Abu Dhabi-based Emirates Palace Marina has committed to measuring its impact on the environment. Already registered under the International Blue Flag Award programme, Emirates Palace Marina is an exclusive 167 berth fully serviced marina securely located in the grounds of the Emirates Palace Hotel and has enlisted the services of leading international carbon consultancy Carbon-Expert.
As a world class leader in hospitality, Emirates Palace Hotel and Marina is also concerned with the environmental cost associated with developing, maintaining and offering world-class facilities.
Marina Manager Captain Toby Haws explains, "Our clients choose to visit our unique environment based on the high value of the experience they receive, and it is our responsibility to both guests and the region to consider any environmental impact caused as a result of our high standards."
Moya McKeown, Business Development Manager at Carbon-Expert, said, "We are delighted to be working alongside Emirates Palace Marina to measure their Carbon Foot-print, and indeed we are seeing more and more companies in the luxury sector developing corporate social responsibility plans as they realise that luxury does not have to come at the expense of the environment."
The Abu Dhabi environmental agencies have strategic priorities to minimise climate change and its impact whilst promoting sustainability.
"Many companies develop environmental policies and action plans," says Haws, "but without a deeper understanding of the marina´s overall consumption and environmental footprint, it is impossible to track the effect of our environmental initiatives in reducing our energy impact. By creating a carbon contribution assessment it is possible to analyse the development of our business practise year-on-year to ensure our goals are met."
Managed by ART Marine Marinas, Emirates Palace Marina is the first of its network to engage Carbon-Expert. "All the marinas in the ART Marine Marinas network occupy sites of outstanding natural beauty, and so it is a natural step for us to ensure we do everything possible to maintain that," explained Bruno Meier, General Manager, ART Marine Marinas.
He continued, "Marinas, like natural parks, are a great means of communicating environmental messages to people, both in words and actions, so all our marinas support environmental initiatives."
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