LONDON—Leading industry body UKHospitality unveiled its program aimed at guiding the sector to net zero by 2040. The trade body’s new Sustainability Commitment sets out 10 pledges in four key areas. Announced at a seminar at the London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square, the trade body’s new Sustainability Commitment sets out 10 pledges in four key areas—waste, supply chain, skills and biodiversity. The initiative forms part of a wider drive to help businesses, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs), make hospitality a leader in sustainability. The 10 pledges outlined in UKHospitality’s Sustainability Program comprise: To deliver on 2040 net-zero aims for the sector; Roll out the...

HORSHAM, PENN.—Sofidel, a leading global provider of paper for hygienic and domestic use, launched the Sustainable Hygiene Heroes awards. The program honors facility maintenance and cleaning professionals who go above and beyond to provide clean and safe facilities, while implementing sustainable cleaning practices. The winner will receive $4,000 cash and two runners-up will receive $500 cash each. The winner’s facility will also receive $500 of paper products from Sofidel. “Maintaining clean and safe facilities is challenging, especially in a post-pandemic world where people’s expectations around cleanliness have increased,” said Fabio Vitali, Vice President of Marketing, Sofidel. “From paper to chemicals to trash...

HELSINKE, FINLAND—Scandic Helsinki Hub recently opened its doors in the Finnish capital. Located in downtown Helsinki, the hotel is housed in a 1920s printing house that has been transformed into a large 352-room hotel. Along with unique loft-style rooms, the hotel features inspiring event, meeting and coworking spaces along with a trattoria and bars. Scandic Helsinki Hub is strategically located at the crossroads of downtown Helsinki and the charming Helsinki south district. Vestiges of the former printing house have been elegantly preserved in the design throughout the building, and guests can choose accommodations that offer a variety of special features...

LONDON—It is estimated that the hotel industry alone is worth over $570 billion worldwide, the travel industry at large is worth $1.6 trillion, and employs over 271 million people—simply put the travel sector has clout. However, that clout is not currently realizing its full potential when it comes to mitigating the climate crisis, halting biodiversity loss, and driving social and economic development, despite the apparent will for change. This thinking was the catalyst that drove Weeva co-founders Julie Cheetham and Lindsey Walter to consider how they might be able to help turn the tide on unsustainable practices within the travel...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Green Lodging News has added Clean the World as a Founding Sponsor. Clean the World provides innovative impact solutions that inspire businesses and individuals to impact their community and help change the world. Through our Hospitality Recycling program, we recycle the used soap and plastic amenity bottles left behind by guests and collected by housekeepers around the world and put it into the hands of people in need. The Impact Reporting that is provided as part of the program provides partners advanced insights on their sustainability contributions. At any given moment, partners can review, track, and observe the impact they’re...

CHANNEL ISLANDS HARBOR, CALIF.—The date for the annual Green2Sustainable Sustainability Recognition Ceremony has just been announced. It will be held on Tuesday, October 11, 2022, at 4 p.m. central time in the CleanMeet Lounge at the upcoming ISSA Show North America. The annual ceremony honors ISSA-member organizations that have demonstrated their commitment to sustainability. The honorees are selected by Green2Sustainable, which uses advanced sustainability monitoring technologies and ongoing performance interviews that help organizations reduce their use of natural resources, energy, fuel, waste, and other metrics. According to Steve Ashkin, President of Green2Sustainable, there are several benefits for ISSA members to become more sustainable. Among them are the...

ATLANTA—ASHRAE and the International Code Council announced joint development of a standard to assess carbon emissions across the entire building life cycle. Proposed ASHRAE/ICC Standard 240P—Evaluating Greenhouse Gas (GHG) and Carbon Emissions in Building Design, Construction and Operation, will provide a whole life carbon approach to support emissions reductions in buildings. The proposed standard establishes how to measure and verify the greenhouse gas (GHG) and carbon emissions of a building, or group of buildings, over the entire life cycle. The goal is to provide consistent procedures and data to be referenced by policies, codes, and other standards that address new and...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The JW Marriott Washington, DC announced, during Environmental Awareness Month, that the hotel has been awarded a Gold level LEED certification for Building Operations and Maintenance. LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) is developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and is the most widely used green building rating system in the world and an international symbol of excellence in green building. The JW Marriott Washington, DC is also expected to receive the Energy Star award in late September. The LEED Certification achievement, along with JW Marriott Washington, DC’s energy conservation awards, achievements, and efforts, such as using solar energy,...

NATIONAL REPORT—Hotels are stepping up their efforts to give back to local communities in response to increasing pressure from travelers, looking beyond environmental commitments when it comes to doing good. From collaborations with local minority-owned and female-owned businesses in the U.S., to donating bedding to homeless shelters in the Nordics, social-value initiatives are moving up the agenda. “Silence is no longer an option. Employees and guests want to know where the leadership of these companies stand on social issues, while longer term institutional investors are demanding more socially conscious investments,” says JLL’s Global CEO of Hotels & Hospitality, Gilda Perez-Alvarado. A recent...

TAMPA, FLA.—Masonite International Corp., a leading global designer, manufacturer, marketer and distributor of interior and exterior doors, announced a $4.9 million investment in the Circular Innovation Fund L.P. (“CIF”), a venture capital fund dedicated to advancing the circular economy by investing in growth-stage companies across North America, Europe and Asia, which have the potential to solve complex supply chain problems and minimize environmental impact. With this investment, Masonite joins CIF’s original investor L’Oréal and its network of global partners and co-investors in supporting the transition to a lower carbon economy. Masonite was founded nearly 100 years ago on sustainability principles...