DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.—At a time of physical distancing and unanticipated new stressors, young people are seeking positive relationships and stronger connections. LG Electronics USA has signed on to support Be Strong’s mission to educate, encourage, engage, and mobilize students—about 3,000 across all 50 states and growing—for increased mental wellbeing. The partnership, through LG’s “Experience Happiness” corporate social responsibility initiative, focuses on recruiting Be Strong student leaders and developing social and emotional skills to be learned, practiced, and shared, increasing students’ capacity to face life’s challenges. “In the midst of an isolating global pandemic, mental health and emotional wellness are a...

MCLEAN, VA.—The Hilton Effect Foundation announced earlier this week that on Giving Tuesday it would donate $1 for every retweet within 24 hours of posting to World Central Kitchen to support those facing food insecurity, up to $100,000. Over the last year, the Foundation has donated more than $1 million to support communities around the world grappling with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including nearly $250,000 in donations connected to food insecurity. “With world hunger on the rise due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hilton Effect Foundation wanted to provide a simple opportunity for our guests,...

BROOMFIELD, COLO.—With this week’s launch of Vail Resorts’ 2019/20 season EpicPromise Progress Report, the company announced major advancement toward its Commitment to Zero goal to reach a zero net operating footprint by 2030. Through its operations, Vail Resorts is prioritizing efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change. Detailed in the third-annual report, this year’s milestones include: Achieving the company’s 50 percent waste diversion subgoal, nearly a year ahead of schedule, by reducing landfill waste and increasing composting and recycling. Setting a course to be 100 percent powered by renewable electricity by 2030, in large part due to two...

SINGAPORE—The latest Cornell Hotel Sustainability Benchmarking (CHSB) Index shows that carbon emissions per square meter of hotels around the world has decreased by 10 percent since 2015. The CHSB Index contains data for over 14,000 hotels in 55 countries from 20 international chains. The greatest reduction was across hotels in the U.K., in which carbon footprint reduced on average 23.4 percent between 2015 and 2018. Hotels in India, Canada and the U.S. experienced a decrease of 14.4 percent, 13.6 percent, and 12.1 percent, respectively. Hotels in China showed slightly less improvement at a 7.4 percent average reduction in carbon footprint. Of...

ST. PAUL, MINN.—Ecolab Inc., a global leader in water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services that protect people and vital resources, has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World), which tracks the leading sustainability-driven publicly listed companies globally. “I’m proud of what Ecolab’s 45,000 associates do every day to make the world cleaner, safer and healthier,” said Ecolab Chairman and CEO Douglas M. Baker, Jr. “In 2019, we helped our customers conserve 206 billion gallons of water (equivalent to the drinking water needs of 712 million people), conserve 28 trillion Btus of energy and avoid...

The unprecedented challenges posed by COVID-19 have reminded us that we are an interconnected global community. While this crisis rightly has dominated our attention, we must not lose sight of progress on the broader aims of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement. Like the pandemic, our response must transcend national boundaries, engage the public and private sectors—and the pace must quicken. Corporations are essential to sustainable development. We live in a globalized economy where some multinational companies have revenues that exceed the GDP of many countries, workforces in the millions and supply chains that touch every corner...

MCLEAN, VA.—Hilton has been named the global industry leader in sustainability for the second consecutive year on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI), the most prestigious ranking for corporate responsibility and sustainability performance. As an industry leader in hotels, resorts and cruise lines, the company earned top scores across the assessment’s three key areas including governance & economic, environmental and social performance. This marks the fourth consecutive year Hilton has been recognized for sustainability leadership through inclusion on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and North America Index. “In a year where the hospitality industry has been severely impacted by...

HORSHAM, PENN.—Sofidel, a leading global provider of paper for hygienic and domestic use, introduced the latest innovative addition to its Papernet brand of HyTech dispensers. HyTech Ocean dispensers feature a mix of 30 percent plastics recovered from the ocean and 70 percent recycled industrial and post-consumer materials. Sofidel is also supporting a nonprofit environmental advocacy group to aid efforts such as cleaning plastics from our ocean. “Repurposing ocean plastic not only reduces the amount of plastic currently in the water, but also helps us create durable products that won’t end up back in these marine ecosystems in the future,” said...

BANGKOK—Another green gem in the Six Senses portfolio, and the first opening in the Americas, is aptly named Six Senses Botanique. It showcases its surrounding beauty from a hillside amid 700 acres of lush, mid-tropical Atlantic forests. A Naturally Secluded Yet Convenient Setting The resort lies in the desirable Mantiqueira area, 2.5 hours from São Paulo and 3.5 hours from Rio de Janeiro, 3,940 feet (1,200 meters) above sea level and at the confluence of three river valleys in the heart of the Mantiqueira Mountains. These are known as the “mountains that weep” due to the abundance of springs and rivers....

NEWPORT BEACH, FLA.—Preferred Hotel Group, Inc.—the family-owned company that manages and operates global travel and hospitality brands including Preferred Hotels & Resorts, Historic Hotels of America, Historic Hotels Worldwide, PHG Consulting, and Beyond Green Travel—announced the launch of Beyond Green. This hospitality brand debuts with a global portfolio of 24 founding member hotels, resorts, and lodges that exemplify sustainable tourism leadership. Born through a synergy between the Ueberroth Family, the owners of Preferred Hotel Group, Inc., and ecotourism pioneer and global sustainability expert Costas Christ, the founder of Beyond Green Travel, which Preferred acquired in February 2020, Beyond Green brings together forward-thinking properties around the...