NEW YORK—The Hospitality Sustainable Purchasing Consortium announced that JLF/lone meadow (aka JL Furnishings), a leader in sustainable hospitality furniture design and manufacturing, has joined the Consortium as a Contributing Member. JLF/lone meadow specializes in the design, manufacture and marketing of furnishings to the contract market. Its membership in the Consortium moves further toward establishing the new Hospitality Sustainable Purchasing Index (HSPI) as the industry resource for sustainable purchasing. With more than 4.5 million hotel rooms in the United States, guestroom furniture is a major investment for all hotels, brands and owners—and as a central element of design it has a...

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.—This past October was a landmark month for the Sustainable Furnishings Council (SFC). It was then that the nonprofit turned five years old. SFC is a nonprofit coalition of materials suppliers, manufacturers, retailers and designers committed to promoting sustainable practices in the home furnishings industry. While focused on home furnishings, different elements of SFC cross over into hospitality—e.g., suppliers, designers, and the criteria by which furnishings are deemed sustainable.“Many of our manufacturer, supplier and designer members also work in commercial,” says Susan Inglis, executive director and founding member of SFC. “All of our members are companies that...

LAS VEGAS—Crystals Retail & Entertainment District at CityCenter has earned Gold sustainable design awards from the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), the global trade association of the shopping center industry. The awards were earned in ICSC’s annual U.S. Design and Development Awards competition. “Crystals is an integral part of CityCenter and was created with a vision to bring a new level of environmental consciousness to the world-famous Las Vegas Strip,” said Jim Murren, chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International that co-developed CityCenter with Infinity World Development Corp. “As one of the world’s largest sustainable developments, CityCenter’s environmental responsibility...

LONDON—Premier Inn, the United Kingdom’s largest budget hotel chain, is celebrating a hat-trick of breakthroughs in its efforts to reduce CO2 emissions from its business operations and provide its customers with more sustainable choices. In 2010 Whitbread, the owners of Premier Inn, committed to a target of reducing its carbon emissions by 26 percent by 2020 (relative to a 2009 baseline). Premier Inn is announcing three significant achievements in its drive to reduce CO2 emissions and raise standards of sustainability across its 46,000 bedrooms. These are: 1. Achieving an “excellent” sustainability rating for its Burgess Hill Premier Inn and Beefeater...

PARIS—Accor recently decided to assess its environmental impact 15 years after it took a stand and started taking concrete action to embrace sustainable development. The company began working on gauging its environmental footprint at the end of 2010. The study stretches beyond measuring greenhouse-gas emissions to encompass energy and water consumption, water pollution and waste generation throughout lifecycles in the Group. “Four thousand and two hundred hotels in 90 countries, 145,000 employees, 56 million breakfasts a year and almost 545 million liters of water a year all add up to the environmental impact that we are now in a position...

LONDON—The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) issued a Communiqué during the International Climate Change Negotiations in Durban which urges governments to develop climate change policies which ensure that travel and tourism can grow sustainably and continue to provide millions of new jobs across the planet, regardless of the outcome of talks in Durban. As one of the world’s largest industries, generating more than 9 percent of global GDP and accounting for some 260 million jobs worldwide, the continued growth of the travel and tourism industry is critical to the economic and social wellbeing of millions of people, and is...

TORTOLA, BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS—During a recent press conference, the British Virgin Islands (BVI) Tourist Board launched the Sustainable Tourism Environmental Program (STEP) alongside Hugh Cresser, a consultant from the firm Tetra Tech who specializes in sustainable tourism management and planning. Tetra Tech has been contracted by the British Virgin Islands Tourist Board to implement the project. The company specializes in consulting, engineering, program management, construction and technical services, and supports government and commercial clients by providing solutions focused on water, the environment, and energy.“Our environment is the biggest drawing card that we have and everybody has to do their...

RIVIERA MAYA, MEXICO—Officials from United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and Rainforest Alliance gathered earlier this month to honor Mayakoba Resort and developer OHL Desarrollos as a world leader in sustainable tourism development. Both organizations represented awards bestowed on the development during 2011—the Ulysses Award from the United Nations World Tourism Organization and Sustainable Standard-Setter Award from the Rainforest Alliance. The award ceremony was held at the resort’s Banyan Tree Hotel and attended by representatives from both organizations, Audubon International, as well as several top government officials.In receiving the awards, Andrés Pan de Soraluce, president of OHL Desarrollos, applauded...

ANN ARBOR, MICH.—NSF International, an independent global organization that writes public health standards and certifies products for food, water and consumer goods, has qualified the first wallcoverings distributor to the American National Standard for Sustainable Wallcoverings—NSF/ANSI 342. NSF International developed the standard for Sustainable Wallcoverings to help architects, designers, retailers and consumers identify sustainable and environmentally preferable wallcoverings. NSF/ANSI 342: Sustainability Assessment for Wallcovering Products recognizes the important role distributors play in maintaining the sustainability of wallcovering products throughout their life cycle. In order to qualify and distribute certified sustainable wallcoverings, distributors must demonstrate that they follow environmentally preferable practices....

WASHINGTON, D.C.—President Obama yesterday announced nearly $4 billion in combined federal and private sector energy upgrades to buildings over the next 2 years. These investments will save billions in energy costs, promote energy independence, and, according to independent estimates, create tens of thousands of jobs in the hard-hit construction sector. The $4 billion investment announced includes a $2 billion commitment, made through the issuance of a Presidential Memorandum, to energy upgrades of federal buildings using long term energy savings to pay for up-front costs, at no cost to taxpayers. In addition, 60 CEOs, mayors, university presidents, and labor leaders...