ITHACA, N.Y.—The CHSB Index 2023 was released during the eCornell keynote Sustainability in the Hospitality Industry: How Data Is Making an Impact webinar on June 7, 2023. The hotel industry’s largest and longstanding annual data collection of energy, water, and carbon performance, CHSB is the primary reference tool for hoteliers to benchmark their performance, and for various stakeholders including governments and business travelers seeking to calculate the environmental impact of a hotel stay. It incorporates the Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI) and Hotel Water Measurement Initiative (HWMI) methodologies to provide standardized, industry-backed data to end users. CHSB 2023 is the...

INTERNATIONAL REPORT—Climate change, freshwater depletion, unsustainable use of resources, and biodiversity collapse are some of the most pressing challenges faced by humanity today. As the world’s population increases, so does the pressure on the world’s natural resources and on local communities. While hospitality might on the surface be less damaging than other industries where pollution is more visible (manufacturing, transport, agriculture, etc.), the hospitality service sector and its supply chain are directly affecting and being affected by sustainability matters. Energy and water consumption, working conditions, employment, waste, and carbon emission are among the issues which need to be urgently...

ALEXANDRIA, VA.—TRSA, the association for linen, uniform and facility services providers, celebrates its Clean Green certification as the program embarks on its second decade. The certification is earned by companies that demonstrate leadership in environmental sustainability and meet certain benchmarks for water and energy conservation and emissions reduction. Over the past decade, 34 companies with 111 plants have shown their commitment to sustainability by meeting the requirements of the Clean Green certification. These companies have implemented water, energy, and fuel conservation measures to reduce their facilities’ environmental impact and shrink their carbon footprints. The commercial laundry industry, led by Clean Green certified...

NATIONAL REPORT—Interest in eco-friendly commercial buildings is on the rise and scrutiny of organizations’ ESG initiatives mean building owners’ and other stakeholders’ reputations and revenue depend upon them taking steps to become more sustainable. The Center on Global Energy Policy recently reported the buildings sector worldwide consumes approximately 30 percent of global energy—natural gas, electricity and solid and liquid fuels for heating, cooling, lighting, equipment and cooking. The commentary also pointed out the importance of decarbonization in the buildings sector. Interest in eco-friendly commercial buildings is on the rise, especially with increasing reports of global warming and companies’ impact of using vast amounts of...

HONG KONG—Driven by a sense of purpose to build a future where people and place enrich one another, Rosewood Hotel Group has announced Rosewood Impacts, a groupwide roadmap for delivering positive impact on all its communities and the planet we call home. With deeper commitments to empowering people across the brand’s entire ecosystem and a sustainability approach that puts circular hospitality at the core of business operations, Rosewood Impacts is both a recognition of the group’s ongoing programs and a strategic roadmap for future efforts. With tangible goals in the fields of sustainability, employment, partnerships and more, the comprehensive...

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIF.—Auto-Chlor, a national leader in the production, installation, and service of energy saving dishwashers, is offering the A4 WaterSaver single rack in-line low-temperature dishwashing machine, equipped with an environmentally safe sanitizing solution that offers the lowest water and chemical use per cycle. The low temperature method fully meets all regulatory criteria at only 120°F, while reducing the energy required to heat the water used during the cleaning and sanitizing process. Combined with Auto-Chlor’s System’s WaterSaver design, the A4 dishwasher provides an energy efficient and water conserving solution. Also offered is the A5 model, which contains all the features of the...

ITHACA, N.Y.—For the ninth consecutive year, the annual Cornell Hotel Sustainability Benchmarking research reveals a general decrease in energy and water usage among the participating hotels. The decrease is largely associated with the pandemic which shook the world and granted no exception to the hospitality industry. For this reason, low occupancy rates and hotel closures are major contributors to the decreased energy and water consumption reported, as compared to the 2019 calendar year data set. A total of 25,576 hotels from 31 international hotel groups took part by providing data on their water and energy use for the calendar year of...

ROCKVILLE, MD.—Choice Hotels International recently released its 2022 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report. (See the recent press release.) The report highlights significant new steps that should cut utility costs, save time for franchisees, and increase the company’s ESG commitments. Among the steps highlighted in the release is the hiring of Megan Brumagim, Vice President, Sustainability for Choice Hotels. That hiring was announced in April 2022. Green Lodging News recently interviewed Brumagim about Choice’s ESG initiatives. Here are the results of that interview in Q&A format. GLN: Prior to your appointment, nobody was leading the ESG charge at Choice. (Unless...

AHLA last conducted The Lodging Survey with STR in 2018. It provided valuable information on numerous trends in lodging, including ones falling under Sustainability. AHLA and STR no longer conduct that survey. A very valuable replacement to that survey is the 2022 Green Lodging Trends U.S. Market Report. It is based on U.S.-specific data gathered for the 2022 edition of the global Green Lodging Trends Report (GLTR). The newly available U.S. report from AHLA—representing its Responsible Stay program—is based on data from 17,000 U.S. hotels. There were two data collection methods: direct participation by responding to the GLTR survey on...

HONOLULU—Premier beach resort brand Outrigger Resorts & Hotels has successfully achieved Green Seal certification for key properties in Fiji and Hawaii. Outrigger is first in the State of Hawaii to earn the prestigious Green Seal designation as well as the first hospitality brand to achieve certification outside of the United States. Green Seal is a global nonprofit whose certification mark is a universal symbol that a product, cleaning service or facility meets the highest benchmark of health and environmental leadership. Outrigger’s owned/managed properties that are now Green Seal certified include: Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort Outrigger Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel OHANA Waikiki...