Standards & Compliance Briefing: GreenScreens, Global Sustainable Tourism Council, WaterSense, CarbonNeutral

NSF International now offers chemical reviews in accordance with Clean Production Action’s (CPA) GreenScreen for Safer Chemicals program. The Greenscreen scores chemicals from one through four, defining progressively safer chemicals, one for chemicals of high concern and four for a chemical with low hazard, allowing for hazard reduction and potential substitution, NSF said.

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) announces that Amadeus, Melia, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Sabre Holdings and TUI Travel will promote sustainable tourism products and services using the GSTC Criteria. GSTC has also recognized 11 international tourism and travel certifications and standards, including Costa Rica Tourist Board (ICT) Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST), Fair Trade in Tourism for South Africa (FTTSA) and Rainforest Alliance Standard for Tourism Operations, GSTC said.

Sabre Holdings has launched its Sabre Eco-Certified Hotel Program, an expansion of the company’s Travelocity Green Hotel Directory. Travelers and corporate and agency customers are able to use tools and calculators to review and specify eco-certified hotels in the Sabre portfolio of booking systems including Global Distribution System, Red Workspace, Hotel RFP and Travelocity Business, Sabre said.

Furniture maker Bretford Manufacturing has earned CarbonNeutral certification by reducing its carbon footprint to net zero in accordance with The CarbonNeutral Protocol. Bretford’s CO2 emissions were third-party assessed across operations, and the company implemented energy-efficiency measures. Also, the company said it supports verified carbon offset projects – Garcia River Forestry, Yinshan Wind Power and Fiscalini Farms Methane Capture – to balance its unavoidable emissions.

Internet-based irrigation control systems maker Cyber-Rain has joined the EPA’s WaterSense program to use that label on its qualifying products and services. Cyber-Rain’s sprinkler controller systems for the residential and commercial markets reduce water usage by a minimum of 30 percent, the company said.

The ANSI/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES Standard 189.1-2011, Standard for the Design of High-Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings. The 2011 update clarifies and simplifies calculations for mandatory and prescriptive renewable energy requirements, and includes an appendix on energy reduction above the requirements of that standard, ASHRAE said.

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) previewed The New American Home (TNAH) this week at the International Builders Show (IBS) in Orlando, Fla. TNAH, designed and built by Phil Kean Designs with standards verification by Two Trails, achieves eight green building certifications, including LEED Platinum, Emerald – NAHB Green Building Certification, Energy Star, and Gold- Florida Water Star, Two Trails announced.

Beverage-Air headquarters in Winston-Salem, N.C., has earned LEED certification for its new building. The facility has an estimated reduced overall energy use of 22 percent, used low VOC materials inside and 22 percent recycled-content construction materials,  and includes features such as a white membrane roof, and water-saving plumbing and fixtures, Foodservice Magazine writes.

The London Pensions Fund Authority (LPFA), based at Royal Mint Court, London, announces standards compliance with ISO 14001 Environmental Management System and ISO 27001 Information Security standards. The company said its 14001 certification has led to LPFA’s success in securing commercial tenders for pension fund administration.

Skrivanek Group, a provider of translations, and languages services, has been awarded ISO 14001 certification for environmental management. The 2012 accreditation is for all Skrivanek branches worldwide, and comes after initial accreditation in the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic. The company said it also holds ISO 9001 certification.