Earth Matters

The Datai Langkawi works towards ensuring that the visceral natural beauty of the island can be enjoyed for decades to come.

The Datai Langkawi, with its millennia-rich rainforest location, is home to countless species of flora and fauna, many of which face existential threats. With this in mind, the awardwinning resort has teamed up with a coalition of partners as part of The Datai Pledge, its sustainability and community support programme. In August 2022, findings from the private trust’s second Impact Report were revealed. These span four components of The Datai Pledge, which comprise objectives such as supporting marine life, terrestrial wildlife and local youth, as well as ensuring that The Datai Langkawi’s day-today commercial operations embrace sustainability wherever possible. To this end, the programme’s successes include a zerowaste-to-landfill initiative that saved 146,704kg of waste from going to the landfill and the production of 69,115 recyclable glass bottles of still water for in-house guests; collecting more than 4,361 seedlings, including critically endangered species to be germinated in the resort’s Native Tree Nursery; initiating a trans-island wildlife corridor; creating an on-site hatchery and conducive turtle environment in Datai Bay, resulting in the first turtle landing in more than a decade; and hosting an intern for six weeks as part of Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots Malaysia RASMA programme.

One of the components and pillars of The Datai Pledge, ‘Pure for the Future’ resulted in the resort reaching zero waste-to-the-landfill for the first time in December 2021. “Implementing waste management with a circular and holistic approach has provided many new experiences, and our collaboration with local artisans has been very fruitful,” says Remi Giromella, ‘Pure For The Future’ Pillar Leader and Director of Quality Control and Improvement at The Datai Langkawi. “It’s gratifying to see so many talented individuals receiving great exposure with our guests. There has been a very positive response to the upcycling craft projects conducted by surrounding communities through various local NGOs.”

The Datai Pledge’s ‘Youth For The Future’ pillar is dedicated to promoting environmental awareness among youth, and one of its many programmes is the collaboration with Green Growth Asia Foundation (GGAF) on their EcoSchools Programme on Langkawi island, which is crafted to inform and engage students to cultivate respect towards and appreciation of nature through education and action on environmental issues.

Meanwhile, the ‘Fish for the Future’ pillar works towards maintaining a healthy environment for coral reefs and marine life in Datai Bay. This is achieved, among other activities, by promoting sustainable fishing practices through education and a ‘buyback’ scheme that supports the local fishing community. These measures have led to an increase in fish and the flourishing of coral reefs – both of which are certainly outcomes worth pledging towards.

With The Datai Langkawi’s ‘Wildlife For The Future’ programme, the resort is working towards conserving, regenerating and reintegrating pockets of fragmented rainforests on Langkawi island. This gives the island’s wildlife greater room to flourish. The Datai Langkawi has also teamed up with Gaia, a social enterprise dedicated to preserving the habitats of hornbills and ensuring that the species has a bright future in Langkawi.

“Together with all our partners and community members, we continue to build The Datai Pledge to provide a long-lasting contribution to the people, wildlife and paradise that surrounds us,” says Arnaud Girodon, Executive Administrator, The Datai Pledge, and General Manager, The Datai Langkawi.