On all of our business media — whether focused on travel, technology, supply chain, or retail — there has been a rapid rise in use of the term "green", attributing it to processes, materials, management, and other areas. Hotels are calling themselves "green"; electronics in China are following RoHS and are therefore saying they are "green"; and fast-moving consumer goods are carrying the "green" label. But the only green that often comes out of this is the money (this is an American reference, as money in other parts of the world is not green).

This article from Travel & Leisure called " Eco lies: What does 'green' mean?" talks about some of the greening initiatives around the world in the hospitality sector. In China, there are standards set by the China National Travel Administration, local travel bureaus, hotel groups, tourism agencies, and many other organizations with vested interests in all things green. Some of those standards are easier to attain than others.

For travelers to China (and perhaps elsewhere), they need to be aware of the difference between a "verified green hotel" and a "hotel built to green standards". The former usually means the hotel has received some sort of certification, while the latter just means it was built according to certain standards but has not been certified (or perhaps lacks many attributes to be certified). The same goes for a certified five-star hotel and one that is merely built according to five-star hotel standards. One is luxurious while the other could have brown water coming out of the taps.