DALTON, GA.—Zeftron nylon announced Jerica Sifuentes, a project coordinator and designer at Go Studio in Dallas, as the grand prize winner in its third annual Sustainable Practices Award competition. Tina Hovsepian, a designer with Duvivier Architects and CEO of Cardborigami Inc. in Los Angeles has been selected as the runner-up. The award honors commercial architecture, interior design and facility professionals who are helping create a more sustainable planet by implementing innovative green practices at their work, in their homes and in their communities. As a way to further advance sustainable practices, the award requires the winner and runner-up to select...

LAS VEGAS—MGM Resorts International has issued its Environmental Responsibility Report chronicling its comprehensive philosophy known as its “Green Advantage.” The report, released during the Fourth Annual National Clean Energy Summit held at the company’s ARIA Resort, outlines the company’s strategic approach and recent achievements toward improved stewardship of the environment at its 15 resorts around the country. “Environmental responsibility is a core company value that is woven into and throughout our culture and business operations,” said James J. Murren, chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International. “For our customers, environmental stewardship is becoming a key area of awareness. They are...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—NEWH announces the first annual NEWH Sustainable Design and Development Conference and Tradeshow. This tradeshow will bring together innovative, sustainable leaders, ideas, products, design and tangible business results. NEWH invites all members of the design and development community, hospitality industry, event professionals and sustainable partners who are looking to gain further insight and to promote and build strong business relationships to attend this new industry show. The show will be a one-day event December 9, 2011, and will be held at the Capital Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. The tradeshow will run all day, concluding with a cocktail reception...

LONDON—The International Tourism Partnership (ITP) and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) are collaborating on a groundbreaking initiative to unite hotel industry efforts to calculate and communicate carbon impact by agreeing on a standardized methodology and metrics. For the first time, leaders within the hotel industry are collaborating to reach a consensus on a single methodology for calculating carbon footprints and consistent metrics for communicating emissions. The Carbon Measurement Working Group driven by hospitality members within ITP and WTTC includes leading international hotel companies such as Accor, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Hotels...

LANSING, MICH.—Sustainability is an important topic that affects every stage of hotel development and operation. Hotel Sustainable Development: Principles and Best Practices, published by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI), provides hospitality professionals with a wealth of information about key factors to be considered when exploring sustainability.Editors A.J. Singh, international lodging, finance and real estate associate professor in The School of Hospitality Business at Michigan State University, and Hervé Houdré, general manager of the InterContinental New York Barclay, and leading sustainable development experts identify emerging trends and discuss how sustainability affects regulatory, policy, development, architectural, financial, and...

PARK RIDGE, N.J.—Hertz and Marriott are introducing electric-vehicle (EV) car sharing at the San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront and the first EV car rental program in downtown San Francisco. This new hotel amenity enables guests and local area residents to drive a wide range of new EV models made available on an hourly or daily basis through Hertz On Demand car sharing. EVs are available at the San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront 24/7 with Hertz self-service technology enabling guests and area residents the luxury of signing up for Hertz On Demand car sharing on the spot and using an...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has launched a 60-day public comment period for Version 2 of the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria that are based on ISEAL guidelines (the ISEAL Alliance is a global association for social and environmental standards). The survey will be open until October 15, 2011. The survey can be accessed through the GSTC website site.  The GSTC Criteria are a universal language defining a minimum standard for sustainability in travel and tourism. Businesses, organizations and governments use the Criteria to create sustainability programs. The GSTC Criteria fall under four main pillars: Sustainability Management, Social...

HUNAN PROVINCE, CHINA—The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and China have opened a third Sustainable Tourism Observatory to monitor the environmental and socio-economic impacts of tourism. The Zhangjiajie Observatory, located in Hunan Province, is part of a network of observatories assisting policy makers to ensure sustainable tourism growth. It will gather and report data on the environmental, social and economic impacts of tourism in the area based on UNWTO sustainable tourism indictors. The Observatory is located at the entrance to the Zhangjiajie National Park, China’s first national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park was also the...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The organizers of the Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference (ESTC), an annual industry conference focusing on advancing sustainability goals for the tourism industry, have set a hefty goal: reinforcing the roles of tourism in building a sustainable future. With a myriad of challenges facing tourism including climate change threats, political and economic instabilities this is not an easy mission to accomplish.  The ESTC co-chairs Dr. Kelly Bricker and Richard Edwards, representing the board of directors of The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), are optimistic, and not just because the idyllic and cheerful environment that this year’s host, Hilton Head...

ITHACA, N.Y.—When large restaurant companies implement sustainability policies, customers seem to react in a contrary way—and their evaluation of those companies may actually diminish. In a new study from the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research (CHR), researchers Michael Giebelhausen and Helen Chun examine this contrary behavior to see how large companies could gain the sustainability credibility they deserve. The study, “Reversing the Green Backlash: Why Large Hospitality Companies Should Welcome ‘Credibly Green' Competitors,’” is available at no charge. Assistance for the research study was provided by McDonald’s USA, a CHR senior partner. Noting consumers’ skepticism regarding large chains’ sustainability initiatives,...