easyJet, Europe’s leading low-fares airline, today became the first airline to call for tough, mandatory emission standards for aircraft that would lead to a 40% reduction in CO2 emissions from the next generation of aircraft.

Speaking at a press conference in London today, Andy Harrison, easyJet’s Chief Executive said:

“Aviation needs a global solution. Government’s first instinct is to tax, but this won’t deliver sustainable aviation as the industry’s growth is concentrated in China and India. Step change technology is in the pipeline, and we need tough legislation on emission standards for it to be delivered sooner.

Wartime has led to the biggest leaps in aviation technology. Governments must ensure that the war on climate change delivers the next big leap in technology.

We demand legislation for cleaner aircraft to stop the industry flying old, inefficient aircraft. If we get cleaner aircraft and ground the old smokers we can reduce the industry’s overall emissions and tackle climate change head on.

Since most aircraft are manufactured in Europe and America, tough emissions standards at the manufacturing source will deliver the global environmental benefits as these aircraft are exported to the fast growing markets of China and India.

Minimum standards of efficiency are already legislated for aircraft noise, diesel engines, refrigerators and many other products. ICAO and European leaders must extend these minimum standards to aircraft emissions.”

The standards would be introduced in three steps, starting with short-haul aircraft where the current aircraft families, the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 families are already over 20 years old. easyJet proposes that:

* By 2015 every new aircraft type would have to meet the standard
* By 2024 airlines could not add to its fleet any new aircraft that did not meet the standard
* By 2030 airlines could not operate aircraft that did not meet the standard

Under easyJet’s proposal, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) should lead the process to ensure global reach and consensus and to establish standards and timescales for other aircraft types. The standards would apply to all developed countries. Governments would have to play an active role in funding research and development.

easyJet has been a leader in the field of environmental policy and the call for action comes on the eve of the UK Climate change Commission’s report on aviation and the environment and the Copenhagen Climate summit where the inclusion of aviation in a global post-Kyoto agreement is on the agenda.

CITY OF GOLD: VEGAS’ CITYCENTER EARNS SIX LEED® GOLD CERTIFICATIONS FOR HOTELS, RESIDENCES AND RETAIL DISTRICT OPENING THIS DECEMBER
Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas and Veer Towers Awarded LEED® Gold Certification

LAS VEGAS – November 20, 2009 – Affirming its commitment to bring a new level of environmental consciousness to the Las Vegas Strip, CityCenter has earned its fifth and sixth LEED®† Gold ratings from the U.S. Green Building Council with the certification of Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas and Veer Towers. The accomplishment completes the certification process for all CityCenter components opening this December, and marks the highest LEED achievement by any hotel, retail district or residential development in Las Vegas. The 18-million-square-foot metropolis is one of the world’s largest sustainable communities.

“From its inception to design, development and construction, we had one single goal in mind for CityCenter: create a destination that is not only built in an environmentally sustainable manner, but also operates every day with an equal commitment to conserving natural resources,” said Bobby Baldwin, president and CEO, CityCenter. “As we approach CityCenter’s opening next month, now with six LEED Gold recognitions, we’re very close to sharing with the world a remarkable demonstration that a community can be both beautiful and sustainable.”

Due to its size and purchasing power, CityCenter is driving green economies of scale in multiple industry segments, paving the way for other entities to build and operate sustainably. The Forest Stewardship Council-US (FSC-US®) recently honored CityCenter as the best commercial project of 2009 in the fifth annual Designing & Building with FSC Awards. CityCenter’s dedication to the use of sustainably harvested FSC-certified wood products is unprecedented in scale and resulted in a significant market transformation, including multiple wood suppliers receiving their FSC chain of custody certification to supply wood to the development. CityCenter has moved beyond existing green practices to empower industry-wide innovations. Sustainable highlights:
• First energy-generation on The Strip through its 8.5 megawatt natural-gas co-generation plant, providing efficient electricity on site, reducing emissions and using “waste heat” to provide domestic hot water
• World’s first fleet of stretch limos powered by clean-burning compressed natural gas (CNG)
• Water conservation technology and programs that will save between 30% and 43% of water within the buildings and 60% in outdoor landscaping, for an overall savings of approximately 50 million gallons annually
• Energy-efficiency initiatives providing a savings equivalent to powering 8,800 households annually
• Development of slot machine bases that serve as floor air-conditioning units, efficiently cooling guests from the ground up, rather than wasting energy on empty space by cooling from the ceiling
• Creation of a large-scale recycling operation that enabled the recycling or reuse of more than 260,000 tons of construction waste, more than 80% of the imploded Boardwalk Hotel
• Collaborating with the nation’s foremost sustainability and LEED consultants, CityCenter has introduced more than 10,000 construction trade and craftsmen to green building techniques that can be implemented at future developments
• More information on CityCenter’s Green initiatives can be found at: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/mgm/39529/

