Sustainable Business Magazine issue 109

Photo Credit: Tottenham Hotspur/Getty Images

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Welcome to the latest edition of Sustainable Business Magazine.

At the best of times, sustainability is a vast and divergent concept. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), established in 2015 by the United Nations, include 17 different commitments. Each one points to a different way by which we might make like on this plant more ‘sustainable’, be that the eradication of poverty, of hunger, the provision of quality education, or achieving gender equality. The goals are ambitions, but they are necessarily ambitious: urgent problems require urgent action, and it only through action that we can expect to find a solution to some of the greatest problems of our age, not least that of our rapidly warming climate.

Nevertheless, the arrival of a new variant of COVID-19 lends a different aspect to notions of, and our hopes for, sustainability. Omicron has already swept South Africa, where it was first identified, and has now been sequenced across the world, from Australia to the Americas. In London, UK, already struggling against the latest wave of Delta, the new variant has become dominant within a matter of weeks: indicative of its terrifying speed, and a warning for the rest of the world that a pandemic which began back in 2020 may yet still have a way to run. In this age, it is no longer a matter of ambition. More realistically, it is a quest for survival.

All the companies within this issue of the magazine, as indeed all those that have featured over the past two years have, in their own way, struggled against the effects of the pandemic. That they are featured here speaks highly of their resilience, and no doubt a great deal of good fortune, and the same will be equally as true for those that feature in issues to come. For our final issue of 2021, we kick off with the latest installment in our series with the Cable & Wireless Group, exploring Flow Dominca’s fight-back from Hurricane Maria. Late last month, it was our pleasure to be invited to the ‘world’s most sustainable stadium’, home to Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, for an event celebrating Tottenham partnership with sustainable solutions provider VivoPower. The write-up of that interview, with Kevin Chin, CEO of VivoPower, and Donna Marie-Cullen, Executive Director at Tottenham Hotspur, is no doubt one of the most intriguing interviews of the past year, as is our interview with Juliette Deloustal, discussing how Mauritius-based Atittude Hotels are setting the pace within sustainable tourism. We then move south, with our Sustainable Travel Guide to Guyana, and to the Caribbean, where we re-visit the fantastic work taking place at Jamaica Energy Partners as the country pivots towards renewable energy.

Finally, this issue arrives on a note of brief sadness for Sustainable Business Magazine, with the departure George Newell, of our editor of seven years. Under his tenure, the magazine has gone from strength to strength. As a team, we wish him the very best for the future.

We hope you find this issue interesting and inspiring. The Sustainable Business Magazine Team

Editor: George Newell

Assistant Editor: Daniel Baksi

Profile Writers: Elizabeth Cope

Isobel Moss

Alex Caesari

Charlie Plumb

Will Vincent

Evie Roebuck

Project Manager: Helen Stoneley

Sales Director: Jake Curtis

Sales Manager: Shaun Peacock

Business Development: Anand Ajithkumar

Administration: Jamie Marks

Marketing: Frances Johnson

Designer: Adam Knights

ADULT(ERATING) THE TRUTH: CHILDREN AND CLIMATE CHANGE

By Alex Caesari

It came as little surprise when media coverage of the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), a landmark summit to decide the future of our planet, focused on Greta Thunberg delivering a “foul-mouthed rant” in the rainy streets of Glasgow rather than her evocative censure of the inaction, empty promises, and industrial lobbying taking place inside the conference.

In response to the media backlash, the 18-year-old Swedish activist announced on Twitter that she would “go net-zero on swear words and bad language.” Ironically, Thunberg’s lone tweet shows more commitment to a net-zero cause than Scott Morrison’s entire government.

Later in the week, Barack Obama offered his support for those young activists clamoring for objective action: “The most important energy in this movement is coming from young people,” he said. “The reason is simple. They have more at stake in this than anybody else.”

The reason they have more at stake should be obvious to the former president. “Suddenly America is the largest oil producer,” he once boasted to a room full of industry leaders. “That was me, people. Say thank you.”

Under Obama’s presidency, exports of crude oil skyrocketed by around 750% and the U.S. ploughed $34bn into at least 70 fossil fuel projects around the world. High praise from the former president, then.

Because of her staunch, unrelenting stance against climate change, Thunberg has ostensibly become the face of what Amanda Spielman, Ofsted’s chief inspector, has previously described as a kind of “militant activism” which is “disrupting the work of schools.”

Such a statement necessitates the question: What is the work of schools?

To engender political acquiescence among young people? To teach children that standing up against political tyranny

and environmental catastrophe is disruptive? To transform individuals with unique insights and values into the indoctrinated Spies of Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four?

“Keep calm and carry on, children,” Spielman appears to be saying. “What you don’t know can’t hurt you.”

Unless, of course, what you don’t know is world-altering climate change.

Indeed, some would still have children believe that the world in which they live is fantasy, a fairy-tale universe in which little princesses are rescued by little princes. In this alternative reality, forests stay standing, cities are powered by magic instead of coal, and good triumphs over evil. All live happily ever after.

But death, abandonment, trauma, inju-

ry, imprisonment – these are all present in the stories that parents so eagerly narrate to their children as they slowly fall asleep each night.

So, what about climate change and global warming and rising sea levels?

That’s simply too far.

As the National Education Union has recently observed, in our schools, only 4% of pupils think they know enough about climate change and at least 68% want to learn more about it. At the same time, just 30% of teachers feel that they have received adequate training to teach about climate change with any confidence. So: 96% of children don’t know enough about our climate crisis, and 70% of teachers are stuck in the pedagogical mire of an educational system that betrays the concrete reality of the environmental catastrophe we are sleepwalking into.

“There needs to be more emphasis on climate change,” explains a secondary

school teacher from Norwich, U.K. “Without doing my own research, I would struggle to teach about climate change. In many schools, there’s a basic lack of understanding about how we impact the environment. For instance, something as simple as recycling bins are few and far between.”

According to the UK Department for Education’s strategy for climate change, recently updated in November, schools should not “encourage pupils to join specific campaigning groups or engage in specific political activity, such as protests.”

“But children need to be taught that they are a new generation and that they need to make the changes that the previous generations have failed to do,” says another teacher working at a secondary school in London. “If this means a peaceful protest, then so be it.”

We are, therefore, presented with a troubling antinomy: by labelling young people as apart from, rather than a part of, our climate catastrophe, schools and wider

society disenfranchise them from the very discourses which seek to fix their status as non-participants.

Such discourses are not benign; they will decide the future of our planet.

“Climate change worries me,” says a pupil from Norwich. “We’re not really being taught about it. It’s all left to the older generations. They’ve already had their chance to try and improve the state of the world and have made little to no effort changing it. We should have our chance now to make a change, but we need to be taught more about it in order to do so.”

The chance to right the wrongs of previous generations is not disruptive nor a blind act of rebellion nor something to be buried by an outdated school curriculum – it is owed.

It is the very least they deserve.

After all, it took the wild outburst of a child in Hans Christian Anderson’s classic folk tale for adults to readily admit that the emperor was not wearing any clothes. c

“IN MANY SCHOOLS, THERE’S A BASIC LACK OF UNDERSTANDING ABOUT HOW WE IMPACT THE ENVIRONMENT. SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS RECYCLING BINS ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN”

LEADING THE CHARGE

Jeffrey Baptiste, General Manager, FLOW Dominica

Formerly known as Cable & Wireless, FLOW – began its operations in Dominica in the late 19th century, when submarine cables were installed connecting Caribbean islands to the telegraph network. In 1968 Cable & Wireless began operating the first national automatic exchange in Dominica for the provision of local telephone services. Later, in 1995 the Government of Dominica purchased a 20% share of Cable & Wireless Dominica, and in 1997 the company led the introduction of mobile communication to the island country.

