Pousada Serra Verde Environmental Policy

Last Reviewed : 13/01/24
Next Review : 01/01/25

Mission statement

Pousada Serra Verde recognises that it has a responsibility to the environment beyond legal and regulatory requirements. We are committed to reducing our environmental impact and continually improving our environmental performance as an integral part of our business strategy and operating methods, with regular review points. We will encourage customers, suppliers and other stakeholders to do the same.

Responsibility

Jeff & Kemely Parfrey are responsible for ensuring that the environmental policy is implemented. However, all employees have a responsibility in their area to ensure that the aims and objectives of the policy are met.

Policy aims

We endeavour to:

• Comply with and exceed all relevant regulatory requirements.
• Continually improve and monitor environmental performance.
• Continually improve and reduce environmental impacts.
• Incorporate environmental factors into business decisions.
• Increase employee awareness and training.

Recycling & Waste

• We will eliminate unnecessary plastic packaging.
• We will remove single-use plastic wherever possible.
• We will recycle wherever possible.
• We will help guests and suppliers to recycle.
• We will minimise the use of paper and packaging as much as possible.
• We will seek to buy recycled and recyclable paper products.
• We will reuse and recycle all paper where possible.
• We will not use disposable cups/cutlery etc…
• We will not provide disposable ‘travel’ size toiletries.

Energy and water

• We will seek to reduce the amount of energy used as much as possible.
• Lights and electrical equipment will be switched off when not in use.
• The energy consumption and efficiency of new products will be taken into account when purchasing.
• 2022 has seen the installation of solar panels to generate electricity.

Transportation

• We will reduce the need to travel, where possible.
• We will make additional efforts to accommodate the needs of those using public transport or bicycles.

Cleaning

• Cleaning materials used will be as environmentally friendly as possible.
• We will only wash linen/towels every 3^rd day or unless requested.

Monitoring and improvement

• We will comply with and exceed all relevant regulatory requirements.
• We will continually improve and monitor environmental performance.
• We will continually improve and reduce environmental impacts.
• We will incorporate environmental factors into business decisions.
• We will increase employee awareness through training.
• We will review this policy and any related business issues at our monthly management meetings.

Culture

• We will involve staff in the implementation of this policy, for greater commitment and improved performance.
• We will update this policy at least once annually in consultation with staff and other stakeholders where necessary.
• We will work with suppliers, contractors and sub-contractors to improve their environmental performance.
• We will use local labour and materials where available to reduce CO2 and help the community (this is to be measured in our Carbon Footprint document).

Carbon Footprint Measuring – Pousada Serra Verde

What are greenhouse gas emissions?

• The key greenhouse gas emissions are carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride. Each gas has a different capacity to cause global warming.
• Carbon dioxide is expected to be responsible for about two thirds of the anticipated future warming.

What causes greenhouse gas emissions?

• Human activities release greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere – using electricity generated from fossil fuel power stations, burning gas for heating or driving a car.
• The main activities from business which release greenhouse gases  include
  •  Electricity/gas use
  •  Waste disposal/recycling
  • Business travel

How do we measure our carbon footprint?

• We measure over a 12 month period.
• We use an online calculator from the Carbon Trust https://www.carbontrust.com/resources/sme-carbon-footprint-calculator
• We then use the Carbon Trust’s benchmarking tool to see whether we meet European Standards.

Ongoing targets

• To reduce carbon footprint by 10% year on year.
• To move to renewable energy by 2025.

2019 Carbon Footprint: Total emissions (k gCO2e):      1,658

2020 Carbon Footprint: Total emissions (k gCO2e):      1,201 (note 5 month closure due to covid-19)

2021 Carbon Footprint: Total emissions (k gCO2e):      1,432

2022 Carbon Footprint: Total emissions (k gCO2e):      1,143 (solar panels installed mid year)

Global Tourism Plastic Initiative – Pousada Serra Verde

Introduction

Plastic pollution results in an estimated damage of US$13 billion each year to marine ecosystems and has an evident impact on our natural systems that are essential in supporting travel and tourism (UNEP, 2021). To align and enhance the travel and tourism sector’s efforts in fighting plastic pollution and transition to a circular economy for plastics, the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative (GTPI) was launched by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in collaboration with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF).  GTPI invites companies from across the travel and tourism industry to endorse a “common vision of a circular economy for plastics, where plastics never become waste, as provided by the EMF’s New Plastics Economy initiative

Signatory commitments:

Upon becoming a signatory to the GTPI, accommodation providers commit to:

1. Take action to eliminate problematic or unnecessary plastic packaging and/or items by 2025;

2. Take action to move from single-use to reuse models or reusable alternatives by 2025;

3. Engage the value chain to move towards 100% of plastic packaging to be reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025;

4. Take action to increase the amount of recycled content across all plastic packaging and items used by 2025.

In addition, they commit to “report annually and publicly on progress towards meeting these commitments, as well as on estimates of annual weights of plastics use”.

How do we measure our plastic usage?

• We use the GTPI Plastics Measurement Methodology and measuring tool.

2021 Plastic Waste Generated: Weight of plastics per guest night (kg):      0.031

2022 Plastic Waste Generated: Weight of plastics per guest night (kg):      0.031

https://www.oneplanetnetwork.org/organisations/pousada-serra-verde