VA.—Hilton Worldwide announced that it is a recipient of a 2010 Global Vision Award from Travel + Leisure. Recognizing the outstanding efforts of individuals and organizations that are working to preserve the world’s natural and man-made treasures, Travel + Leisure honored Hilton Worldwide with the award in the Corporate Greening category for the company’s new LightStay sustainability tracking system. “We are honored to receive a Travel + Leisure 2010 Global Vision Award,” said Paul Brown, president of global brands and commercial services, Hilton Worldwide. “LightStay was developed to improve individual hotel performance while decreasing the company’s overall impact...