Today, FLOW Dominica operates a Customer Experience Centre in the capital city of Roseau and delivers high quality, seamless communication services throughout Dominica, with a varied range of integrated products and services. “These include voice, data, internet, and mobile, making FLOW the first choice of the customers we serve,” says Jeffrey Baptiste, General Manager at FLOW Dominica. “Through the consumer brands FLOW, FLOW Business, and C&W

By Izzy Moss

Business, we touch thousands of Dominicans every day with reliable connections spread across mobile, broadband, landline, and digital television services. We were the first to introduce fiber-to-the-home (FTTH), and the first telecoms provider to offer reliable, island-wide 4G LTE coverage.”

ENVIRONMENTAL SETBACK

In 2017, FLOW Dominica faced a major setback when Hurricane Maria struck the northeastern Caribbean. “The devastation caused to over 95% of FLOW’s network infrastructure by the deadly Hurricane Maria in 2017 opened the way for many more telecommunications firsts in Dominica,” says Mr. Baptiste. “A rebuild process began which would see major advancements taking place within mobile and the fixed network infrastructures. A significant change in the landscape of mobile technology came with FLOW launching the first the 4G LTE mobile network in July 2018, less than a year after Hurricane Maria. Simultaneously,

work was progressing on the fixed network, paving the way for the launch of our revolutionary TV product, FLOW Evo.”

“Just one year prior, FLOW had purchased Marpin 2K4, a cable television company which unfortunately was destroyed by the hurricane,” explains Mr. Baptiste. “The company promised its TV customers at the time that Marpin 2K4 would be replaced with a service that was superior to anything previously experienced on the island. To date, FLOW has rolled out its fixed network in over 70% of the island, and is poised to hit completion by the end of 2022.”

GIVING BACK

FLOW Dominica has an ongoing commitment to give back to local Dominican communities. “We stand strongly by our four pillars of Education, Health, Sports, and Culture,” says Mr. Baptiste. “The FLOW Creole in the Park (CITP) is the biggest daytime event hosted during Dominica’s independence season in October, planned and executed by staff, serving to highlight the country’s rich culture, food, and entertainment. The company has hosted 14 FLOW Creole in the Park events over the years, except for three occasions when we have been challenged to host due to natural disasters and, most recently, COVID-19.”

Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Jeffrey Baptiste, General Manager at FLOW Dominica about rebuilding after Hurricane Maria, investing in the community, and launching new services.

“Due to the presence of COVID-19 last year, activities could not be held at the level the company would have liked,” says Mr. Baptiste. “Instead, we focused on handing out masks to the public in support of local COVID-19 initiatives and visited our adopted Roseau Primary School for an IT education session with the teachers and students. In the past, we have worked with the Home for the Homeless (GROTTO) and the Home for Abandoned Children (CHANCES) carrying out cleaning projects, feeding programs and engagement activities.”

COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS

The telecommunications company has invested EC$1.2 million into the local Dominican community. “The funds were made available through the Cable & Wireless Char-

itable Foundation to assist with hurricane recovery efforts in Dominica,” explains Mr. Baptiste. “Specifically, the Foundation gave support to three major projects on the island and donated EC$540,000 to the Government of Dominica to fund the rebuilding of the island’s lone public library which was destroyed by the hurricane of 2017. An equal amount was contributed to the organization All Hands & Hearts – Smart Response to help to rebuild and refurbish two primary schools, namely Paix Bouche and Morne Prosper. An amount of EC$125,000 was donated to FLOW’s adopted school, Roseau Primary for the refurbishment of its computer lab.”

PROMISING FUTURE

“FLOW Dominica is in the business of connecting people, being the leading quad-play

full-service telecommunications provider in Dominica,” says Mr. Baptiste. “We are preparing to launch new competitive postpaid plans aimed at providing more value to that segment of the market. Customers will also be pleased as the option to bundle mobile and fixed services is well underway, saving customers a significant amount of money on their monthly bills.”

“We are looking ahead to completing the fixed build-out across Dominica so that every household can have access to our value-packed, revolutionary products and services,” explains Mr. Baptiste. “FLOW remains driven to deliver the very best communication services to local government, businesses, and families with one unifying promise: to build, connect, and above all else, improve the communities in which we serve.” c

“FLOW REMAINS DRIVEN TO DELIVER THE VERY BEST COMMUNICATION SERVICES TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT, BUSINESSES, AND FAMILIES”

TO DARE IS TO DO

Photo Credit: Tottenham Hotspur/Getty Images

In late November, Sustainable Business Magazine visited the ‘world’s most sustainable stadium’, home to London’s Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. A familiar name among football fans and non-football fans alike, Tottenham Hotspur is setting the pace when it comes to decarbonization, recognized earlier this year as the top-performing Premier League club in the so-called ‘Green League’ as part of a study carried out by BBC Sport and the UN-backed Sport Positive Summit. In January 2021, Tottenham Hotspur announced that it had become a signatory of the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework, underlining the club’s commitment towards a low-carbon future for football and the wider sports sector.

VEIN OF OPPORTUNITY

On the day of our attendance at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the club were hosting an event to celebrate the club’s partnership with leading sustainable solutions company VivoPower, renowned for its international battery technology, electric vehicle, solar, and critical power services. Founded as recently as 2014, VivoPower has undergone a rapid rise, with its current operations stretching from Australia to Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the

By Daniel Baksi

United States. “Initially, the strategy was to focus on solar development,” explains Kevin Chin, CEO of VivoPower. “We started in Australia, and quickly established that the market wasn’t quite ready, and a little bit too small. We then started to look into the US, where we struck a vein of opportunity, growing the business from zero to just under $20 million of profits within two years.”

Despite this seemingly steep trajectory, VivoPower’s journey has not been without challenges. In January 2016, given the popularity of solar on the stock market, the company took the decision to IPO. By the time they did, in December 2016, Donald Trump had assumed his place in the White House, with tariffs on solar following shortly after. “Our timing was awful,” Mr. Chin says of the company’s rapid rise and fall, culminating with 2020 and the arrival of COVID-19.

“We were deeply mired in the relegation zone, to use a football analogy, because our stock price was below $1,” he continues. “If you don’t remedy that, within three months, you get relegated from the NASDAQ into what’s called the OTC Pink Sheets, Wolf of Wall Street territory – and you don’t want to end up there. Thankfully, with a team, we executed on a hyper turnaround plan.”

That turnaround plan proved crucial, helping to shape VivoPower as it exists today. “The strategy didn’t make sense anymore, because solar had become super-competitive because of all the development,” explains Mr. Chin. “We pivoted the strategy to think about, ‘okay, how can we benefit and add value for our customers, from not building and developing solar farms per-se, but by helping them to move towards net-zero decarbonization?’” VivoPower’s new

Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Kevin Chin, CEO of VivoPower, and Donna Marie-Cullen, Executive Director of Tottenham Hotspur, about sustainable energy solutions in sport, raising awareness in the local community, and the future of sustainability.

Photo Credit: Tottenham Hotspur/Getty Images

Photo Credit: Tottenham Hotspur/Getty Images

Photo Credit: Tottenham Hotspur/Getty Images

INTERVIEW: VIVOPOWER/TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

reuse of the batteries,” he says. “In electric vehicles, the most expensive component is the battery, but the interesting thing is that when the battery reaches the end of its useful life, it typically still has 70-80% charge capacity. To use a football example, the Ajax Amsterdam stadium is fully powered by second-life Nissan LEAF batteries. There’s a circular economy dynamic.”

go next, actually, is to augment the message, and to use the fact that we have this amazing platform and reach. Through all our partners, all our channels, all our exposure, we need to be out there pushing the message in in a positive way.”

strategy brought a focus on off-road vehicles, for use in mining, industrials, and utilities. “We had a captive business in that space already, and we saw that there was very little by way of competition,” continues Mr. Chin. “Everyone’s focused on the glamorous on-road, on competing with Tesla. We couldn’t afford to do that, and we didn’t think it made sense.”

