MANCHESTER, ENGLAND—International architecture and interiors practice Red Deer have designed The Alan Hotel in Manchester focused on experimentation, realness, and constant improvement while rejecting the pretentious and cradling the imaginative. The Alan was borne from a vision of wanting to do things differently—something experimental, fresh and with an emphasis on partnerships between artists, chefs, designers, and forward-thinkers. Situated opposite the Manchester Art Gallery, in the heart of the city, next to the vibrancy of Chinatown and the bustle of the central shopping district, The Alan is a unique six-story building with a pop-up mixed-use space, ground floor restaurant/cafe/bar, and 137 bedrooms. “The...

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND—Johnson Controls, a global leader for smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings, has joined over 200 forward-thinking companies as the newest member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). With a global team of 100,000 experts in more than 150 countries, Johnson Controls offers the world’s largest portfolio of building technology, software as well as service solutions with some of the most trusted names in the industry. With a history of more than 135 years of innovation, the company delivers the blueprint of the future for industries such as healthcare, schools, data centers, airports, stadiums, manufacturing and beyond...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Securities and Exchange Commission recently proposed rule changes that would require registrants to include certain climate-related disclosures in their registration statements and periodic reports, including information about climate-related risks that are reasonably likely to have a material impact on their business, results of operations, or financial condition, and certain climate-related financial statement metrics in a note to their audited financial statements. The required information about climate-related risks also would include disclosure of a registrant’s greenhouse gas emissions, which have become a commonly used metric to assess a registrant’s exposure to such risks. “I am pleased to support today’s...

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM—Radisson Hotel Group is building on its long heritage of sustainability by committing to set science-based emission reduction targets, and by strengthening its performance with a net zero carbon future in sight by 2050. This includes a long-term, science-based target to reach net zero value chain GHG emissions by no later than 2050, in line with the SBTi Net-Zero Standard. Radisson Hotel Group will be part of the Business Ambition for 1.5°C campaign and will join the UNFCCC Race to Zero campaign as part of an important, globally coordinated effort to reach the goal of Net Zero. In 2021, the Group reduced its...

OAHU, HAWAII—The Coconut Traveler, a BIPOC woman-owned onsite travel company in the Hawaiian Islands, announced that it is now B Corp certified. The rigorous assessment to obtain B-certification measures a company’s impact in five critical areas: Governance, Workers, Community, Environment, and Customers. The Coconut Traveler’s impact on the local community, by stimulating a circular flow of capital among Hawaiian-owned small businesses and non-profit organizations, was particularly relevant. The Coconut Traveler builds bespoke travel itineraries, which create a shared value with local, purpose-driven organizations in two ways. First, the company actively seeks mission-aligned partners to create a multiplier of positive impact in the...

If you still are not convinced that going green, focusing on wellness, and promoting your hotel that way is the best way to position your business, allow me to share the results of several reports that “hit my desk” this past week. First, The Vacationer, an online travel journal, posted its Sustainable Travel Survey 2022 results. The anonymous survey included 1,096 American adults over the age of 18 and was conducted online using SurveyMonkey’s interface/audience on March 1, 2022. Eric Jones analyzed the survey. He is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Rowan College South Jersey. When asked how important sustainable travel is...

BAMFIELD, B.C.—Opening in spring 2022, Outer Shores Lodge will welcome guests year-round for remarkable wildlife and cultural experiences in the splendor of British Columbia’s West Coast. Bordering Pacific Rim National Park Reserve and directly fronting Canada’s exposed west coast, but only a minute’s walk to a protected harbor to safely launch daily excursions, the intimate Outer Shores Lodge sits in an awe-inspiring location that has seen near continual habitation for more than 5,000 years. Outer Shores Lodge guests will enjoy daily expert guided excursions of the ecology, culture, and rugged local scenery, exploring on hikes, by kayak, or by boat. They can...

NATIONAL REPORT—The Vacationer has posted its Sustainable Travel Survey 2022 results. It conducted this survey before Earth Day 2022 to find out how Americans feel about sustainable travel, how many are willing to spend more money to travel sustainably, how many plan on making more eco-friendly decisions when planning travel, how many use technology/filters to find sustainable travel options, and more. The anonymous survey included 1,096 American adults over the age of 18 and was conducted online using SurveyMonkey’s interface/audience on March 1, 2022. Eric Jones analyzed the survey. He is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Rowan College South Jersey. A...

BETHESDA, MD.—Marriott International, Inc. announced it has signed an agreement with Baraka Lodges LTD. to enter the safari segment in Africa. JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge will be located within the Mara National Reserve, one of Africa’s most renowned wildlife conservation and wilderness regions. Offering discerning travelers an unparalleled setting, the elegant retreat expects to welcome guests in 2023. Overlooking the famed banks of the River Talek and on the edge of the reserve, JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge’s prime location will offer guests a distinctively elevated camp from which to discover the Masai Mara National Reserve, its stunning vistas,...

FRAMINGHAM, MASS.—Ameresco, Inc., a leading cleantech integrator specializing in energy efficiency and renewable energy, announced that it has partnered with Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT), an independent charity dedicated to the preservation of woodlands in the Yorkshire Dales, to plant 500 trees across the region this year. Ameresco’s U.K. Leeds division made a financial contribution to YDMT that will help to protect local habitat creation and combat the adverse effects of the climate crisis through a reduction in carbon emissions. Ameresco’s participation in this initiative is a part of a larger effort being carried out by YDMT to support the planting...