Group items tagged

As few as 1% of airline passengers participated in voluntary carbon offsetting before virus-induced travel restrictions took hold, according to The International Air Transport Association (IATA), indicating that purchasing carbon “credits” from your airline or a certified carbon offsetting organisation to compensate for your travel emissions likely wasn’t high on your priority list to begin with.

The difficulty in accurately quantifying most carbon-offsetting programmes (it’s difficult to gauge, for example, the volume of emissions you’ll offset by contributing to a clean cookstove project, an energy efficiency initiative typically funded by offsetting organisations) hasn’t helped.

Could this be the new carbon offsetting?As permanent carbon removal becomes more accessible to travellers through these two schemes, environmental sociologist and University of Southampton research fellow Dr Roger Tyers, who explored carbon offsetting in his PhD, says it may help to bolster the offset industry.“More measurable offsets like direct air capture (either for permanent removal or for creating alternatives to fossil fuels) could lift standards across the whole offset market,” he said. “They might also help shine a light on cheaper and less effective offset schemes that have dominated the market so far, which are often too good or cheap to be true.”Until carbon removal with permanent storage becomes more financially viable for travellers to adopt, other offset providers perhaps shouldn’t be too worried about losing customers. But the founders of Climeworks and Tomorrow’s Air hope that the need for urgent action on climate action will encourage travellers to incorporate permanent carbon removal into their carbon offsetting strategies sooner rather than later.

Hilton New York has announced the completion of a new green roof system and the installation of a Cogeneration (Combined Heat & Power) System, both designed to reduce the hotel's overall carbon footprint.

The system represents a major investment by Hilton New York to benefit efforts in carbon capture, energy conservation, and reduction of the Urban Heat Island effect.

The foliage and roots of those plants naturally absorb airborne pollutants, which in turn prevents large quantities of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere. Additionally, the vegetated rooftop deflects solar radiation and reduces the thermal load, reducing the energy previously expended in cooling the property. All together, these benefits aid in the reduction of the Urban Heat Island effect - or increased temperatures in midtown Manhattan due to concentrated cityscapes and a lack of vegetation.

Innovative carbon-capture projects are ready to launch in the U.S., according to experts gathered yesterday by the Atlantic Council, but they are waiting for IRS guidance expected since fall.

The guidance should resolve uncertainty over how companies can take advantage of the carbon capture tax credit in Section 45Q of the Internal Revenue Code.

“We’ve seen more governments embrace net-zero targets,”

Dutch airline KLM plans to use recycled cooking oil as biofuel to power flights

Dutch airline KLM plans to use recycled cooking oil as biofuel to power flights

cutting carbon emissions.

Purdue University researchers are turning to similar technologies to help manage climate control and indoor air quality.

The Purdue sensor detects the carbon dioxide so that heating and ventilation systems can control the climate and air turnover in spaces that are occupied, instead of using energy to control rooms that are empty.

helps address privacy concerns about using camera technology for detecting when someone enters and leaves a room.

A hotel stay might have once been thought of as an opportunity to overindulge on rich buffet food, multiple luxuriant baths and mini-bar nightcaps, but is the modern business traveller more likely to demand gluten-free breakfasts, in-room yoga mats and a green-energy policy?

The initiative will, its proponents hope, help to achieve consistency in the way hotels report their emissions.

Farrant said that though he is not yet seeing a sufficient degree of customer maturity or interest in making purchase decisions based around environmental considerations, the initiative "is starting to drive public sector procurement and corporate purchase decisions."

Marquee properties like the Waldorf Astoria New York, Grand Hyatt New York, Loews Regency New York and the Peninsula New York recently joined the NYC Carbon Challenge, a program Michael R. Bloomberg started as mayor in 2007 with the city’s universities to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

This initial group of properties — accounting for more than 11,000 guest rooms — has pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions from their buildings by 30 percent or more in the next 10 years, a move that could reduce emissions by more than 32,000 metric tons and save $25 million of energy operating costs.

Similar to the Grand Hyatt, other NYC Carbon Challenge hotels may have to financially invest in energy conserving upgrades, but their leadership realizes that they will save money in the long run.