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

By late Autumn last year, VivoPower completed its pivot with the purchase of Tembo, a Netherlands-based company specializing in battery-electric and off-road vehicles. “We got out of the relegation zone,” says Mr. Chin. “I think our stock price hit $24 at one point, within seven months, so we were in the Champions League positions. Since then, it’s been the realities of working on a hyperscale – which looks glamorous on the face of it, but it’s a lot of hard work behind the scenes. We’ve signed just over $750 million of commitments in orders for the electrification solution for vehicles.” He continues: “Now, the challenge is how do we scale up quickly, but accurately, to meet that demand?”

As one of the most sustainable clubs in world football, when the opportunity arose to work with Tottenham Hotspur, VivoPower couldn’t refuse. The latter’s role encompasses everything from vehicle electrification, to converting the club’s training ground facilities to rely upon more sustainable sources of energy. “That includes solar, micro grids, heat pumps, and the lights,” explains Mr. Chin, who already has one eye on the future. “The third part, which will come later, is the

For Tottenham, the partnership is not only a showcase for the club’s longstanding commitment to sustainability, but an opportunity to identify solutions for the sector as a whole. “VivoPower specifically concentrate on industries that are significantly more difficult to get to net zero,” says Donna Marie-Cullen, Executive Director of Tottenham Hotspur. “Football is one of those. We have high energy use – even though it’s green energy, and we use solar lights on the pitch – and we water pitches.” Since the partnership was announced in February of this year, VivoPower’s experts have been busy conducting a review of the club’s stadium and training ground facilities. Fast-forward to the present, and focus is turning towards the implementation of the solutions that are most suited to Tottenham’s needs. “We’re about to build a media house, and it makes sense to include heat pumps within that,” continues Ms. Marie-Cullen. “We have extensive roofs, so providing that they can take the weight, we’ll be expanding our use of solar panels. Another solution we’re keen on is car ports. The idea is that we’re all starting to drive electric cars, so you’ll need to be able to drive into a carport charger. In hot countries, they’re a no brainer; here, we have to work a bit harder.”

RAISING CONSCIOUSNESS

In September 2021, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium hosted ‘Game Net-Zero’: the world’s first ever net-zero carbon elite level football match. Held in partnership with Sky, the aim of was to raise awareness around sustainability among the fanbase. “You are the greenest club, where do you go next?” asks Ms. Marie-Cullen. “Where we need to

In Game Net-Zero, Tottenham found a way to achieve exactly that. “We asked everyone to make a change,” continues Ms. Marie-Cullen. “Everybody had to think how they were going to travel to the match. Our team coach is now run on biofuel, the players drove their electric cars to the training center that day, and we had a 94% increase in choice of vegan options on the menu. It’s that level of consciousness that just makes people more aware. If you make it easy, put the option up-front, raise the level of awareness, you get the results.”

As it looks to push the message, Tottenham is already feeling the support of its fanbase. “The fans are with us on this journey, and they’re proud of our green credentials,” says Ms. Marie-Cullen. “Likewise, the partners we bring on board are all making changes along the way, and they are part of that narrative with us.” Ms. Marie-Cullen is optimistic that the work to promote sustainability is already starting to bear fruit. “We’ve noticed it in small ways,” she says. “We get more requests about bicycle racks. We’re getting more take up on vegan food options. When we do our waste removal, we’re seeing that we’ve got the beer cups back in recycling. They’re all playing their part.”

COMMUNITY AND CREATIVITY

The work does stop with the referee’s whistle, however. “Another great benefit we’re going to get from VivoPower is the installation of solar power on the roof of Lilywhite House, the set of offices linked to the stadium,” explains Ms. Marie-Cullen. “We sponsor a school on levels two and three of that building, a unique model where the brightest kids from one of the poorest areas in the country are taught by the tutors of private schools. It’s phenomenal model.”

Photo Credit: Tottenham Hotspur/Getty Images

Photo Credit: Tottenham Hotspur/Getty Images

Photo Credit: Tottenham Hotspur/Getty Images

She goes on: “They had two thirds of the cohort get Oxbridge University places, and it was named State Sixth Form College of the year in Sunday Times. They’re remarkable, and the kids remarkable.”

The work on Lilywhite House is another opportunity to introduce the significance of sustainability. “When the engineers go on the roof, we’re going to take the kids with us on that project, particularly those who are focused on a career in engineering, or simply just passionate about climate change,” explains Ms. Marie-Cullen. “The staff at VivoPower will join us there, and they will be so motivational for those kids, and the kids will be able to see the project delivered at the same time.”

Another component of Tottenham’s sustainability efforts is their contribution to the redevelopment of the so-called Northern Terrace, an important heritage asset within the North Tottenham High Road Conservation Area. The area is renowned for its preservation of an almost in-tact 19th century townscape, including a historic linear continuity of buildings either side of the high road. “We’ve bought every one of the Northern Terrace buildings along the road there to bring them back into useful life,” says Ms. Marie-Cullen. “You can make buildings better, more efficient, and more environmentally friendly when you build them new. But then don’t forget the old buildings, because, if you bring them back to life, you’ve kept all that substance and materials – notwithstanding the bits you can’t touch, like the heritage.”

“At Paxton 17, we’re going to create a whole mini-district,” she continues. “The buildings are all in the process of being restored. They’re very old-fashioned houses, with small rooms: they will be ideal for oneor two-man entrepreneurial firms, or for creative industries. Behind that, we’ll put in a linear building so that we start to attract local bakeries, but also podcast studios, and musician studios. Crafts, creativity, and music: that’s what Tottenham’s all about.”

NEW HORIZONS

In the wake of the of the COP26 conference, held in Glasgow earlier this year, VivoPower sense a growing momentum when it comes to sustainability. “The political and regulatory landscape has completely changed,” says Mr. Chin. “But now also, the dynamic that’s driving sustainability and renewable energy goes beyond politics and regulation. With respect to climate change, it’s pervasive across corporate boardrooms, it’s pervasive

across society. That’s an immensely powerful force. Australia is a great example, in this regard: three Prime Ministers in Australia in the last 10 years have lost their role, because they’ve veered too far towards green, or too far towards coal. But you’ve seen a shift, particularly post-COP26, where the current Conservative government is embracing electric vehicles, and embracing net zero. That hasn’t been the case before. It goes beyond politics; it goes beyond the government. It’s too strong a tailwind.”

In the future, it’s hoped that VivoPower’s partnership with Tottenham can be a launching-pad for further projects within the sports sector. “As far as growth horizons are concerned, for the next two years, our key objective is to propagate our solutions globally, in the sectors that we want to focus on,” says Mr. Chin. “Off the back of our relationship with Spurs, we’ve had other franchises approach us in the US, across a range of different sports. While it may not be such a big sector as mining, for instance, it’s very high profile with great reach, and from a impact standpoint, it’s really additive to what we’re trying to do elsewhere.”

