FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.—With the prices of cotton continuing to rise dramatically around the world, Valley Forge Fabrics announced that it would lock in pricing for its Tencel+Plus through the end of the year. There have been several factors that have influenced the cotton price surge including flooding in Pakistan and China, stockpiling from cotton yarn suppliers in China, and the emerging middle class economies in Asia, India and South America. Valley Forge has been able to secure long-term fiber contracts with Lenzing Fibers of Austria; the sole producer of Tencel+Plus Lyocell fiber from Eucalyptus. These long term contracts ensure more...

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Starwood is switching off on March 26—but just for one hour, and for a great cause. The global hospitality leader will once again join the worldwide movement of people and businesses planning to turn off the lights for Earth Hour 2011 in celebration and contemplation of the one thing we all have in common—our planet. This year will mark Starwood’s third annual participation in Earth Hour, making it one of the biggest companies to create a statement with a voluntary hour of darkness. Hundreds of hotels in the Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. portfolio will take part...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference (ESTC), is a one-of-a-kind annual conference focusing on sustainable business strategies and solutions that inspire innovative change in the global tourism industry. This year, the ESTC is co-hosted by the Hilton Head Island (Hilton Head Island Visitor & Convention Bureau) and being held on Hilton Head Island, S.C., from September 19 to 21, at the Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa. Organized by TIES (The International Ecotourism Society), a 20-year-old leading industry association dedicated to promoting tourism as a viable tool for sustainable development, the ESTC serves as an industry-wide platform to...

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte became the first urban hotel in the Southeast to offer a permanently-installed Level II charging station for use by guests driving electric vehicles. The new multi-power station is located in the front drive of the LEED Gold-certified property, is complimentary to hotel guests, and supports the hotel’s commitment to environmentally-friendly practices and operations. The launch of the new Ritz-Carlton plug-in charging station was highlighted by the on-site presence of a Li-Ion Motors Inizio all-electric supercar, designed and built in nearby Mooresville, N.C. Li-Ion Motors is also the creator of the all-electric Wave II, which was on...

TORONTO—Keeping with its commitment to environmental protection and sustainability, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts will participate for the fourth consecutive year in Earth Hour, a global event organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to raise awareness about climate change. On Saturday, March 26, 2011 at 8:30 p.m. local time, all of Fairmont’s 64 world-class hotels and resorts will participate by turning off their lights for one hour. “Climate change impacts us all and is an issue we must address collectively,” said Chris Cahill, president, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. “We continually encourage our hotels to be innovative with their energy conservation...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Greenview as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. Greenview provides expertise to organizations interested in publishing a sustainability report. The company can advise on the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) framework, manage the reporting process, analyze and format data, write the report, and engage stakeholders as well. Greenview’s goal is to advance sustainable development within the hospitality industry by increasing the presence of sustainability reporting, measuring, and metrics. According to Greenview, sustainability reporting is becoming more important. Environmental and social issues are increasingly considered by clients and guests...

MADRID, SPAIN—Produced in partnership with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the tourism chapter of the United Nations Environment Program-led (UNEP) Green Economy Report demonstrates how investing in environmentally-friendly tourism can drive economic growth, lead to poverty reduction and job creation, while improving resource efficiency and minimizing environmental degradation. Tourism is one of the most promising drivers of growth for the world economy, according to the report, but its development is accompanied by sustainability-related challenges. An investment of 0.2.% of global GDP ($135 billion at current levels of GDP) per year between now and 2050 would allow the tourism...

PORTLAND, ORE.—Highlighting day two (February 22) of the sixth annual Sustainable Meetings Conference at the Doubletree Hotel in Portland was a "Sustainable Meetings Standards" session summarizing the progress of the Green Meetings and Events Voluntary Standards. The lodging industry is anxiously awaiting the completion of the standards—the result of an effort led by the Convention Industry Council’s Accepted Practices Exchange (APEX), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC), and ASTM International. According to Lawrence Leonard, APEX program director and a session panelist, the industry will have to wait a little more. “The standards are...

BOSTON—Some 4,000 renewable energy and green building experts will bring their cutting edge thinking—and very strong opinions—to Boston in March for the BuildingEnergy11 Conference and Tradeshow. Now in its 36th year, BuildingEnergy11 (BE11) is organized by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA), and is the oldest and largest regional renewable energy event in the country. On Tuesday, March 8, three workshops at BE11 will highlight different constructs for gauging energy efficiency and environmental impact beyond the USGBC’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system: Zero Net Energy, Passive House, and The Living Building Challenge. “NESEA believes in the...

PORTLAND, ORE.—The sixth annual Sustainable Meetings Conference, organized by the Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC), kicked off yesterday with a full slate of educational sessions and news that GMIC has grown to 600 members in more than 30 countries. The conference, which has drawn 250 people in person and 60 “virtual” attendees, is being held at the Doubletree Hotel Portland. Four years ago, when the conference was also held in Portland, total attendance was closer to 60. Guy Bigwood, president of GMIC and director of sustainability, MCI Group, told attendees that GMIC currently has 20 chapters up and running...