Fairmont has pledged to reduce its operational CO2 emissions by 20 percent below 2006 levels by 2013, and was the world’s first luxury hotel group to commit to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions (GHG)

  Additionally, the brand adopted a formalized sustainable design and construction policy and relocated its corporate offices to a LEED NC Gold-certified building.

At The Fairmont Dubai, the hotel has optimized its temperature control and building humidity settings, resulting in a 17.1 percent reduction in greenhouse gases over the last four years, while Quebec’s Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu converted two boilers from oil to electric, helping the hotel cut emissions by more than 75 percent, despite having higher occupancy levels. 

Those little cards may seem like token environmentalism, but they can actually result in significant water, waste and cost reductions.

The website Economically Sound reports that a 150-room hotel can conserve 72,000 gallons of water and 480 gallons of laundry soap every year by placing the cards in its guest rooms.

he Marriott chain reported saving as much as 17 percent in hot water and sewer costs at its hotels thanks to implementation of its Linen Reuse Program.

Progress depends on radical innovation

the company still released information detailing the progress of its environmentally-friendly initiatives.

an application plug-in that would help automobiles determine where you are going,

Ozone systems are one of the most proven technologies offering a sustainable alternative to traditional sanitation and cleaning in green hotels.

These systems reduce energy consumption, water usage and virtually eliminate the reliance on harsh chemical additives and detergents that can potentially shorten the lifespan of expensive linen products

Providence Hampton Inn and Suites had a total combined cost savings of 25% on the new Ozone Laundry system when compared to their original laundry protocol.

Modern systems have managed to finally link cost-effectiveness with environmental sustainability, though many properties are still struggling to grasp what the best way is to control the energy output of the hotel guestroom.

motion detectors and door switch sensors are commonly used in collaboration with one another in the guestroom.

the majority of a hotel’s energy savings is received through management of the property’s HVAC system

Green Path Transfers, part of the WHL Group, is a new, global, eco-friendly airport transfer and ground transportation network. We are currently operational in over 30 destinations around the world, with over 100 expected by the end of this year.

Our focus is on partnering with local operators who have made a commitment to environmental sustainability, especially through the use of low carbon emission fuels or engines

. They do not know how to access global markets with a professional transfer service priced for distribution (a problem they have as well with their other tour and activity products), nor do they have the technology to plug into global distribution, and this is where Green Path Transfers comes in.

Our desert surroundings require that we be strong stewards of natural resources, especially water," Dumont said.

LEED is an acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, the council's rating system for measuring the effectiveness of environmentally efficient buildings. LEED ranks buildings on a 100-point scale measuring energy and atmosphere, the sustainability of a site, efficient use of water and the use of environmentally responsible materials and resources in the building's construction and maintenance. It also awards six points for innovative design and four points for embracing regional priorities in products and services. The resulting levels are Certified (40 to 49 points), Silver (50 to 59 points), Gold (60 to 79 points) and the greenest category, Platinum (80 points or more).

he approximately 5 million hotel rooms in the U.S. rack up almost $4 billion in energy bills a year, or about $800 per room annually, according to Ashley Katz, spokeswoman for the Washington-based Green Building Council.

Utilizing its renowned satellite services, Google is now providing information to indigenous tribes on deforestation, giving them the ability to track and prevent the atrocity from taking place. Wildlife activist groups can use Google Earth to map areas at risk of being destroyed by logging companies and palm oil producers. With severe drought plaguing the countryside, French authorities have used Google’s mapping services to determine agricultural regions that should face water restrictions. After purchasing a wind farm in Iowa only a few years ago, Google announced its agreement to buy electricity from a wind generation facility in Oklahoma, boosting the use of renewable power on the electric grid that will power one of its new data centers. Under a twenty year agreement with the local service provider, Google’s long-term goal of running entirely on renewable energy is growing closer and closer. Advocating carbon neutrality in every aspect of its internal affairs, Google is constantly searching for ways to ensure that it never consumes excessive gas. Google has shuttles that run on biodiesel and encourages its employees to ride into work on bikes, skateboards, and scooters. Since 2007, Google has attempted to keep its operations carbon neutral. They’ve done it by reducing energy use, incorporating renewable energy, and offsetting carbon emissions. By adopting unconventional techniques for effectively lowering its environmental impact, the company has become a model for implementing green technology in a fiscally-efficient manner.