“If we look out to the second growth horizon, in the subsequent two years, we

want to sort of build out the third leg of the sustainable energy solution, which is the battery recycling,” continues Mr. Chin. “That’s going to really come to the fore at that juncture, because in a mining context, most vehicles only last one or two years. There’s going to be whole flood of batteries that need to be repurposed.” Looking out to a third horizon, Mr. Chin continues: “With reference to our whole purpose of helping our customers to achieve net zero, I think we’re going to see hydrogen become an increasing part of the energy complex. In terms of range extension for your battery electric vehicle, there’s already a portable hydrogen pack solution. It’s about understanding and embracing new technologies that will plug into our solution stack, so that we genuinely can say to our customers, ‘we can help you achieve net zero’.”

For Tottenham, the goal is to remain at the top of the league when it comes to sustainability. “Competition is healthy,” says Ms. Marie-Cullen. “As a football club, we’re built on a competitive basis. We’re top of the Green League at the moment, and I have no doubt others will look to knock us off it – so we’ve got to keep up in our game, and that’s got to be a good outcome all round.” c

“WE’RE TOP OF THE GREEN TABLE AT THE MOMENT, AND I HAVE NO DOUBT OTHERS WILL LOOK TO KNOCK US OFF IT – SO WE’VE GOT TO KEEP UP IN OUR GAME, AND THAT’S GOT TO BE A GOOD OUTCOME ALL ROUND.”

Photo Credit: Tottenham Hotspur/Getty Images

GUYANA, A PlaceBeautiful

By Izzy Moss

WELCOME TO THIS SPECIAL GUYANA TRAVELGUIDE, A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE GUYANA TOURISM AUTHORITY AND SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Guyana, the only English-speaking country in South America, is known around the world for its pristine, unspoiled rainforests and diverse plants and wildlife. With 18% of the world’s tropical rainforests contained in a country no bigger than the United Kingdom, Guyana’s remarkable natural environment

gives it a unique allure that attracts tourists wiht a passion for adventure and sustainable, authentic experiences.

The Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), which operates under the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, is a semi-autonomous governmental organisation responsible for developing and promoting sustainable tourism in Guyana. The tourism industry generates thousands of jobs in Guyana, and is a significant economic driver. We want to bring the value of tourism to the forefront, empowering Guyana’s tourism industry and local communities.

Since the emergence of COVID-19, the loss of livelihoods has been severe, particularly so within segments of the tourism sector. However, Guyana realized from the outset

that we needed to demonstrate resiliency in the face of this global health pandemic. One of the first things we did was create guidelines, developing specific protocols for different business segments. We rolled out several training programs based on the guidelines from the WHO, the CDC, and from our local health institutes in Guyana. We developed a health and safety training manual for every segment of business. The COVID-19 situation is very fluid, things change overnight, so we keep this as a living document that is continually updated.

Due to the circumstances that prevail today, many tourist experiences had to be remodelled. So, we launched a campaign

to review the adjustments and ensure the safety of the country, and citizenry, and to give high levels of assurance to all potential visitors to Guyana. The marketing campaigns that we’ve launched emphasise that Guyana is a safe destination. We’ve prepared, we’ve planned, we’ve trained, and we’re ready to host in a safe manner, within a safe environment.

What stands out most about Guyana is our culture. In our country, the vast majority of community enterprises are wholly and solely owned by the indigenous peoples. We have nine indigenous nations, and the GTA support their empowerment, as well as creating diversity and aiding disadvantaged

groups. 80% of men used to have to leave their communities to work in mining areas; but when they work in tourism, men can stay with their families. It’s less dangerous work, it’s sustainable, and they’re contributing to the development of their own village economy. This is what tourists bring, by virtue of visiting these communities.

We’ve been working with several groups to emphasise this, including a group called Operation Wallacea, which is known for developing conservation areas by showcasing how sustainable revenue can be derived from such activities. Moreover, with current international interest in Guyana, many benefits will emerge for new tourism industry investments. We now have over 30 hotels expressing interest in developing properties on the coast: the Hyatt, the Hilton, the Marriott, Best Western, Radisson, and more. Some have started construction already, which bodes well for diversifying activities.

Our vision for Guyana 2025 is to become one of the leading sustainable destinations in the globe. We’re pursuing certification on the destination level with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), with a goal of being certified by 2024 and transforming Guyana into a must-see destination.

WHERE TO START YOUR EXPERIENCE

GUYANA KEY FACTS

Capital: Georgetown

Population: 786,559 (2020)

Language(s): English

Currency: Guyanese dollar

Time zone: EDT (GMT-4)

Dialling code: +1 (592)

Tourist season: August - November (Coast) Septemebr - April (Savannahs)

Annual visitors: 315,000 (2019)

Avg. temperature: 86 °F (day), 73 °F (night)

Highest point: Mount Roraima, 2,810 m

KEY

Georgetown

Northern Central

KEY REGIONS

Barima-Waini

Pomeroon-Supenaam

Westeren Eastern

Essequibo Islands-West Demerara

Demerara-Mahaica

Mahaica-Berbice

East Berbice-Corentyne

Cuyuni-Mazaruni

Potaro-Siparuni

Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo

Upper Demerara-Berbice

KEY ATTRACTIONS IN GUYANA

Awarmie Mountain Big Cats At Iwokrama

Bourda Market

Canoe Or Kayak on Essequibo River

Demerara Harbour Bridge

Fishing

Georgetown

Guyana Botanical Gardens

Guyana National Museum

Guyana’s Lakes

Hiking

Horseback Riding

Iwokrama Canopy Walkway

Kaieteur Falls

Karanambu Lodge

Mount Roraima, Pandama Retreat & Winery

Promenade Gardens

Rewa Eco-Lodge

Rum Tour

St. George’s Cathedral

Stabroek Market

Wildlife

Barima-Waini

Cuyuni-Mazaruni

Essequibo Islands-West Demerara Upper DemeraraBerbice East BerbiceCorentyne

Potaro-Siparuni

Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo

Roseignol Rose Hall New Amsterdam Corriverton Mara

Pomeroon-Supenaam

WHAT TO DO IN GUYANA...

EXPLORE GUYANA BOTANICAL GARDENS AND ZOO

Visitors to Guyana may be eager to travel to the interior as quickly as possible to see Guyana’s remarkable rainforest, waterfalls, and flora and fauna. But nature-lovers shouldn’t be in a hurry to leave Georgetown. The Botanical Gardens are one of the city’s most popular recreational parks, and is home to one of the most extensive collections of tropical flora in the Caribbean. The gardens are inhabited by a vast range of tropical flowers, with collections of lotuses and lillies, including Guyana’s national flower the Victoria Regia lily. In 1952, a zoo was also opened within the Gardens, exhibiting

a variety of the world’s most impressive species of indigenous flora and fauna from the nation’s rainforests, including such endangered species harpy eagles, jaguars, a giant otter and West Indian manatees.

Also in Georgetown:

- Shop at Bourda Market, which has existed at the same site since 1880.

- Admire the treasures at the Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology.

- Marvel at the Guyana Sea Wall, the 280-mile long structure protecting Guyana’s shores.

NORTH GUYANA

CAMP AMONG HATCHING TURTLES AT SHELL BEACH

The 90-mile stretch of beaches along Guyana’s northern coast is the ideal nesting sites for turtles. From March to August, up to eight species of sea turtle travel to Shell Beach to lay their eggs, with the green, hawksbill, leatherback, and the olive ridley turtle species having made it a regular nesting spot. Thanks to the beach’s highly remote location, the species continue to thrive here. The nine sections of Shell Beach are protected and can only be visited with permission from the Protected Areas Commission. Once permission has been granted, visitors can camp near the beach and watch the entire hatching process.