S. Richard Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chair, USGBC, said, “From its intense focus on water conservation to the multiple strategies for energy efficiency, the CityCenter team has delivered several exceptional properties that qualify for the LEED Gold rating. Extreme climates challenge the most creative of project teams, and the CityCenter team has risen to the occasion and then some. We congratulate them on their significant achievement.”

Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox, Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas is the first hotel in the prestigious Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group to receive a LEED rating. A sophisticated sanctuary of modern elegance, Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas will feature 392 rooms and suites and 225 residences. Opening December 4, 2009, the 47-story, non-gaming hotel and residences bring the legendary service of the renowned hotel group to Las Vegas for the first time.
Veer Towers, CityCenter’s only purely residential development, is a masterful translation of energy and excitement into physical form; its two 37-story glass towers shimmer day and night. Inclined at five-degree angles – a feature celebrated by the development’s name – the towers seem to dance with each other. Designed by famed architect Helmut Jahn, each tower will house approximately 335 modern condominium residences. Residential occupancies are slated to begin mid-January 2010.
Tony Dennis, executive vice president, CityCenter Residential Division, said “The LEED Gold certifications of CityCenter’s residential buildings are a brilliant example of sustainable development. In satisfying the growing demand for smart and environmentally responsible living, CityCenter’s green commitment is a meaningful point of pride for our homeowners and an element of value that is as important as our quality and service.”
CityCenter’s LEED certification effort was led by MGM MIRAGE’s Energy and Environmental Services Division along with a recognized group of sustainability consultants including CTG Energetics, Green Building Services, Viridian Energy & Environmental and Fore Solutions and Simon & Associates. CityCenter’s previous LEED Gold awards include ARIA Resort’s hotel tower, ARIA’s convention center and theater, Vdara Hotel & Spa and Crystals.

About CityCenter
CityCenter is an unprecedented urban metropolis opening in December 2009 on 67 acres between Bellagio and Monte Carlo resorts on the Las Vegas Strip. CityCenter is a joint venture between MGM MIRAGE (NYSE: MGM) and Infinity World Development Corp, a subsidiary of Dubai World. CityCenter features ARIA, a 61-story, 4,004-room gaming resort; luxury non-gaming hotels including Las Vegas’ first Mandarin Oriental and Vdara Hotel & Spa; Veer Towers, the development’s only strictly residential buildings; and Crystals, a 500,000-square-foot retail and entertainment district. Vdara, Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas and Veer Towers boast approximately 2,400 residences total. Additionally, The Harmon, a 400-room luxury boutique hotel, is slated to open at CityCenter in late 2010. CityCenter also will feature Viva ELVIS™ by Cirque du Soleil® celebrating the timeless musical legacy of Elvis Presley; and an unparalleled Fine Art Collection with works by acclaimed artists including Maya Lin, Jenny Holzer, Nancy Rubins, Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, among others. CityCenter is a design collaboration between MGM MIRAGE and eight internationally acclaimed architectural firms including Pelli Clarke Pelli, Kohn Pedersen Fox, Helmut Jahn, RV Architecture LLC led by Rafael Viñoly, Foster + Partners*, Studio Daniel Libeskind*, David Rockwell and Rockwell Group, and Gensler. At the forefront of sustainability, the 18-million-square-foot metropolis is one of the world’s largest green communities. CityCenter has earned LEED® Gold certification for ARIA, Vdara, Crystals, Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas and Veer Towers, marking the highest LEED achievement by any hotel, retail district or residential development in Las Vegas. The Harmon also is pursuing LEED certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.
For more information about CityCenter, please visit www.citycenter.com.

