ZURICH, SWITZERLAND—As part of its commitment to sustainable development, Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts has released its first public sustainability report. This report has been produced to inform the global hotel group’s guests and stakeholders about the long-term strategy, goals, initiatives and performance relating to sustainability activities across the group.Over the past three years Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts has established a robust and strategic sustainability framework, culminating in the implementation of a global sustainability strategy and infrastructure. To deliver a systematic implementation of this strategy, a web-based integrated sustainability management system has been deployed in all hotels. To ensure consistent...

Stephen Farrant, Director of International Tourism Partnership, reflects back on 20 years of ITP leading the sustainable and responsible agenda in the hotel industry.It was in the wake of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the original Rio Earth Summit) that the International Hotels Environment Initiative, now known as the International Tourism Partnership (ITP), was formed. Over the last two decades, ITP has grown and evolved as part of the International Business Leaders Forum, a not-for-profit registered in the United Kingdom and United States, and with offices in China, India and Russia.Twenty years on, this is...

PHILADELPHIA—Hersha Hospitality Trust, a self-advised Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT), announced that the company was selected to receive NAREIT’s 2012 Lodging & Resorts Leader in the Light Award; the highest achievement for lodging and resort REITs in the 2012 award competition. This national award, presented annually by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT), recognizes Hersha and its EarthView program for superior and sustained portfolio-wide energy use practices and sustainability initiatives.Steve Wechsler, NAREIT’s CEO, recognized Hersha’s industry leadership in sustainability and presented Jay H. Shah, CEO of Hersha Hospitality Trust, with the Leader in the Light award...

DURHAM, N.H.—The message coming from top name brands is clear: climate change poses a threat to business in the form of increased costs and risks associated with extreme weather. As a result, companies are prioritizing the need to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and lower their carbon footprint. The findings are gleaned from nonprofit Climate Counts’ sixth annual scoring release which rates major consumer brands on their approach to climate change. The latest scoring results show that 66 percent of companies rated have publicly available climate and energy strategies, compared to just 25 percent in 2007, the year the...

OJAI, CALIF.—The Casa Ojai and Su Nido Inns have joined the EcoStay program. EcoStay is a national initiative that helps hotels measure their carbon footprint, identify and fund reduction strategies and balance off their greenhouse gas emissions through carbon offsetting.“We’re very excited to be part of the EcoStay Program,” said Jim Johnson, general manager of Casa Ojai & Su Nido Inns. “It’s a meaningful and effective way of demonstrating our concern for the environment.”A typical 150 room hotel can produce three metric tonnes of greenhouses gases each day. That’s the same as driving 200 cars, heating and lighting 100...

ALEXANDRIA, VA.—The GBTA Foundation, the education and research foundation of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) and Project ICARUS announce the first Outstanding Achievement Awards for Sustainability in business travel and meetings across North America.The Project ICARUS Global Advisory Board and Sustainability Committee looks to recognize travel buyers, suppliers and intermediaries who can demonstrate outstanding leadership, innovation and commitment to delivering best in class sustainability programs, product and services across North America.“This year we have seen an increase in the number of companies building sustainability into their business travel and meetings programs and we are thrilled to recognize those...

MINNEAPOLIS—During the month of September, Carlson Rezidor hotels across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas and Asia Pacific were invited to take action in their hotels and communities by organizing social and environmental activities and raising funds to support World Childhood Foundation, an organization under the patronage of Queen Silvia of Sweden focused on aiding children at risk for abuse and exploitation.“Our annual Responsible Business Action Month is a call to action for our 35,000+ employees in the 70 countries in which we are present to place a special emphasis on doing sustainable business, giving back, and making...

VINELAND, N.J.—Could the Ramada Vineland be the first property its size to receive a monthly electricity bill of $0? Possibly. That is what happened in October at the 102-room property in Vineland, N.J. Time will tell if the Ramada will maintain its “net zero hotel” status but NGL Property Management’s John Scipione, owner of the hotel with his family, believes it is possible.What lowered the hotel’s electricity bill from $15,000/month to $5,000/month over the last couple of years is a $2.6 million, 2,500-solar panel installation behind the property. It sits on three acres of land owned by NGL Property...

NEW YORK—At this past weekend’s International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show, carbon measurement was a hot topic as part of the Hospitality Leadership Forum. In “Reporting Your Hotel Carbon Metrics, Responding to Green RFPs,” the moderator and panelists summarized the progress of the lodging industry’s joint effort to develop standard metrics for hospitality carbon reporting. The session at the Javits Center was moderated by Pat Maher, green consultant, American Hotel & Lodging Assn. and partner, The Maher Group. The panelists included: George Favaloro, managing director, PwC; Eric Ricaurte, principal, Greenview; Maury Zimring, director, corporate responsibility & sustainability, InterContinental Hotels...

HILLSBORO, ORE.—MindClick SGM along with Marriott International announced the launch of the hotel industry’s first pilot program to gauge the impact of sustainable purchasing on guest perception, satisfaction and loyalty through a vendor sustainability evaluation program, guest marketing program and research study. In the program, the Residence Inn by Marriott Portland West/Hillsboro, owned by Apple REIT Six, will be renovated using approved suppliers who are evaluated and rated by the MindClick Hospitality Sustainability Performance Index (HSP Index).The HSP Index is the hospitality industry’s first and only supply chain sustainability rating and reporting system to help hoteliers furnish and supply...