FISH SUSTAINABLY AT AN ECO-LODGE RUN BY THE WARAPOKA COMMUNITY

Not far from Shell Beach is the Warapoka indigenous community, who run a community-owned and operated eco-lodge for travellers. The village is one of the superior fishing spots in the region and sustainable catch-and-release sport fishing is one of the key activities visitors enjoy, with exotic fish inhabiting the waters including the lou lou, tarpon, and bashar fish. It’s also possible to catch sight of a Harpy Eagle, with several nests in the surrounding area.

Also in North Guyana:

• Spot more than 250 species of birds and 30 species of mammals in the Shell Beach Protected Area.

• Swim in the crystal-clear water of the Hosororo Falls.

CENTRAL GUYANA

ABSEIL DOWN A WATERFALL IN KAIETEUR NATIONAL PARK

Kaieteur National Park is home to the world’s largest single-drop waterfall by volume, the 741-foot Kaieteur Falls. Four times higher than the Niagara Falls, if seeing this magnificent natural structure isn’t enough, those with a thirst for adventure can abseil down the side of the waterfall with the help of experienced guides. For visitors who don’t want to get so up close and personal, hiking trails lead to the three main viewpoints: Johnson, Boy Scout, and Rainbow. If you’re lucky, you may be able to spot a cock-ofthe-rock or golden rocket frog. The most common way for travellers to reach the Kaieteur National Park is by Cessna plane.

Taking off from Eugene F. Correia International Airport in Georgetown, it takes just 45 mins to reach the park. However, travellers who are up for a challenge can take a three-day trip across land and river, culminating in 6-10 hours of hiking through the rainforest.

IMMERSE YOURSELF IN NATURE AT THE IWOKRAMA RIVER LODGE

Guyana is home to over 800 species of birds, many of which may be spotted by keen-eyed travellers on the nature trails through Iwokrama Forest and Turtle Mountain. Visitors may be able to spot the Screaming Piha, Gray Antbird, Chestnut Woodpecker, and the Black-necked Aracari, as well as the Mora, Soft Wallaba, and Wamara trees. If that isn’t enough, boat rides up the Essequibo River at night provide an opportunity to see

nocturnal creatures such as Tree Boas, Pacas, Nightjars, and Hyla Tree Frogs. Also accessible by boat is the base of Turtle Mountain, after which it’s only a 2-hour hike to the 290m summit, with breath-taking views and more chances to spot Guyana’s wildlife along the way. You may be rewarded with sightings of Red Howler Monkeys, Black Spider Monkeys, or even a Harpy Eagle!

Also in Central Guyana:

• See 6,000 year old Amerindian petroglyphs at the community of Fair View near Kurupukari Falls.

• Visit the Megatherium Giant Sloth at Guyana National Museum.

• Admire the century-old St. George’s Cathedral, one of the largest wooden churches in the world.

• Taste the flavors of Guyana at Stabroek Market in Georgetown.

DAGRON TOURS

The only way to experience Guyana

Dagron Tours is one of the most dynamic, highly recommended, vacation and tour companies in Guyana. Dagron Tours has several packages specially designed for the discerning traveler, but we feel we do best at customizing travel to meet individual needs.

E. dagrontours@dagron-tours.com

www.dagron-tours.com

SOUTH AMERICA | CARIBBEAN | GUYANA | SURINAME

SOUTH GUYANA

SADDLE UP ON THE RANCHES OF RUPUNUNI

Rupununi has some of the oldest working ranches in Guyana, allowing visitors to experience everyday life on a cattle farm. Some of the ranches include Saddle Mountain, Wichabai, and Dadanawa, which was once the largest ranch in the world. Put visions of riding off into the sunset aside and embrace authentic ranch life as you herd cattle and look after pigs and poultry. In South Rupununi, horse and bull riding are deep-rooted in the local culture, with talented vaqueros showcasing their skills from dawn to dusk at the Sand Creek Rodeo in April. Travellers can enjoy a full day’s worth of cowboy hats, boots, and beer as they watch the rodeo events such as barrel racing, bareback riding, and tie-down roping.

GET AN INSIGHT INTO TRADITIONAL BURIAL METHODS AT SKULL AND BONES MOUNTAIN

A traditional indigenous practice in Guyana is the burial tradition of placing those who have died in earthen pots on top of hills. Visitors

to Skull and Bones Mountain can hike from the woodland at the base right all the way to a cave close to the summit. Although the hike is not particularly strenuous, a guide is required due to the amount of greenery, which can be passed only with the help of a machete. The cave is home to a variety of earthen pots containing skulls and bones, and is the reason for the mountain’s name.

VISIT GUYANA’S FIRST COMMUNITYOWNED, LEGALLY PROTECTED CONSERVATION AREA AT KANASHEN

The forests of Kanashen, in the far south of Guyana, have been intact for millennia, acting as a sanctuary for a variety of wildlife. Recently, the Wai Wai tribe had their 2300 square mile ancestral lands recognized as a conservation area. If you make the journey to the deep south, you may get to see giant armadillos, harlequin toads, and tapirs – three globally threatened species – as well as lowland pacas, jaguars, giant anteaters, and at least 400 species of birds. It is a true paradise for nature lovers who want to enjoy areas that remain virtually

unimpacted by the industrialized world. Make sure to find a guide who can get you the needed permission to visit.

Also in South Guyana:

• Stay in Lethem, a good starting-off point to explore the rest of South Guyana.

• Soak away your troubles in the natural jacuzzis at the base of the Kumu Falls.

• Canoe your way down the Kassikaityu River.

WEST GUYANA

FEEL ON TOP OF THE WORLD

AT MOUNT RORAIMA

Famous for inspiring Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel The Lost World and more recently Disney Pixar’s animated film Up, the 2 billion year-old Mount Roraima rises more than 9200 feet above the ground, making it the tallest peak in the country. Mount Roraima is a tepui, or table-top mountain, and is located on the Guiana Shield. 70% of the flora and fauna found on top of Mount Roraima is unique to the tepuis found on the Guiana Highlands and one-third is endemic,

making it one of the top destinations in the world for rare species. The carnivorous pitcher plants and the Roraima bush toad can only be found on Roraima, so are often at the top of nature enthusiasts’ lists.

To camp at the top of Mount Roraima is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, especially on the Guyana side of the mountain. Visitors can take a helicopter to the mountain peak, set up camp, and spend the rest of their time

exploring Roraima’s ethereal ecosystem. You can even go rock climbing or abseiling on the edge with professional bushmasters.

- Take a cross-country safari to the Orinduik Falls.

- Explore old-growth rainforest and find one of Guyana’s best-hidden waterfalls at Kamarang.

RICH FOREST

One of the wildest and most remote regions of Guyana, the forests of the Kanuku Mountains house 60% of all bird species in the country, as well as over 150 mammal species. A true wonder for wildlife enthusiasts, it’s no wonder the Wapishana people chose the name Kanuku for the mountain range, which translates to ‘rich forest’.

One of the last intact Amazon habitats, the protected area of Kanuku area contains many extraordinary sights like harpy eagles, armadillos, giant river otters, giant anteaters, a healthy population of arapaima and

Guyana’s national animal the jaguar. The most famous animal: in South America, the jaguar eats a wide range of prey As such, it is a vital component of the habitat, acting an umbrella species for biodiversity conservation, maintaining the ecosystem by regulating the populations of other species.

Jaguars are the largest cat species in the Americas and the third-largest in the entire world, with males weighing up to 120kg (19oz). They have the most powerful bite of any big cat – the indigenous word ‘yaguar’ translates to ‘he who kills with one bite’. To see a jaguar in the wild is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but with their endangered status the opportunity is becoming rarer.

