Level(s) is a simple entry point for applying circular economy principles in our built environment and a flexible solution for identifying sustainability hotspots and for future-proofing projects and portfolio. It provides a common language for assessing and reporting on the sustainability performance of buildings. Lev ...

Studies show that consumption by buildings attributable to real estate development around the world is 30-40% per year.  As much as 50% of minerals from natural resources is consumed by the construction industry.  Real estate development produces around 33% of atmospheric CO2 while construction and building operations ...

The impacts of climate change are especially tangible in dense urban areas due to the inherent characteristics of urban structure and materiality.  As the climate change impacts are intensifying, climate adaptation, mitigation and protecting strategies are becoming even more important.  To assess the impacts of climate ...

This is an introduction to the efforts of environmental defenders to protect and conserve the ecological integrity of the ecosystems of their communities.  The fulfillment of the international community’s commitment to the protection of the environment is premised on the empowerment of environmental defenders.  Environ ...

The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) discusses the creative use of law as a positive force for social change and developing a distinctive set of tools and strategies.  It suggests employing justice-enabling constitutional principles, applying underutilized rules and rulings, using litigation to move actors out of ...

This theory-building paper argues that there are four mechanisms by which legal strategies can enhance accountability.  The courts can help those affected by policy failures to overcome the collective action problem.  The courts can provide civil society with access to information about rights violations, malfeasance, ...

Service Properties Trust (SVC) sent Marriott a payment shortfall notice on 122 hotels, allowing Marriott 10 days to pay the $11m delinquency. If Marriott fails to make payment, SVC will terminate the agreement and transfer the hotels to flag affiliation with Sonesta International Hotels Corp., of which SVC owns 34%. Th ...

The first six months of 2020 have seen dramatic declines in RevPAR, the closure of many hotels, and the furloughing of many hotel employees. Government support has been provided to hotel staff and owners in many countries. Now that the measures are easing, the number of permanent job losses is likely to increase. As th ...

Independent, state-run ecolabels are characterized by transparent criteria and sound third-party verification, as opposed to greenwashing. "Greenwashing" is a collective term for PR strategies of companies to give themselves or their products and services a green, environmentally friendly, sustainable image. It is misl ...

Companies making "green claims" should substantiate these against a standard methodology, to assess their impact on society and the environment.  The European Commission has launched consultation to regulate green claims in marketing and combat "greenwashing" and is targeting the opinion of the general public and key s ...

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development establishes 17 goals adopted by UN member states as the action plan to achieve sustainable development. Each country must establish its action plan on implementing the UN SDGs and the integration of sustainable development in policymaking at the national level. Environmental, ...

A project stakeholder is any individual or group that can affect, be affected by or believe to be affected by a project during its life cycle and/or its output and can influence its success. A development project has multiple stakeholders with varied and often conflicting interests. A project participant is any person ...

US president-elect Joe Biden has promised to reenter the Paris Agreement, ending the US opposition to the UN SDGs under Donald Trump’s presidency. Elected on an ambitious climate platform, Biden promised a $2tn clean energy revolution. He will govern with Kamala Harris as vice president, who as former attorney general ...

Feasibility studies are conducted by developers to analyze and confirm the optimal product to maximize market penetration, performance and the internal rate of return on investment (ROI). They are generally undertaken to provide objective and reliable information for the decision whether or not to pursue the projects. ...

Investors in hotel property own the site and building as well as the hotel FF&E and OS&E. The owners of the hotel businesses are the hotel owners, who occupy and use the hotel properties and profit from their operation. The degree of management and control they desire over the management and operation of the pr ...