VIRGIN GORDA, BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS—Following a four-year closure and comprehensive renovation, the 80-room Rosewood Little Dix Bay on Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands has opened. Originally founded by conservationist Laurance Rockefeller over half a century ago in 1964 and long regarded as one of the world’s greatest getaways, the iconic resort has been completely revived and redesigned while staying true to its identity as a leading example of ecotourism. Set across 500 acres of pristine private beachfront and breathtaking flora and fauna, the reimagined resort provides an unparalleled island escape with expertly appointed accommodations, inspired amenities, dynamic...

ROME, ITALY—In today’s age of Greta Thunberg and the rise of climate change activists, it’s not only political leaders who are being forced to ask the difficult questions surrounding environmental values. It’s all of us. With tourism being one of the significant causes of carbon emissions, responsible tourism is really coming to the fore. Holidaymakers and city-breakers are looking for destinations that offer something of a green conscience. With that in mind, here are five of the latest eco-friendly initiatives happening in Europe. Rome’s Plastic for Tickets The local government of Rome has long advocated various environmental schemes, as we...

PLACENCIA, BELIZE—Ray Caye is a small (20-unit) island resort with a very large focus on sustainability. The property is 17 miles off the coast of Belize and a short flight from Belize City, then a boat ride. It has been open for eight years but is reopening in January as Ray Caye. This is a decidedly upscale resort but there has been as much investment in environmental elements as in accommodations, according to Dasha Shivers, the resort’s General Manager. Seriously Solar On the solar front, the resort has a solar array of 100 KW (total of all installed solar panels); a...

NATIONAL REPORT—It’s curious to write an article on two seemingly diametrically opposed educational programs. On the one hand, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM); on the other hand, hospitality. At first glance, there seems to be nothing in common with these studies. STEM students are scientists, engineers, techies, and mathematicians who base their decisions on facts and rigor; hospitality students ooze “people” skills and find practical solutions to immediate glitches. Yet both groups focus on solving real world problems from a predominantly environmental perspective with a smidgeon of economic and social thrown in. And what connects these two groups...

SCHENECTADY, N.Y.—Distributed Solar Development (DSD) announced the completion of a custom solar canopy it designed and built for MGM Springfield in Springfield, Mass. The canopy enabled the property’s United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) New Construction Platinum level certification—the first for a gaming resort. The canopy will contribute to MGM’s stated goal of reducing carbon emissions per square foot by 45 percent by 2025, using a 2007 baseline. Built with U.S.-made Nucor steel and a proprietary water management system, the 1.382MW solar canopy sits atop the roof deck of the MGM Springfield’s parking garage....

SAN FRANCISCO—Rasa Technologies, Inc., provider of the standard infrastructure layer for conversational AI, announced the open source release of Carbon Bot, a research project created by the company to illustrate the power of contextual assistants. Carbon Bot is an interactive assistant deployed on Facebook Messenger and was designed to help climate-conscious individuals planning to travel this holiday season. Here’s how it works: a traveler can send a message to Carbon Bot on Facebook, asking for help finding carbon offsets for their flights. Carbon Bot will ask questions specific to the traveler and suggest projects to donate to in exchange for...

PALMA, SPAIN—Combatting climate change is one of the biggest challenges on the global agenda, a priority for the travel industry, and one of the key drivers of the Meliá Hotels International Sustainability Master Plan, which includes public commitments made within the framework of the Paris 2015 COP21 agreement and including an objective of reducing emissions by 50 percent by 2035. The company has been named the Most Sustainable Hotel Company in the World this year, achieving the highest score in the global travel industry in the latest Corporate Sustainability Assessment by SAM thanks to its performance and commitment to social...

PHILADELPHIA—Aramark, a leading U.S.-based provider of food, facilities and uniform services, announced a new 2025 sustainability plan, Be Well. Do Well., focused on positively impacting people and the planet. Be Well. Do Well. is built around several key priorities. People priorities: to engage employees, empower healthy consumers, support local communities, and source ethically and inclusively. Planet priorities: to source responsibly, operate efficiently, and to effectively manage food waste, packaging, emissions and other activities that could adversely impact the environment and planet. “Aramark strives to do our part with respect to environmental, economic, social and ethical considerations,” said Kathy Cacciola, Aramark’s Vice President, Enterprise Sustainability. “Be...

HAMBURG, N.J.—Crystal Springs Resort announced it has commenced commercial operations of the largest resort based solar farm in the Northeastern United States. Developed in partnership with New Jersey based Marina Energy, the 25-acre solar field has over 19,000 solar panels and has the annual capacity to generate 3.5 megawatts of electricity, which is more power than is consumed annually by the resort’s two hotels. Development of this solar farm aligns with other efforts taken by the resort in pursuit of ongoing environmental stewardship, such as its recent partnership with Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) and the New Jersey Audubon Society...

Name: Kristen Royal Title: Sustainability Program Director Company: Tayst Coffee Years in Current Position: 1+ years Primary Responsibilities: “I do a lot of outreach and communication on sustainability. I am in constant communication with other sustainability directors. I research lifecycle reports. I analyze our product and compare it with others. I analyze the machines themselves and the complexities and differences between plastic pods and a compostable one like ours.” Organization’s most significant sustainability-related accomplishment: “Our pod return service. Our clients are demanding this. We are hoping to scale up the service nationwide in January 2020.” Organization’s most significant sustainability-related challenge moving forward: “Making sure we...