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Saturday 6 april 2019

World Travel & Tourism Council Awards Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort For

Achieving Climate Carbon Neutrality/Net Zero

Former U.S. President Barack Obama keynotes, Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort’s CEO presents

WTTC represents the global private
sector of Travel & Tourism. Its Global
Summit is the most important event
in the sector worldwide each year.
The annual gathering includes
heads-of-state, CEOs across in-
dustries and hospitality and tourism
professionals. This year’s keynote
speaker was former U.S. President
Barack Obama.

Winner of first-ever Tourism for To-
morrow Climate Action Award
Bucuti & Tara is the winner of the
first-ever Climate Action Award.
Resort owner and CEO Ewald Bie-
mans addressed the Summit’s
prestigious crowd of influential
global government leaders and
executives. While a key focus on
this award was Bucuti’s years of
sustainability initiatives and August
2018 achievement of carbon neu-
trality/net zero, Biemans vowed in
his acceptance speech that Bucu-
ti’s “environmental journey just
started, and we will continue work- in the Caribbean to achieve net wind and solar sources, produces Professor of Sustainability in Busi-
ing towards a better world.” zero certification. 40 percent of its energy needs. ness, University of Surrey. The pan-
Biemans presented “The Path to “It has been a journey and one Other efforts include installing an el included academics, business
Carbon Neutrality/Net Zero” at the that continues as we work to- in-room energy management sys- leaders, NGO and governmental
Tourism for Tomorrow day on April gether to combat climate change tem, low-flow shower heads and representatives who narrowed
2 as part of the WTTC Global Sum- and promote health and wellbe- toilets, and using an ozone-based down the list of 183 applications to
mit. The materials shared the vision, ing of all living things,” says Ewald laundry system. just fifteen finalists. The three-stage
initiatives and outcomes of achiev- Biemans. “I have tremendous ap- judging process included a thor-
ing net zero. With easy to replicate, preciation for our Green Team and What it means to be a WTTC Tour- ough review of all applications, fol-
proven actions, Bucuti is focused the work we have done together ism for Tomorrow Award Winner lowed by on-site evaluations of the
on showing others and encourag- since opening Bucuti & Tara Beach The 2019 WTTC Tourism for Tomor- Finalists and their initiative.
ing them to do the same. Resort.” row Award Winners are highly
Biemans emphasized, “There is no commended and recognized for The Winner of each category was
excuse for hotels not to work to- Although guests enjoying the business practices of the highest determined by the WTTC Tourism
wards carbon neutrality/net zero in adults-only resort’s laidback, lux- standards that balance the needs for Tomorrow Awards 2019 Winners’
this day and age.” ury hospitality on the white sands of ‘people, planet and profits’ Selection Committee, chaired
of Eagle Beach may not realize it, within the Travel & Tourism sector. by Fiona Jeffery OBE, Founder &
Told becoming carbon neutral/net this is the Caribbean’s only certi- The 2019 Winners promote inclusive Chairman, Just a Drop, and com-
zero was impossible fied carbon neutral/net zero resort. growth and illustrate a strong com- posed of Wolfgang M. Neumann,
Ten years ago, Biemans was told For more than 30 years, its environ- mitment to supporting change Non-Executive Director and Stra-
becoming carbon neutral/net zero mentalist owner, Ewald Biemans, and transformation in business tegic Advisory, Global Hospitality,
was impossible. This only made Bie- has worked towards proving that practices and consumer behavior Travel & Tourism Sector; John Spen-
mans more determined to make sustainability, guest satisfaction towards a more environmentally gler, Akira Yamaguchi Professor of
it happen. He devoted himself to and profitability can go together. conscious sector. Environmental Health and Human
researching and implementing a While the resort has always been The Climate Action Award seeks Habitation, Harvard T.H. Chan
plan of initiatives to offer a better, green-minded, the journey to- to recognize innovative actions School of Public Health; and Louise
healthier vacation experience to wards carbon neutrality/net zero through either behavior change Twining-Ward, Senior Private Sec-
his guests. began just seven years ago. Rather of guests and employees, policy tor Specialist, Global Tourism Team,
As the Caribbean’s most eco-cer- than rely on carbon offsets, Bucuti changes or the introduction of World Bank.
tified and awarded resort, seven & Tara’s Green Team took a me- technology, to reduce the scale
years ago, Bucuti embarked the ticulous approach towards reduc- and impacts of climate change. For more information on the Tour-
most intensive stretch of the car- ing emissions operationally. Since The Awards are judged by a panel ism for Tomorrow Awards and all
bon neutral/net zero process. By 2016, the resort’s 618 photovoltaic of independent experts, led by Prof. the Winners, please visit http://
August 2018, the resort was the first solar panels combined with local Graham Miller, Executive Dean, wttc.org/t4tawards q