The Lodge at Chaa Creek has once again been awarded the Green Globe Certification “as a mark of quality, sustainability and climate action,” according to Green Globe.
The highly sought after Green Globe worldwide certification is considered to be the “International Standard for Sustainability” and is granted only after a rigorous auditing process against recognised benchmarks and carbon footprint calculations. Hotels and resorts worldwide are certified after meeting standards in areas such as greenhouse emissions, energy efficiency, management of freshwater resources, ecosystem conservation, and wastewater and solid waste management.
Some of the most respected names in the tourism industry including Club Med, Ritz Carlton, Hilton and Concorde are also Green Globe certified.
Chaa Creek owner and GM Mick Fleming said he is pleased that the eco-resort has once again received the accreditation.
“Although we have been actively promoting sustainable development and responsible travel for over 30 years now, it’s always good to receive the tick again from an internationally recognised benchmarking authority such as Green Globe.
“I think that no matter how confident you are in your own in-house sustainability programs, it’s still reassuring to be tested against the best and most stringent international standards and achieve that level of approval. Our staff members work hard to ensure we meet our own criteria, and they are very much involved in the entire process, from looking at ways to improve, generating ideas and providing feedback from our guests, which is very much a part of our quality process,” he said.
Green Globe certification was an outcome of the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, when 182 heads of state endorsed what is now known as the Agenda 21 principles of sustainable development. Today, Green Globe conducts sustainability certification, benchmarking programs, and offers consultancy in a range of Green areas.
Mr Fleming pointed to Chaa Creek initiatives, such as the Chaa Creek Cares program, which sees 10% of all room rates going directly into environmental, social, education and community projects and causes as integral parts of the eco- resort’s business model.
“Responsible travel has always been part and parcel of the Chaa Creek ethos and is something that evolved as we grew. So for us, the Green Globe recognition is more than just another certificate to hang on the wall – it’s an acknowledgement from an independent, internationally recognised body that yes, we are meeting the best world standards year after year, and it does feel good to hear that from an independent source,” he said.