BELLEVUE, WASH.—For decades, the average consumer has been contemplating the maze of headlines, claims, jargon, certifications and corporate and public interest platforms that make up the complex world of sustainability. In 2009, when The Hartman Group published its Sustainability: The Rise of Consumer Responsibility report, America’s consumers were reeling from the weight of a catastrophic economic recession. Some of the only bright lights in the otherwise gloomy economic realities of the time lie in those topics that intersect with sustainability (two examples common to both consumers and industry alike, being “saving energy” and another, “hope for a better world”). The...

CINCINNATI—The Procter & Gamble Co. announced that it reached its 2020 goal of purchasing 100 percent renewable electricity in the United States and Canada. The company exceeded its original goal by extending the purchase of 100 percent renewable electricity to Western Europe. These three markets are among its largest and represent over 70 percent of P&G’s purchased electricity. This commitment was achieved ahead of schedule and signifies a strong start to reaching P&G’s goal of purchasing 100 percent renewable electricity globally by 2030. P&G’s largest individual contributors to its renewable energy production are its wind farm in Tyler Bluff, Texas,...

WEST PALM BEACH, FLA.—HotelPlanner and Meetings.com, the leading online sites for booking group travel and meetings worldwide, announced that they are partnering with Greenview to advance their corporate responsibility and sustainability efforts. The partnership directly supports a program to protect and restore rainforests in Indonesia, allowing travelers and meeting planners to choose a green meeting option through the platforms at no additional cost. These curated venues have eliminated bottled water and other single-use plastic, offer local and vegetarian menu options and have energy-efficient lighting and power settings, among other benefits. The program will launch in 2020. With offices in New...

SAUDI, ARABIA—Amaala, one of the largest ultra-luxury sustainable resort projects ever conceived—one that will create 22,400 jobs and attract 310,000 visitors annually—is in the design stages for Saudi Arabia’s northeastern coast along the Red Sea. (See video.) Amaala, which is derived from the Arabic word for “hope,” will be set in a pristine natural reserve and includes three sites: Triple Bay, The Island, and The Coastal Development. Unique to the project is its environmental story. It will be built to have a zero-carbon footprint. Reaching zero-carbon status will be a challenge, as the project will also include an airport, 200 retail...

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J.—LG Electronics has been named “Industry Leader,” the highest designation by the globally recognized Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) for the second year in a row. This top 2019 ranking in the highly competitive consumer electronics category follows LG’s track record as the Industry Leader in Consumer Electronics last year and four consecutive years (2014 to 17) as DJSI Industry Group Leader in Consumer Durables. The DJSI Industry Leader distinction is earned by the highest scoring company within each of the 61 industries in the DJSI World Index. LG achieved industry-leading scores in consumer electronics for the company’s innovative management...

SEATTLE—Cool Effect, a Bay Area based nonprofit focused on fighting the climate crisis, announced a partnership with Ensemble Travel Group, a travel advisor network of approximately 760 top-tier, independent travel agencies committed to providing individuals with meaningful travel experiences. The partnership kicks off with Ensemble offsetting its carbon footprint with Cool Effect for the 2019 International Conference: Travel With Purpose. Simultaneously, Cool Effect’s Travel Offset Tool will be incorporated on Ensemble’s platform for members to quickly and easily offset the carbon footprint of air travel. The partnership was announced at Ensemble’s annual travel conference during a panel discussing the topic...

QUINTANA ROO, MEXICO—With thousands of sea turtles saved every season since the program’s inception nearly 40 years ago, the turtle protection program of the Mexican Caribbean keeps drawing travelers and top Quintana Roo hotels aim to continue that growth through new on-site initiatives. One in every 1,000 baby turtles don’t survive to adulthood and of the seven sea turtle species in the world, the loggerhead, white, hawksbill and leatherback species especially thrive in warm Caribbean waters. “More than an attraction, the turtle protection program is a way of life in the Mexican Caribbean. Now that such programs are becoming more...

PALMA DE MALLORCA, SPAIN—Meliá Hotels International, a leading hotel company in Spain, has just received its individual and voluntary assessment results after having sought to be assessed according to the same procedure applied for listed companies by the SAM Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA). Meliá Hotels International achieved the highest score in the global travel and tourism industry. For Gabriel Escarrer, Vice President and CEO of Meliá, “Without a shadow of a doubt, this news is the greatest possible acknowledgement for our management model, in which making sustainability an intrinsic part of the business is one of our most important...

BURBANK, CALIF.—The Disney Conservation Fund (DCF) has awarded $6 million in grants to 80 nonprofit organizations working to save wildlife, inspire action and protect the planet. Since the fund’s creation in 1995, Disney has provided nearly $86 million total in grants to protect the magic of nature together with communities around the world. “These Disney award recipients represent a global community dedicated to ensuring a world where people and wildlife thrive together. The Disney Conservation Fund provides not only the opportunity to support these meaningful efforts, but also celebrate them as a point of hope that inspires our audiences around...

SACRAMENTO, CALIF.—The Mattress Recycling Council (MRC) has launched the Sleep Products Sustainability Program (SP2), a new environmental certification and sustainability initiative for mattress manufacturers in the state of California. SP2 training and certification is offered at no cost to mattress manufacturers that want to improve operations at their manufacturing plants, distribution centers, warehouses and/or offices. “SP2 is designed to reduce waste and energy consumption in the manufacturing process while increasing operational efficiencies and generating cost savings,” says Ryan Trainer, President of the Mattress Recycling Council (MRC) and the International Sleep Products Assn. (ISPA). “Developed as part of the bedding industry’s...