Banyan Tree Announces New Initiatives In Corporate Social Responsibility
Singapore, June 2007 – Banyan Tree Holdings, a leading developer of premium resorts, hotels and spas, has launched two new Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) initiatives to enhance its commitment to support the social and natural environments. In line with its philosophy to “embrace the environment and empower people”, these strategies support the Group’s efforts to be a leading practitioner of CSR within the hospitality industry.The new initiatives are:
• Greening Communities which seeks to promote the company’s efforts in achieving carbon
neutrality; and
• Seedlings, a three-phase community support programme which enhances the Group’s and its
associates’ abilities to be an agent of social and economic development.
Greening Communities
True to the guiding ecological philosophy of Banyan Tree, the Singapore-based group has increased its commitment to tackle global carbon emission issues with the launch of Greening Communities. Over the next 10 years, the Group is targeting to plant 2,000 trees per year within each of the local communities of Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts located in Phuket, Bangkok, Lijiang, Ringha, Bintan, Seychelles and Maldives. More destinations will be included in this resort-based initiative as Banyan Tree expands its global presence in new destinations.
Ms. Claire Chiang, Managing Director of Retail Operations Banyan Tree Holdings and Chairperson of Banyan Tree Group CSR Committee, commented, “Since the launch of the first Banyan Tree resort in Phuket in 1994, we have been deeply committed to sustainable development and the welfare of the local community.”
Greening Communities strives to offset a significant amount of carbon emissions created by the company’s operations, while promoting awareness of climate change in the community. Banyan Tree is currently monitoring its exact carbon footprint to ascertain key areas for attention and action. Once completed, an external auditor will be commissioned to verify the findings.
Banyan Tree Lijiang, Banyan Tree Bangkok, Banyan Tree Bintan and Banyan Tree Maldives Vabbinfaru have already begun their 10-year Greening Communities responsibilities in their respective communities.
Ms Chiang adds, “To reach carbon neutrality will be a challenge and we are realistic about the difficulties that Banyan Tree as a hotel group will encounter. Having started the process of evaluation, we discovered that the most obvious initiatives are not always the most effective. We want to ensure we make effective decisions that are not only easily supported by our guests, but also have a positive, significant impact on our carbon footprint.”
Seedlings
Seedlings, the Group’s tri-phase community programme, aims to offer opportunity and support to children considered at risk of societal exclusion. This group-wide initiative is broken into three stages of mentorship, scholarship, and internship to provide children with the motivation and means to complete their education and successfully enter the labour force as adults.
Mentorship, the first phase of the programme, mobilizes associates from Banyan Tree resorts to inspire youths between the age of 12 and 18 to achieve what previously might have been beyond their means. To effectively mentor youths, associates from Banyan Tree resorts undergo training implemented by the University of Wales which has facilitated national mentoring schemes in over five countries.
Scholarships to cover school fees are offered to youths who cannot afford to continue their education. Internships within the supporting Banyan Tree resort will provide job training and valuable work experience in any of the resort’s operational areas upon the completion of school and at the option of the youths. This could include housekeeping, food and beverage, engineering, frontline customer service, marketing, reservations, procurement, security, or landscape architecture.
Making A Difference
Since its founding, Banyan Tree has sought to support environmental conservation as well as economic sustainability in communities where it operates. Seedlings and Greening Communities are dual initiatives seeking to have a positive impact on the local and global ecosystems and communities. While each resort location may have different needs and issues, capacity building for community development and working to address the issues of climate change are fairly universal needs. Thus, the group-wide drive to achieve long-term carbon neutrality and support communal prosperity will not only sustain Banyan Tree’s position as a leading CSR practitioner in its industry and class, but more importantly, ratify Banyan Tree’s long-held values of being a responsible world corporate citizen.
Ms Chiang elaborates, “We have always ensured that conservation and enhancement of our natural and social environment are at the heart of our business. But we are now looking to strengthen that resolve. To have a real effect on the growing environmental problem, we need to create an open discussion forum to share ideas and best practices. I believe this is the way to change and improve the universal problem that affects us all.”