Fortunately, due to the passionate protection efforts of sustainability organizations and local communities, the Kanuku Mountains and other areas of Guyana have been largely unaffected by deforestation, and charities like WWF are working to restore the Jaguar Corridor, a continental network connecting multiple jaguar populations

from Mexico to Argentina, and devoting time to reduce potential threats. Endeavours made to ensure jaguars, their habitats, and the ecosystem services they provide are protected long-term. These are supported by Guyana’s government who have stated that they are committed to advancing the Jaguar 2030 Conservation Roadmap, which aims to strengthen the Jaguar Corridor by securing 30 priority jaguar conservation landscapes by the year 2030.

As Guyana’s national animal the jaguar is featured on the country’s coat of arms. In 2018, at the Conference of the Parties for the Convention on Biological Diversity (CDB), November 29th was designated International Jaguar, with the aim of raising awareness about the increasing threats facing the jaguar.

The Kanuku forest offers hundreds of nature trails, best - explored with local guides who can lead you to the best sighting spots, and share their unique insight into the lives of local communities.

Nature's BEATING HEART

CONNECTED COMMUNITY

By Izzy Moss

Roraima Group, a family-owned Guyanese tourism, hospitality, and travel-supply company, was established in 1992 by the husband-and-wife team of Captain Gerald and Captain Debra Gouveia. At the time, the domestic and regional charter airline operated out of the back room of the Gouveia’s house. Today, Roraima Group is still run by the Gouveia family, joined by the founders’ two sons, Captain Gerald Jr. (Gerry) and Captain Kevin Gouveia, and over 360 staff members.

As Roraima Group grew, the company evolved from flying charter aircraft in support of the mining industry to developing tourist destination products. “For example, with Kaieteur Falls here in Guyana, the largest single drop waterfall in the world at 741 feet, we do tourist flights over the waterfall as well as all of the major hinterland resorts,” says Captain Gerry Gouveia Jr., Director of Roraima Group. “The company also runs Guyana’s first eco-resort,

Arrowpoint, which has been in operation for almost 15 years as a commercial entity located in the Amerindian village of Santa Aratack. It’s a private partnership with the indigenous community to develop a sustainable eco-resort in their reservation.”

ESSENTIAL SERVICES

Today, Roraima Group has 14 divisions, spanning a range of services across the aviation and travel industries. “Our operations range from private jet handling, airline ground handling, catering, aviation security,

Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Captain Gerry Gouveia Jr., Director of Roraima Group, about medevac flights, eco-projects, and investing in the local people.

“WE ARE LOOKING AT COUNTRIES LIKE COLOMBIA, BELIZE, AND COSTA RICA WHO HAVE SUCCESSFULLY ACCOMPLISHED ECO-TOURISM ON A MASS SCALE, BUT IN A SUSTAINABLE WAY“

two small boutique hotels, catering corporate events, eco-resorts, medical evacuation (medevac) operations, cargo, and passenger charter, as well as an aviation maintenance facility,” explains Capt. Gouveia. “Roraima Group are looking to expand all of our operations into a more regional perspective, and in the oil and gas sector, which is the newest industry in Guyana.”

“The medical evacuations here in Guyana are mostly for the hinterland communities that are in the dense Amazon jungle,” says Capt. Gouveia. “Road and river access may not always be available to them. We have a 24-hour service using our aircraft to medically evacuate these hinterland, indigenous peoples, or people in mining camps and anywhere else around the country. We bring them to Georgetown for medical care or to Trinidad or the US when necessary.”

Roraima Group are working to develop more advanced medevac search and rescue capabilities in Guyana. “Our aim is to develop a system that would mirror what you would find in New York, Toronto, or London,” explains Capt. Gouveia. “Right now, 90% of medevac is fixed-wing aircraft. The next step for us within the next few months is to intro-

duce helicopters that can do medical evacuations. The second improvement we are looking to make is bring training for medical personnel in line with international standards. This includes specifically training paramedics and air paramedics on how to stabilize the patient, since the type of medicine given is different from what a doctor or an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) uses.”

NATURE RESORT

“Our Arrowpoint nature resort is one of our pilot projects in Guyana for ecotourism working alongside the community,” says Capt. Gouveia. “There has subsequently been a lot more eco-tourism products developed in Guyana. Our resort is the closest to the capital city and is easy to get to via a 30-minute boat ride from the nearby, Cheddi Jagan Inter-

national Airport. We’re looking at countries like Colombia, Belize, and Costa Rica who have successfully accomplished eco-tourism on a mass scale, but in a sustainable way. The community local to Arrowpoint has grown and developed in tourism products, as well as their own other industries. Roraima Group was one of the first businesses that acted as a major development tool for that community. In fact, we are currently still the sponsor for the school and the computer lab in the village of Santa Mission, which is the main village in the Santa Aratak reservation.”

ECO TOURISM

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, we conducted missions into a village where there were a few outbreaks, bringing and distributing supplies,” says Capt. Gouveia.

“We work very closely with the community, which is why we want to increase tourism, which has always been underdeveloped in Guyana. Tourism is now starting to bud by leveraging the popularity that Guyana is receiving from the oil and gas industry. We are working to create one of the premier resort destinations in Guyana by upgrading and improving it. We are expecting a boom in our local tourism products, and we want to be able to expand this accordingly. Right now, we can only cater for about 100 people at a time.”

Roraima Group are looking for partners that can help them grow while maintaining an eco-friendly ethos. “We use 100% solar at the Arrowpoint resort, and we use the water from the creek that we pump into holding tanks,” explains Capt. Gouveia. “The leisure

activities we have, kayaking, hiking, and mountain biking, are intended to convey full experience of what it’s like to be in the jungle, with added running water and electricity. From within the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce, we are pushing for a greener economy, and for more of our businesses to embrace solar power energy, not only from a sustainable perspective but from an economic perspective as well. The cost of solar energy and storage batteries is becoming a lot more affordable.”

INVESTING IN PEOPLE

Roraima Group have several educational options for future employees. “There are internship programs with the aircraft engineering school in Guyana, offering them paid internships for our aviation wing,” says Capt. Gouveia. “We offer internships with the Carnegie School of Home Economics (CSHE), offering them internships at our hotels and resorts. In the past, we have offered internships with the University of Guyana for their tourism students, although that came to an end with COVID-19. Now that we are coming out of the pandemic, we are going to be re-engaging the University

to start putting interns back into our tourism products. A couple of the new projects that we are looking to undertake include the establishment of a culinary school in Guyana, along with sustainable projects such as using flights to find oil spills. Roraima Group is looking to develop our relationships with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and conservation entities to use our aircraft for that kind of work.”

“Being a family business, even though we have 360 members, we still treat everyone like a family,” says Capt. Gouveia. “The idea is that we want to keep that culture going, and as the different divisions grow, we want to continue to be the service providers of choice for oil and gas companies. We want to increase our presence in the medical evacuation field and the sustainable ecotourism fields. In the accommodation and catering side of things, we are looking to increase our facilities. Lastly, we are looking to develop better air logistics and travel solutions, including cargo auctions. In the near future, you should see Guyana become a major destination as tourism grows, with Roraima Group connecting the region through private travel as well as cargo.”

WITH A POSITIVE IMPACT

Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Juliette Deloustal, Tourism Concept Developer in Sustainability at Attitude Hotels, about sustainability initiatives, cutting out single-use plastics and chemicals, and their Marine Discovery Centre.

By Elizabeth Cope

Attitude Hotels is a hospitality group with nine hotels situated in the north and east of Mauritius. Founded in 2008, Attitude Hotels started out with just the one hotel in the north, aiming to take the unique products of Mauritius and implement them within a family-friendly hotel. Attitude in a company with a purpose / mission. It became a company with a purpose in 2020. Today, each Attitude hotel, four 4-star, and four 3-star – has a different character, with the design process in each case being led by a local artist.