† The LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings. The ‘LEED Certification Mark’ is a registered trademark owned by the U.S. Green Building Council and is used by permission.

* As a consultant to AAI Architects, Inc.

Taj Exotica has applied a range of initiatives to reduce its carbon foot print, whilst ensuring that guests continue to experience a high level of comfort, luxury accommodation, culinary offerings, spa and recreational facilities, as well impeccable service – an international hallmark of the Taj group.

Taj Exotica has meticulously analysed the maintenance of energy efficiency, water management, air quality and handling of noxious substances across the resort.

The property is one of very few in the Maldives to have installed a unique hot water system, which instead of using electric geysers, uses three DG sets (Diesel Generator Cooking Paths) to assist in heat recovery and reduce diesel output. Taj Exotica invested in the installation of insulated pipes all around the island, pumping the water around at a constant pressure of 2kg. The result is an annual saving of 109500 litres of diesel.

In the area of water consumption, the property has activated a rain water harvesting system with the yearly collection of 896000 liters. Taj Exotica boasts a bottling plant on site. The ‘Classic Crystal’ tropical bottling system, produces both sparkling and still water and reuses glass bottles, thus saving on the usage of tens of thousands of plastic bottles each year. It should also be noted that the trees and plants, including Jade Tree, Sea Hibiscus and Malikuruva rose, located on Emboodhu Finolhu island, are endemic species and do not require any additional watering. This saves the resort an extra requirement of 10,000 litres of water per day.

These are some of the key initiatives, that, along with the recycling of metal (which is rare in the Maldives), have resulted in a daily saving of 1,045,987 watts of energy and a 22% reduction in daily carbon dioxide emission.

The commitment of the staff to the principles of environment sustainability has been recognised and endorsed by the prestigious Green Globe Certified Silver Status – the second highest level of Green Globe’s benchmarking, certification and performance improvement system in the travel and tourism industry.

In addition to the sustainable operation of the property, Taj Exotica prides itself in offering the only dive centre in the Maldives which is a PADI Project AWARE ECO Operator & Official Partner. All eco operators and official partners are selected to demonstrate a commitment to conservation, whilst providing their clients with experiences which will enhance the visitor awareness, appreciation and understanding of the environment.

Taj Exotica is spread across a pristine beach and over one of the largest lagoons in the Maldives, offering sixty two luxury villas. Heralded for its culinary offerings, guests can choose to dine in one of the resorts’ restaurants, experience 24 hour in-villa dining valet services or choose any location around the island for a memorable al fresco private dining experience. Whether it’s dining on the new Ocean pavilion, suspended over the Indian Ocean or experiencing a Champagne Sunset on a sandbank in the middle of a lagoon, Taj Exotica Resort & Spa promises to cater for every taste.

The pièce de resistance is the Jiva Grande Spa – a private island sanctuary offering a range of Indian wellness signature treatments and rituals. Only 15 minutes by a private luxury speedboat, from Malé International Airport, Taj Exotica is accessible, exclusive and eco aware – a feasible paradox in these uncertain times.

Prices at Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Maldives start from £1761 GBP per person, travelling with Kuoni in July 2009, based on two adults sharing a room for seven nights including international return flights with Sri Lankan Airlines.
About Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces (www.tajhotels.com)
Established in 1903, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces is one of Asia’s largest and finest group of hotels, comprising 65 hotels in 45 locations across India with an additional 15 international hotels in the Maldives, Malaysia, Australia, UK, USA, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Africa and the Middle East and South Africa. From world-renowned landmarks to modern business hotels, idyllic beach resorts to authentic Rajput palaces, each Taj hotel offers an unrivalled fusion of warm Indian hospitality, world-class service and modern luxury. The Taj, a symbol of Indian hospitality, has recently completed the centenary of its landmark hotel, The Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, Mumbai. Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces is part of the Tata Group, India’s premier business house.