MALLORCA, SPAIN—RIU has presented its new Proudly Committed sustainability strategy. This change comes after a deep internal reflection on the future of the hotel industry and its impact on the community, the environment, and employees. As a result of this process, RIU decided to transform the company and place sustainability at the center of all the organization’s decisions to ensure that the impact of the company’s activity on both the local community and the surrounding ecosystems is always as positive as possible. Proudly Committed represents a turning point for RIU. The company has always been very proud of its commitment to providing customers...

CHICAGO—For the fifth consecutive year, JLL has been named to Barron’s 2024 list of the Most Sustainable U.S. Companies, which scores companies based on a variety of environmental, social, and governance, or ESG, measures. “We are honored to be consistently recognized by Barron’s for our efforts to embed ESG into our company,” says Erin Meezan, Chief Sustainability Officer for JLL. “Our inclusion on this list underscores how focused we are on shaping the future of real estate for a better world. From setting our own ambitious net-zero climate targets to providing industry-leading sustainability services to our clients, we’re working to accelerate the adoption...

NEW YORK—HRS, the leading global corporate lodging and meeting technology platform, launched its latest advocacy effort to transform the industry with proven practices that enhance sustainability in corporate lodging. The new Green Stay Knowledge Hub offers an array of courses, downloadable guides, and videos—all focused on helping hoteliers improve their sustainable operations while also generating data and results that highlight their progress. Such metrics and attributes are vital in the evolving corporate procurement process, as companies increasingly prioritize sustainability when conveying preferred supplier status. According to the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance (SHA), individual hotels should reduce their carbon emissions by 5 percent annually...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) last week brought together hotel and sustainability leaders in Washington to highlight the hotel industry’s continued commitment and expanding set of programs regarding environmental sustainability at the second annual Responsible Stay Summit. AHLA member companies are increasingly incorporating environmental goals into their business models. AHLA’s Responsible Stay Summit is designed to help hoteliers continue this work through exclusive discussions on topics like Environmental, Social, and Governance strategies, federal energy policy, and financing the green transition. This year’s event highlighted two new developments that support these goals: AHLA and the Hotel Association of Canada announced a partnership to...

BRADENTON, FLA.—Capsolve announces its Environmental, Social and Governance research. This report analyzes the innovation in the category of solutions for the benefit of all covered industries. This category consists of vendors of various sizes and is classified as Super based on the number of companies it contains. The research uncovers five major categories and 45 subcategories to describe the many products and services capable of supporting various ESG efforts. Aligned with these prospective solutions, numerous categories of capabilities that enlighten ESG programs were identified and listed for guidance. The organization of the data was influenced by multiple associations and companies...

NATIONAL REPORT—It used to be the case that organizations were only responsible to their owners and shareholders. The primary goal was to make a profit, and if the business met that objective, it was deemed a success. Now all that has changed: Consumer insight is now a crucial driving force in corporate decision-making. Today, consumers increasingly seek to support organizations that align with their own moral and ethical views. That is particularly true of younger consumers, with Millennials and Gen Z leading the charge. According to one study, 91 percent of Millennials would switch brands to one associated with a cause...

BOYERTOWN, PA.—On the heels of National Entrepreneur Week, ClimeCo, a leading global decarbonization and environmental solutions company, has launched its EcoCommitted Partner Program. This innovative program provides a convenient, cost-effective, and valid way for small and midsize businesses (SMBs) to stand out by implementing a sustainability strategy, minimizing their carbon footprint and demonstrating environmental concern and leadership. Through the EcoCommitted Partner Program, businesses can choose from three options based on their size to effectively offset their entire operation for one year by purchasing offset credits from a group of active and validated environmental projects from around the world. As a leading expert...

Most of you have probably never heard of Wyboston Lakes Resort. The resort is in the East of England and sits on 380 acres. The resort describes itself as “Northern Europe’s largest independently owned business and leisure destination.” It has an ambitious sustainability program. Wyboston Lakes Resort just announced that it has implemented phase one of its Green Energy Roadmap and embarked on phase two of its path towards self-sufficiency in green energy. A total of 356KWh of solar panels and a 200KWh storage battery installed at The Willows Training Centre are already helping to make the Centre more self-sufficient in...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and the Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) announced that their formal partnership to operate the Green Key Global sustainability certification program in the U.S. and Canada will take effect April 1. In the meantime, hotel properties can continue to sign up for the Green Key sustainability certification program here. HAC created Green Key Global in 1994 to certify hotels’ environmental sustainability policies and processes, and its certification criteria are aligned with all 17 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The initiative, which provides certifications to hotels around the world, puts hotels through an assessment and audit...

OJAI, CALIF.—Ojai Valley Inn announced that it is in the inaugural class of resorts to achieve the Responsible Hospitality VERIFIED designation, an industry-leading sustainability standard for luxury hospitality. Responsible Hospitality is recognized by Forbes Travel Guide, the global authority on hospitality excellence, as the official sustainability verification for its community of Star-Rated hotels in more than 80 countries. The comprehensive assessment verifies hotels on best practices to protect the environment and support the well-being of employees, guests, and the community—creating a global standard for the world’s finest hotels and a trusted third-party verification for guests. Designed in partnership with highly respected hotelier Hervé...