Thanks to a set of exclusively Mauritian stakeholders, Attitude ensure that the money generated by tourism can directly benefit the islands. “It’s a unique concept, with sustainable development actions and goals,” says Juliette Deloustal, Tourism Concept Developer in Sustainability at Attitude Hotels. “We love the traditions in Mauritius, and have tried to incorporate these as much as possible into the hotels. For example, the Kot Nou

Restaurant, which is the Attitude signature restaurant, showcases local foods and meals, with all ingredients sourced from here on the islands, unless they cannot be produced locally. Moreover, our customers love our new branded, POZ spa, based on the fresh side of Mauritius. Here, you will find made-in-Mauritius products containing local ingredients like Chamarel coffee, spices, and more.”

POSITIVE IMPACT MOVEMENT

In 2020, Attitude launched the Positive Impact movement, a new cross-hotel sustainable tourism initiative. “It’s a collabo-

“OUR GUESTS ARE EXCITED ABOUT OUR NEW BRANDED POZ SPA, BASED ON THE FRESH SIDE OF MAURITIUS. HERE, YOU WILL FIND MADE-IN-MAURITIUS PRODUCTS CONTAINING LOCAL INGREDIENTS LIKE CHAMAREL COFFEE, SPICES, AND MORE”

rative approach,” explains Ms. Deloustal. “We realized that even if we are making a lot of effort, we can’t do it on our own. We developed this sustainability strategy for the group, so you have the commitments of every stakeholder along with the hotels. So, we have the commitments of Attitude, and we created charters for our partners and for our guests. This means they can join the movement, and act with us.”

At the heart of of our sustainability strategy are the traditional three pillars of sustainability: the environment, the community, and the local economy. “We make sure that every action we take respects the three pillars,” says Ms. Deloustal. “The first objective for the environment was to use zero single-use plastic in the guest experience. We achieved this one year ago. The second objective for the environment

was to sign three partnership agreements between our Marine Discovery Centre and committed organizations, which we have also now achieved. Every time we have objectives, we make sure to go further within these three pillars.”

“We study the value chain, the carbon footprint, the figures, and we use digital tools to find out what types of actions pro-

duce the most carbon,” says Ms. Deloustal. “So we are sure to target the best areas of action so we can have a real impact. We study our consumptions of products, and furniture that we are buying, for example. Thanks to these tools, we know that a big impact in terms of carbon footprint is the consumption of meat and fish. As a result, we’re now offering more vegan and vegetarian options in the restaurants at one of our hotels. We are trying this out to make sure it runs properly, and to figure out the costs. If it works for the guests, then we can implement it in all of our hotels.”

PLASTIC POLLUTION

“We realized that plastic pollution is a real threat on a global scale,” says Ms. Deloustal. “We know that the most dangerous and impactful plastics are single-use ones, as they often can’t be recycled, so we decided to target them. I worked closely with the Chief of Operations Manager and Procurement Manager on that, to check our process of buying and make on-site audits. At the level group, we calculated that we moved more than 3.6 million single-use plastic items at group level. It was a huge job to identify an alternative because, most of the time, plastic is the easiest, most convenient, and cheapest solution.”

“So, in our rooms, in the showers or bathrooms, you won’t find single-use amenities,” explains Ms. Deloustal. “You will find dispensers instead. We remove most items like shower caps and slippers because we couldn’t find a good alternative. This goes

“WE KNOW THAT THE MOST DANGEROUS AND IMPACTFUL PLASTICS ARE SINGLE-USE ONES, AS THEY OFTEN CAN’T BE RECYCLED, SO WE DECIDED TO TARGET THEM”

also for the minibar. In our hotels, we have bulk shops. So, the guest goes to the bulk shop where we have big, glass jars to take things like coffee and tea in bulk. They have an upcycled fabric bag which they can put their glass jars in and take it back to their rooms. We implement a time deposit system, so glass bottles or aluminum cans from beverages, for example, can be reused. Every client or guest can rent their own flask from a brand called Dopper, which will be cleaned at the end of their stay.”

COMMITTED TO REDUCING CHEMICALS

Attitude also reduced or removed the bulk of the chemicals that are traditionally used as part of the day-to-day operations of a hotel. “Initially, many of the products we had in the rooms and spas contained chemicals,”

says Ms. Deloustal. “Now, it’s more like 95% natural; and at the spa it’s 100% natural for all the treatment products. We had to create these products with a local brand because we couldn’t find any supplier to provide 100% natural products. You just couldn’t find anything like this in the market. These created products are then available for visitors to buy at the spa.”

COLLABORATION AND CONSERVATION

10 years ago, Attitude began a partnership with a non-governmental organization (NGO) to start a Marine Discovery Centre at their Lagoon hotel at AnseLa-Raie. After the partnership ended, Attitude have continued the centre’s work. “We have one marine biologist on site,” says Ms. Deloustal. “She’s working with

us on on the study of marine & coastal environment for sensitization projects. We have scientific programs with other local or regional NGOs. It’s a big success for the group because we could sign agreements with regional NGOs, and for Mauritius, it’s difficult to have the right to exchange that data with other countries. The centre is educational, and for the study of the lagoon. So our marine biologist will train more and more scuba diving centres, fishermen, and all users of the lagoon to ensure our behavior results in a minimal impact on the environment.”

“For the future, we want to work more in collaboration with suppliers to ensure we have more local products that fit in with our needs,” explains Ms. Deloustal. “At the moment, we still need to import a lot of goods and food. We want to continue to strengthen the local economy. Each year, we hold a musical competition to give visibility for local artists, and to offer them professional coaching. We have another smaller company called Otentik Investments where we look for local entrepreneurs in Mauritius that develop environmentally friendly products. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to cut back on some of these ventures, so we’re looking forward to getting them back up and running in the future.”

DEVELOPING A GREEN REGION

Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Cecil Gordon, Chief Technical Officer at Jamaica Energy Partners (JEP) Group, about plans to reduce carbon emissions, the company’s wide range of community support, and being one a regional leader in renewable energy.

By Izzy Moss

Jamaica Energy Partners (JEP) Group is a Jamaican power and energy solutions company. Operations at JEP began in September 1995, with a 74.16 MW diesel-fired power facility. Today, JEP has a total generation capacity of 250 MW across their Doctor Bird I and II power barges and onshore generation facilities at West Kingston Power Partners (WKPP) and Jamaica Private Power Company (JPPC), making the company the largest Independent Power Producer (IPP) in Jamaica. The Group has 30% of the island’s installed firm capacity, and now supplies 20% of Jamaica’s total energy demand thanks to an increase in renewable capacity.

THE ERA OF ELECTRIC

JEP is currently in the process of conducting a major overhaul of its generating capacity, pivoting from the burning of heavy fuel to natural gas. “Shifting our emphasis to natural gas would make a significant contribution to reducing our carbon emissions and contributing to a cleaner environment,” says Cecil Gordon, Chief Technical Officer of JEP. “Our plants are already designed to enable

that conversion. All that remains is for us to get the green light from the government, with progress on the project having stalled following the onset of COVID-19. Despite that, we remain optimistic that once the shift to natural gas has been achieved, it will allow us to reduce our production costs, and, in turn, to minimize the price of energy for our customers.”

Following in the footsteps of its parent company, InterEnergy Group, JEP has begun rolling out electric vehicle (EV) chargers across Jamaica. “We’ve started installing roughly 60 EV chargers across the country,” says Mr. Gordon. “In the very near future, we’re expecting to see rapid growth for electric vehicles. We’re now looking at several other acquisition projects to acquire renewable energy facilities, both within Jamaica and throughout the Caribbean. Our final objective is to become greener and cleaner.”

