Six Senses Destination Spas brand director Ana Maria Tavares talks about Six Senses' commitment to sustainable policies, particularly those adopted at its very first destination spa off the Phuket coast.
Why is sustainability so important to Six Senses?
It is part of our core purpose to create innovative and enriching experiences in a sustainable environment and our mission is to reduce the impact of our businesses on the environment at both the development and operational stage.
What initiatives has the hotel group pioneered in terms of sustainable practices/methods/philosophies?
Initiatives include: the Six Senses' Carbon Offset Programme - designed to offset flight carbon emissions arising from operations and flight travel; each property adheres to a minimum of Green Globe Benchmarking; collaboration with Care for Children charity for abandoned and orphaned children in China; working only with suppliers that have similar environmental policies to ours; using sustainable products in the development of our resorts; using local products; and supporting the local community.
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What are your carbon footprint reduction goals?
Our goal is to be zero carbon by 2010 and negatively carbon by 2020.
How do you educate your guests about your sustainable practices?
Each resort has an Environmental and Social Responsibility Officer to offer eco trails and information to quests. Each guest villa/room has a 'Little Green Book' explaining the company's environmental practices and we charge guests US $2 per night as a carbon footprint tax.
What are the 'green' features of Six Senses Destination Spa Phuket?
Energy management: we use energy-saving light bulbs and timers are used to turn lighting on and off.
Water supply: from September 1 the water supply will be provided by fresh water wells. Rain collection tanks are being installed.
Waste water systems: are designed to treat water so it can be used for irrigation.
Local products: are used and our landscaping is edible so everything that we grow you can eat.
How was the environment and community preserved during construction?
All elements of the design are seriously reviewed with consideration to the impact on the environment. Before embarking on any new project, it is key to review the environmental risk, covering issues such as flash floods, fire risk, landslides, tropical storms, coastal erosion, the presence of vulnerable/protected ecosystems, and much more.
Prospective sites are carefully investigated and designs and construction techniques are developed to minimize the impact of the resort on the local ecosystem.
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