TETIAROA, FRENCH POLYNESIA—Located on the French Polynesian island of Tetiaroa and a product of the late Marlon Brando’s vision, construction on The Brando is progressing steadily with completion slated for late 2012. Pacific Beachcomber S.C. is developer of the resort. The president of French Polynesia, Gaston Tong Sang, recently made an official visit to Tetiaroa for a tour of The Brando construction site. Organized by Richard Bailey, CEO of Pacific Beachcomber S.C., and friend of the late actor, the trip was designed to share progress of the project’s construction with the president and his Minister of Environment, Jules Ienfa,...

CINCINNATI—The Procter & Gamble Company has unveiled its long-term environmental sustainability vision. As part of P&G’s strategy to grow responsibly, the company will work towards a long-term environmental sustainability vision that includes: powering its plants with 100 percent renewable energy; using 100 percent renewable or recycled materials for all products and packaging; having zero consumer and manufacturing waste go to landfills; and designing products that delight consumers while maximizing the conservation of resources. The new vision provides P&G with a long-term framework to guide all sustainability decisions and goal-setting within the organization. “Accelerating P&G’s commitment to environmental sustainability is a critical...

NEW YORK—Green Mountain Energy Company announced that Trump SoHo New York has committed to purchasing renewable energy from Green Mountain for 100 percent of the hotel’s electricity usage. Green Mountain is a leading competitive retail provider of cleaner energy and carbon offset solutions.Trump SoHo is expected to purchase more than 5.5 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of wind energy annually from Green Mountain over the two-year term of its agreement. By purchasing the clean energy, Trump SoHo will offset 100 percent of the hotel condominium’s annual electricity usage, which generates an estimated 4.6 million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually....

NATIONAL REPORT—On September 14, 2010, ISO 26000, which gives organizations guidance on implementing social responsibility (SR), was approved for publication as an ISO International Standard. Its target release date is November 1, 2010. The publishing of ISO26000 will prove to be a tipping point in worldwide implementation of SR practices. Up until now there has been no “official” definition or framework for social responsibility. So what does it all mean for the hotel industry? For those hotel groups that already have SR or corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs in place, it offers a definitive guideline for benchmarking and gap analysis....

GUANGZHOU, CHINA—The official 2010 World Tourism Day (WTD) celebrations held in Guangzhou, China, underscore the need for increased action by the global tourism sector—as one of the world’s leading economic activities—towards the preservation of biological diversity. Jointly organized by UNWTO, the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) and Guangdong Province, WTD celebrations brought together government representatives from around the world, leading biodiversity researchers, and private industry representatives. A High Level Dialogue on Tourism, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development was convened as the central event of WTD, under the 2010 WTD theme “Tourism and Biodiversity,” to coincide with the UN International Year of...

SAN FRANCISCO—The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) joined California business leaders earlier this month to launch a 2010-2012 Zero Net Energy Action Plan designed to help California commercial building owners take advantage of the latest technologies and financial incentives to help reduce building energy use to “net-zero” through greater efficiency and on-site clean energy production.“This is an innovative action plan to transform the state’s commercial buildings into clean energy powered, energy-efficient structures by 2030,” said CPUC commissioner Dian M. Grueneich. “Zero net energy isn’t just a big, bold goal—it’s a reality today. By tapping into the innovation and entrepreneurialism...

BLOOMINGTON, IND.—The Ashkin Group, which has long been a leading advocate for green cleaning and sustainable practices in the professional cleaning industry, announces the launch of their new company website. The site, www.AshkinGroup.com, was built under the direction of Elizabeth Crosbie, marketing director for The Ashkin Group. According to Stephen Ashkin, the Ashkin Group’s president, the new site is a reflection of the industry’s evolution from green cleaning to an increased emphasis on sustainability.  “As we did with green cleaning, we are increasing our emphasis on sustainability so we can play a leadership role in this evolution as well,” said Ashkin. According...

NEW YORK—Savvy travelers looking for sustainable vacation options in Latin America and the Caribbean can now find them by logging on to SustainableTrip.org, an online search engine launched by the Rainforest Alliance. SustainableTrip.org is a database of hotels, tour operators and other businesses (such as restaurants) in Latin America and the Caribbean that have been certified by a sustainable tourism certification program, verified by the Rainforest Alliance, or recommended as being sustainable by a reputable organization. The site is available in three languages—English, as SustainableTrip.org; Spanish, as ViajeSostenible.org; and French, as VoyageResponsable.org.  “SustainableTrip.org is a valuable, unique resource in that it...

ITHACA, N.Y.—Putting sustainable ideas into practice will be a top focus of the Cornell Hospitality Research Summit (CHRS), scheduled for October 6 to 8, 2010, on the Cornell University campus in Ithaca, N.Y. Breakout sessions will cover both sustainable design and sustainable operation, with a focus on the specific areas where sustainability can be most effective. Presenters will share their first-hand experiences with sustainable hospitality practices. Building on his firm’s 150-plus years of experience in innovation, Paul Hamilton, Schneider Electric’s senior vice president for Energy Efficiency, will focus on the immediate and long-term risks and challenges to implementing energy saving...

BANGKOK—Soneva Fushi’s 70-kilowatt solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant system has achieved eight months of successful operation. It is the largest renewable energy plant currently operating in the Maldives, a country that has brought international attention to the issue of global warming and rising sea levels. Soneva Fushi is Six Senses’ flagship resort. “This is a significant first step in achieving our commitment of a net zero carbon footprint for Soneva Fushi by 2012 as well as supporting the carbon reduction goals of the Maldives government,” said Sonu Shivdasani, CEO and chairman of Six Senses. “We are hoping that our example...