CAMBRIDGE, MASS.—Henrietta’s Table, the award-winning restaurant at the Charles Hotel here, has staked its claim as one of the most environmentally friendly restaurants in America—and for good reason. Executive chef Peter Davis strongly advocates the purchase of local, organically grown vegetables, meat produced by farmers who practice humane animal husbandry, and seafood produced by well-managed fisheries. In 2005, Henrietta’s Table purchased close to $100,000 in food products directly from local farmers. As a member of the Boston-based Chefs Collaborative, a national nonprofit organization that promotes sustainable cuisine, chef Davis supports local farmers by buying as much organic produce as he...

LOS ANGELES—Bentley Prince Street has made another step toward its Mission Zero goal of eliminating its potential negative impact on the environment by the year 2020 by thinking not just about what is in its carpets, but what is underneath them. The company announced the launch of a new eco-friendly adhesives line that sets a new industry standard for environmental innovation. These adhesives complement the company’s new recycled content backings launched earlier in the year. Healthbond 1500 Ultra Green Plus adhesive, designed for broadloom applications, and NexStep 2300 Ultra Green Plus adhesive, for carpet tile applications, both...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—“Green” projects will increase 30 percent per year during the next five years, making them one of the major development trends in commercial real estate, according to Developing Green: Strategies for Success, to be released next week by the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP). The book, authored by Jerry Yudelson, is designed for professionals engaged in financing, building and marketing projects with green features. It illustrates the practice of marketing green developments and includes case studies, exemplary projects, and companies that are transforming the building and development industry. In addition to the case...

MIAMI—The 2006 American Express Caribbean Tourism Environmental Awards, presented in late June in Miami during a special awards luncheon as part of the annual Caribbean Hotel Industry Conference (CHIC), paid tribute to the hotels that are models of responsible environmental and social performance in the region. “The relationship between tourism and environment must be intimate and continuous, especially in the Caribbean, where sustainability is indispensable to preserve our tropical paradise” says Dianelys Rodríguez, vice president establishment services, American Express Latin America and Caribbean Division. “Our congratulations to both winners for taking the lead in environmental practices and serving...

AUSTIN, TEXAS—Hotel owners and operators just beginning to consider green practices should investigate the Habitat Suites Hotel, one of the lodging industry’s leading advocates of sustainable business practices. The 96-suite hotel has reduced its operating expenses by 18 percent as a result of it comprehensive environmental program. The property has come a long way since it first opened its doors in May 1985. The hotel was not designed or built with ecological considerations in mind. In 1991, it became a charter member of the Green Hotels Assn., making its commitment to sustainable management official. Fifteen years later, evidence...

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO—In May 2005, the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST) Governing Council convened in Puerto Rico with the purpose of planning the strategies to advance the development of sustainable tourism in the Caribbean. During the meeting, Sir Royston Hopkin KCMG, Chairman of the Council, made the announcement of a new regional award for Green Globe-certified properties based on their benchmarking data submitted for the past two years to Green Globe and reviewed by EarthCheck. The Best Overall Performer Award was granted to Amsterdam Manor Beach Resort in Aruba, a property that achieved best practice status...

DENVER—The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) recently honored the winners of the AH&LA Achievement Awards, part of the Stars of the Industry Awards breakfast, held during the AH&LA Summer Summit at The Brown Palace Hotel and sponsored by U.S. Foodservice. The awards, created in 1966, recognize individual hotel properties that have developed outstanding public relations campaigns. Among the categories is Good Earthkeeping. The Onyx Hotel in Boston won the Good Earthkeeping award, small property category, for its integrated approach to sustainable lodging practices. The hotel demonstrates a strong commitment to purchasing eco-friendly products and amenities, as well as innovative...

TURNER, AUSTRALIA—Green Globe, the worldwide benchmarking and certification program that facilitates sustainable travel and tourism for consumers, companies and communities, has launched a new Web site. The site comprises three main pages. The Program page provides an overview of the Green Globe program for the tourism industry and for those wanting to know more about the organization’s background, credentials, networks and resources. There is a Travellers’ page to assist environmentally conscious travellers to find Green Globe Benchmarked and Certified businesses and destinations. The third page is a Participants’ page to permit customers to log in and find all...

LOS ANGELES—McGraw-Hill Construction has launched a new magazine dedicated to the growing market for environmentally responsible green buildings. “GreenSource, The Magazine of Sustainable Design” will present news, features, case studies of important projects, and green product information to more than 40,000 architects, interior designers, building owners, and members of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). McGraw-Hill Construction editors will collaborate on GreenSource and the related Web site with editors from BuildingGreen Inc.—an information company that provides green product information and policy analysis for building industry professionals and policy makers. BuildingGreen editors will assist with editorial content, green product...

DENVER— Xanterra Parks & Resorts has published a 48-page Sustainability Report detailing the concessioner’s extensive environmental management programs, quantifying the progress of those programs and identifying a set of environmental goals. The report is placed in Xanterra guestrooms in national and state park lodges and resorts across the country. This is the company’s second Sustainability Report. Xanterra was the first national park hospitality company to document specific results of its environmental management system. Xanterra was also the first company in the entire tourism industry to create quantifiable environmental performance metrics specific to hospitality. Xanterra’s environmental management program,...