WASHINGTON, D.C.—Washington D.C.’s Willard InterContinental Hotel, a leader in sustainable hospitality, has released its second Sustainability Report. The new report, summarizing its 2008 activities, follows Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC). The report highlights the results of the hotel’s strategy based on the “triple bottom line” of economic prosperity, social responsibility and environmental protection. The report examines the Willard’s environmental and social performance against the previous year’s report of the hotel’s sustainable development initiatives which began in 2005 as “Willard InterContinental, The Next 100 Years.” The new report also benchmarks against the hotel’s first Sustainable Development (SD) Report for...

LOS ANGELES—Commercial carpet manufacturer Bentley Prince Street, Inc. announced that it has received a third-party verified Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for its broadloom products. This achievement marks the first time a North American broadloom carpet product has received an EPD, the international gold standard for illustrating the various aspects of a product’s performance. “The significance of this EPD verification is the amount of detail and transparency required, providing the most accurate, objective picture available of a product’s true environmental impact,” said Anthony Minite, president of Bentley Prince Street. “This is the best impartial tool available to provide customers with a...

BOULDER, CO.—Renewable Choice Energy, a national provider of renewable energy credits and carbon offsets, has launched Green Your Event to empower meeting and event planners at hotels and event centers to support wind power and carbon reduction by offsetting event facilities, attendee travel, and more. A number of boutique and hotel chain branches kicked off the program last month including Chicago’s Talbott Hotel, Marriott’s Fairfield Inn & Suites, Baltimore; DoubleTree Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., and the Hotels Parisi and L’Auberge Del Mar in La Jolla, Calif. “We chose to be a Green Your Event partner because the program allows us to...

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—My Emissions Exchange announced the start of a new global market for individual households and businesses to reduce their personal carbon emissions and be eligible to earn money for their efforts. On MyEex, members first measure their personal carbon footprint and learn ways to reduce emissions. Once reductions are made, as verified by the user’s utility bill, the reductions are certified by MyEex. MyEex then sells the credits on the voluntary market, and the member earns money from the sale of their carbon credits. Membership in MyEex.com is free. My Emission Exchange’s approach to carbon...

BANGKOK, THAILAND—As part of its commitment to mitigate climate change, Six Senses—a leading luxury resort and spa development and management company—has joined aid agencies, governments and private companies in supporting carbon emission mitigation projects. The aim of its latest initiative, Six Senses Reforestation Project, is to curb the threat of severe climate change caused by human-made hydrocarbon emissions and greenhouse gases caused by the burning of fossil fuels. Six Senses Reforestation Project has planted the first 300 trees in northern Thailand in association with the UNESCO approved Earth Charter Foundation. By planting trees on deforested land, Six Senses offsets carbon...

DUBAI, U.A.E.—The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) has launched an initiative to reduce carbon emissions (CO2) in the region’s hospitality industry by 20 percent by the year 2011. The launch is together with the Dubai Green Tourism Award which will be in line with World Environment Day. The initiatives are all part of the department’s sustainable tourism agenda for the emirate. The Dubai Green Tourism Award, to be presented in December 2009, is expected to attract 200 hotels from three, four and five stars and deluxe hotel apartments that are eligible to compete for the annual honors. ...

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH—Sustainability will have a prominent place on the agenda at the Meeting Professionals International’s (MPI) World Education Congress, to be held July 11 to 14 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City. Eight educational sessions will touch on topics such as corporate social responsibility and green meetings, and attendees will have an opportunity to participate in a community service project. MPI has incorporated the principles of the first sustainable event standard, British Standard 8901, into the Salt Lake City event. This includes planning for the event, on-site implementation of the event, and a...

COOPERSBURG, PA.—Lutron Electronics Co., Inc., and Exceptional Innovation have announced a partnership that combines Lutron technology with interface and integration software created by Exceptional Innovation. This new solution merges all guestroom technology into one integrated system, offering hotel guests pushbutton control of lighting, window treatments, HVAC, and more through a personalized interface. The Lutron Hospitality Solution also directly connects guests to every service and profit center in the hotel, so they can instantly make restaurant reservations, book spa appointments, contact the concierge, even reserve tee times—all through the same intuitive interface. Plus, the solution brings guests the latest information regarding...

WASHINGON, D.C.—World Energy Solutions, Inc., an operator of online exchanges for energy and green commodities, announced that Great Addresses, a leading independent hotel management company in Washington, D.C., has successfully greened the energy portfolios of its flagship properties through transactions on the World Energy Exchange and World Green Exchange. Great Addresses worked with World Energy to first secure a 36-month electricity contract, with 10 percent green power, for its premiere D.C. lodgings, The Carlyle Suites Hotel and The Savoy Suites Hotel. Then, spurred by the savings from that transaction, Great Addresses invested in a three-year strip of Renewable Energy...

ATLANTA—When NYLO Dallas/Las Colinas opens in late July 2009, it will run on 100 percent renewable energy. The loft-style boutique hotel brand has signed an agreement with TXU Energy to become the supplier’s first hotel customer in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to purchase 100 percent Renewable Energy Certificate-based electricity. “This is a huge initiative as we look to become an even more eco-friendly brand,” said Patrick O’Neil, executive vice president of operations for NYLO Hotels, which already incorporates renewable energy in all of its other locations. “TXU Energy is our neighbor in Las Colinas, and we are proud to work...