SYOSSET, N.Y.—Emerald Brand is expanding its expert sustainability team to staff members of Emerald Licensed Dealers by launching the Emerald Sustainability Accreditation Program (ESA). The program, currently offered by invitation only, gives each member the opportunity to carry the ESA Accreditation. In addition, the program certifies members to represent Emerald to national end-user accounts and to present on Emerald’s newest sustainable material technology, provides access to ongoing sustainability education and updates on environmental laws and regulations, and allows participation in research and development of new product concepts. “Graduates of the program will truly have a front row seat on all that is happening at Emerald Brand and...

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.—FoodMaven, a Colorado-based startup, announced an initiative aimed at helping hospitality institutions source local, sustainable food products for their kitchens in Colorado and Texas. The initiative is already in place at Hilton properties in Denver including the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel-Westminster, Hilton Denver City Center, and Hilton Stapleton North. “As part of Hilton’s Travel with Purpose commitment to cut our environmental footprint in half by 2030 and double our social impact investment around the world, we are identifying solutions to reduce food waste and expand sustainable sourcing,” said Terry Jenkins, Sr. Manager of Corporate Responsibility Americas, Hilton. “Our...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) released the results of a comprehensive Lodging Survey, a detailed assessment of advancements in amenities, guest services, sustainability and technology, in addition to other industry trends. This recent survey underscores how hotels advance, accommodate and innovate the guest experience. Consumers can expect seamless transitions between their everyday lives and their lives on the road thanks to increased mobile compatibility, flexible dining options and welcoming accommodations. This comprehensive survey is conducted every two years by industry data provider and AHLA partner STR, renowned for providing premium data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights for...

NEW YORK—The pristine Faroe Islands—a group of volcanic islands in the North Atlantic, halfway between Iceland and Norway—welcome approximately 100,000 visitors each year, attracted by the country’s dramatic scenery, including rugged cliffs, sea caves, spectacular waterfalls and an abundance of birdlife, not forgetting a population of just 50,000 Faroese people and their 80,000 sheep. But, for one weekend in spring 2019 and in celebration of Earth Day, the Faroe Islands will be taking a time out from tourism. Why? The Faroese people are keen to keep their green islands pristine. Notably—and happily—the Faroe Islands currently have no over-tourism problems. However, the fragile natural...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Earth Day Network announced the release of its Earth Day 2019 poster. In one stunning image, the poster visually conveys the meaning and importance of its 2019 Protect Our Species campaign. It features Brad Wilson’s photograph of a giraffe, part of his series AFFINITY that depicts threatened, endangered and other species. Giraffe populations have declined from 155,000 in 1985 to under 100,000 in 2018. No international treaties protect giraffes, and the United States is the number one importer of giraffe trophies and parts. Habitat loss, civil unrest, illegal poaching and hunting, and climate change collectively contribute to the decline...

TORONTO—More than 79 percent of American travelers hope to become more ethically-conscious in their future adventures, according to new research conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Exodus Travels. As a leading adventure tour operator that has been committed to low impact tourism and elevating local communities for the past 45 years, Exodus decided to dig into how much the average traveler values responsible tourism practices in today’s world, so they commissioned OnePoll to survey 2,000 Americans (who have been outside of North America and the Caribbean in last three years), to get to the heart of the matter. “We really...

LAS VEGAS—Caesars Entertainment Corp. announced that it has been identified as a global leader for its actions and strategies to manage carbon and climate change across its supply chain, and has been awarded a position on the Supplier Engagement leader board by CDP, formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project, the nonprofit global environmental disclosure platform. Over 5,000 companies were assessed by CDP on their supply chain engagement strategies. Caesars Entertainment is among the 3 percent of organizations to be awarded a position on the leader board, in recognition of its actions to reduce emissions and lower climate-related risks in the supply...

BERLIN—Guyana has been named the No. 1 “Best of Ecotourism” destination in the world. The award was presented to Guyana at the ITB global travel trade fair in Berlin, Germany. The second annual “Best of Top 100” Awards is a selection of the finest top 100 destinations selected by a panel of experts who reviewed sustainability success stories submitted by destinations worldwide. The newly created “Best of Ecotourism” category was added in 2019 and put Guyana up against very well-known and experienced ecotourism destinations like Sierra Gorda in Mexico, Tmatboey in Cambodia and the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador. The announcement was made at Berlin’s Messe Berlin exhibition grounds...

DALTON, GA.—The Manufacturing Institute has awarded Diana Rosenberger, Sustainable Sourcing Manager at Shaw Industries Group, Inc., the Women in Manufacturing STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering and Production) Ahead Award. This national honor identifies high-achieving women in manufacturing who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their companies and communities. Rosenberger is honored for her contributions to Shaw’s sustainability efforts. As the sustainable sourcing manager, she partnered with fellow associates, aligning sustainability, legal and global sourcing interests to transform Shaw’s once stand-alone supplier code of conduct into a legally binding sourcing policy. She was also an instrumental part of the team that drove...

LAAMU, MALDIVES—One of the most valuable ecosystems on our planet, seagrass, is being deliberately removed so as to maintain the white sand beaches and clear turquoise waters prized by the tourism industry in the Maldives. On World Seagrass Day, March 1, 2019, the Maldives Underwater Initiative (MUI), the marine team at Six Senses Laamu and Blue Marine Foundation (BLUE) launched the #ProtectMaldivesSeagrass campaign to protect seagrass at all resorts in the Maldives. Natasha Prokop, MUI head marine biologist says, “We’re only just beginning to comprehend the scale of the problem in the Maldives. In a survey of 49 resorts, we found that 50 percent of those that...