BROOMFIELD, COLO.—Vail Resorts announced that concurrent with its announcement of its leadership role in the Hayman Restoration Partnership, the company would not be renewing its three-year commitment to purchase wind energy offset credits. “Our Company is very proud of the leadership stance we took on alternative energy and climate change in August of 2006,” said Rob Katz, chairman and CEO of Vail Resorts. “We are very pleased to see all of the progress that has followed us both in terms of new corporate commitments to clean energy and the political progress our country has made on climate change. As a...

ATLANTA—“It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity,” is often used to explain the less-than-comfortable temperatures in Florida. With that in mind, there seems to be no better place to discuss ASHRAE’s winter’s conference theme: “Building Sustainability from the Inside Out.” Whenever the temperatures outside are too hot or humid to handle, ASHRAE ensures that indoor environments are comfortable and, most important, sustainable. ASHRAE’s 2010 Winter Conference will be held in Orlando from January 23 to 27 at the Rosen Shingle Creek hotel. The International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Expo, held in conjunction with the Conference, will run January 25 to 27....

DALTON, GA.—Shaw Industries, Inc., through its division Shaw Hospitality Group, and La Quinta Inns & Suites have partnered to keep more than 30 tons of carpet from landfills during five La Quinta hotel renovations in Texas, South Carolina, Tennessee and Florida. Shaw Hospitality Group, a manufacturer of sustainable, reclaimable carpets for public spaces and guestrooms, was specified earlier this year to re-carpet La Quinta guestrooms during a large-scale renovation project. Instead of sending tons of the old hotel carpet to landfills, Shaw Hospitality Group worked with La Quinta to reclaim the carpet and divert it to Shaw Industries’ Evergreen Nylon...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Partnership for Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC) and the Sustainable Tourism Stewardship Council (STSC) announced their official merger. The result will be a new initiative that will launch in 2010 called the Tourism Sustainability Council (TSC), a global membership council that will offer a common understanding of sustainable tourism and the adoption of universal sustainable tourism principles and criteria. The TSC will bring together tourism businesses presently operating to various degrees of sustainability performance—governments, United Nations bodies, research and academic institutions, social and environmental NGOs, certification programs, and others from distinct regions of the world. ...

OKLAHOMA CITY—The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department has unveiled a new travel initiative called ECO—Encouraging Conservation in Oklahoma—which promotes, educates and encourages sustainable travel in the state. The ECO program approaches sustainable travel from both industry and consumer perspectives. It includes education, green certification and marketing support for tourism industry partners and helps them embrace sustainable travel practices for minimal economic impact with maximum return. ECO will also identify sustainable travel options such as lodging, restaurants and attractions so that tourists seeking green travel will have easy access to this information. “Oklahoma has a legacy of conservation, preservation and innovation—qualities that...

DALTON, GA.—Zeftron nylon has added new, sustainable and stylish colors to its color line. Zeftron nylon, a premium branded nylon 6 commercial carpet yarn system, now offers more than 100 fashionable colors, all of which are fully recyclable, contain a minimum of 25 percent recycled content, and are MBDC Cradle to Cradle certified. “Color is an essential part of Zeftron nylon’s business,” said Karen Martin CMG, with Beaulieu Commercial. “These new additions bring even more depth to their color bank and more complexity and sophistication to their offerings. As a designer, you can never have too many colors and these...

BELGRADE, SERBIA—The International Hotel & Restaurant Association announced that its 47th Annual Congress will be held January 18 to 20, 2010, at the Continental Hotel in Belgrade, Serbia. With the start of the new decade, IH&RA will host an event that highlights the future of the hospitality industry. Belgrade, Serbia embodies this year’s theme of looking towards the future for opportunities of growth and development. Leaders from all parts of the world representing some 200,000 hotels and six million restaurants will convene to exchange ideas about the major issues of this year: Climate Change and Hospitality, Natural Disaster and Hospitality,...

DALTON, GA.—Shaw Industries Group, Inc. has released its inaugural sustainability report to share the company’s legacy of environmental and corporate social responsibility. The report is reflective of Shaw’s commitment to sustainability leadership through the Shaw Green Edge—a company-wide business platform based on sustainability through innovation. Reflecting Shaw’s long history of investment in sustainable development and initiative-driven progress, the sustainability report outlines the company’s accomplishments and goals. It also reflects the global flooring provider’s vertically integrated organizational footprint, detailing progress according to three pillars of sustainability: • Corporate governance and social responsibility; • Operational and environmental excellence; and • Innovative products and services. The report details...

LONDON—The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is inviting tourism companies and organizations from around the world that can demonstrate best practices in sustainable tourism development to submit their applications for the 2010 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards. The deadline for applications is December 2, 2009. To quote Jean-Claude Baumgarten, president and CEO of WTTC, “The awards, now in their sixth year under WTTC’s stewardship, exemplify the Council’s multi-stakeholder vision set out in the Blueprint for New Tourism that looks beyond short-term considerations and focuses on benefits not only for the people who travel, but also for people in the communities...

TECATE, MEXICO—The Second Annual Green Spa Network Fall Congress will be held November 1 to 5, 2009, at the historic Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Mexico. As the premier spa sustainability event of the year, the four-night, five-day GSN Fall Congress will provide professionals with the opportunity to respond to the planetary imperative for sustainability—while increasing profitability and customer loyalty. Internationally known Paul Hawken will be the keynote speaker. Paul is a leading voice in the world of sustainable business and the search for a whole, nurturing society. He is co-founder of Smith & Hawken and author of “Natural Capitalism:...