A UNIQUE LANDSCAPE

A highly regulated energy sector presents suppliers like JEP with a set of unique challenges. “You can’t bring new capacity to the grid, whether that’s renewable, gas, or other-

MR CECIL GORDON, CHIEF TECHNICAL OFFICER, JAMAICA ENERGY PARTNERS GROUP

wise, without either informal certification or a national bid,” explains Mr. Gordon. “The government has an Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), designed to communicate their desired mix of the generating capacity. For instance, they might indicate that there’s need for 100250 MW of renewable energy, with specific quotas for the amount of solar or wind energy required. Alternatively, the national bid process invites different private companies to submit bids in MW for renewable and fossil fuel energy generation. We have a specific team that looks at all these opportunities, conducting research with an aim to secure as much renewable energy as we can manage. We communicate closely with our contractors and manufacturers to identify who we can best work with on any given project.”

GREENER AND CLEANER

Underlying JEP’s commitment to becoming greener is the company’s long-running partnership with the Jamaica Environmental Trust. “The Trust is an NGO whose mission is to educate people in Jamaica about the need to protect the environment,” explains Mr. Gordon. “A represent-

ative of JEP always sits on the board of the Trust, lending support to their objectives however we can. We’ve sought to champion the Trust through our corporate social responsibility strategy, most significant through its school environment program. As part of that, they are able to go into schools and teach youngsters about the

HALLE SALMON, PROJECT ENGINEER

INTERVIEW: JAMAICA ENERGY PARTNERS (JEP)

Leading Supplier of Petroleum Products in Jamaica

Petrojam refines and supplies the full range of petroleum products to the domestic and export markets. These include:

• Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)

• Motor Gasoline (MOGAS)

• Automotive Diesel Oil (ADO)

• Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel (ULSD)

• JET/Turbo Fuel

• Marine Fuels – Low Sulphur Diesel (LSD), Marine Diesel Oil (MDO), Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO), Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (LSFO)

• Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO)

• Asphalt

need for responsibility with regards to the environment.”

Another beneficiary of JEP’s commitment has been the Montego Bay Marine Park (MBMP), comprising just shy of 16 square kilometers of protected marine environment. “We support the upkeep of the park, helping to protect its unique environmental resources,” explains Mr. Gordon. “To date, we planted over 5,000 trees (including 2,100 in 2021 alone) as part of the Forestry Department’s National Tree-Planting Initiative, alongside our annual support for

beach clean-ups across the island. We also take an active role towards assisting other companies that want to practice energy conservation – be that through guidance on effective donations to key organizations, or tips on reducing their energy demands and carbon emissions.”

CHAMPIONS OF THE COMMUNITY

“Moreover, we offer scholarships every year to students attending secondary and tertiary institutions, across a range of disciplines: from medicine and engineering to architec-

ture and journalism,” says Mr. Gordon. “We also run a five-to-seven-year scholarship for primary to high school students, and a School Feeding Program. Unfortunately, many students in Jamaica don’t have access to a healthy, nutritional breakfast. They’re hungry when they arrive at school, and that in turn impacts on their learning intensity. Thankfully, our program has been able to help over 600 students in the last year, the result of a total of $50 million that we’ve committed in funding since the start of our educational pursuits.”

PETROLEUM PRODUCT SUPPLIER OF CHOICE

Mirroring its commitment to community support, JEP boasts an impressive internal training department, designed to equip the company’s employees with the tools to maximize their own potential. “Our Education Assistance Program enables employees to improve on their educational background as a means of self-development,” explains Mr. Gordon. “Likewise, we also run a scholarship program for the children of our employees, awarded to high achievers at primary and secondary levels.”

“We’ve also worked with Hospitals, and with the Jamaican Institute of Sports (INSPORTS),” says Mr. Gordon. “We believe that health and wellness are two important criteria to measure the welfare of our people. Recently, we’ve embarked on a partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to rescue what we call, ‘at risk members of the community’. USAID sponsored us to identify individuals that we could put into a six-month behavioral modification training program, known as the Community Intervention Program. With courses covering some of our key skills areas, including mechanical and electrical engineering, it presents participants who complete

the program with an excellent opportunity for employment, both generally, and within our Group.”

LEADING COUNTRY

Moving ahead, JEP’s five-year plan looks to point the way towards the company’s continued success. “Firstly, it’s our hope to continue growing as an organization,” says Mr. Gordon. “With 250 MW on the grid, our aim is to increase that as much as possible in support of the environment, with an intention to burn only natural gas. To support the introduction of renewable energy to that grid, be it wind and solar, we’re hoping to expand our storage capac-

ity to guarantee a consistent and reliable power supply.”

“Within the next to ten to twelve years, we know we should be at almost net-zero emissions,” says Mr. Gordon. “We’re continually training and preparing our staff to be ready for new technologies as they emerge, and to ensure they’re comfortable and knowledgeable about renewable energy, and E-mobility. In November, we ran a competition in the E-mobility sector, challenging schools around the country to put together an advert to help launch our educational campaign. It’s our goal to continue supporting Jamaica as a regional leader in renewable energy.” c

“WITHIN THE NEXT TO TEN TO TWELVE YEARS, WE KNOW WE SHOULD BE AT ALMOST NET-ZERO EMISSIONS”

LONG-TERM PRODUCTS OVER SHORT-TERM PROFIT

By Izzy Moss

Mavcom is an IT service provider and information and communications technology firm based in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The company started out as an internet café in 2005, moving to their current location at Arnos Vale in 2017. Over time, Mavcom began offering repairs for PCs and laptops, and subsequently began selling products for international brands. Today, Mavcom is partnered with some of the world’s best-known IT brands, reselling hardware and software products from HP, Lexmark, Acer, Lenovo, Microsoft, and Adobe, and providing a range of solutions to customers, from data backup and recovery to network and domain configuration and maintenance. “We have gotten rid of the coffee, but we still provide services to the consumer, like printing, copying, and

typing,” says Paul Morris, Managing Director and Founder of Mavcom. “Today the business does everything from maintenance to servicing to reselling.”

REDUCING WASTE, REDUCING COSTS

Many of Mavcom’s clients are operating with cost constraints. Mavcom has found a variety of inventive ways to reduce costs for customers while still providing them with cutting-edge IT solutions – and reducing resource and material consumption in the process. “In 2007, I travelled to Brazil, where I was able to study the benefits of remote desktop technology,” says Mr. Morris. “Using remote desktop technology, we were able to open workspaces in Saint Vincent, Grenada, Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Antigua, rolling those projects out from 2008 through to 2010. Since then, we don’t do much of that type of product, but it’s a good demonstration of how we’ve innovated over the years to help make IT solutions affordable to our clients. We’ve also invested heavily in virtualization technology as a means of maximizing the number of servers we run from a single machine. We hope that will make our operations significantly cheaper, and we’ll

continue to roll it out with present and future clients.”

Mavcom found that a lot of people in their area of operations can’t afford to purchase a new computer. “This year, we launched a hire purchase arrangement for the consumer market,” says Mr. Morris. “We entered into an arrangement with a company that is providing the financing. So we have a hire purchase rate at 12% per annum, which is very low for computers. Additionally, we offer a variety of options to purchase refurbished computers rather than always buying new. Customers still get three to four years out of them, at a significantly reduced cost than if they had to purchase new.”

Mavcom is also working to reduce ink usage among their customers, ensuring fewer ink cartridges end up in landfills. “We try to advise our clients to purchase printers that are efficient,” explains Mr. Morris. “A lot of printers are purchased based on price without factoring the cost of the cartridges. Buying a printer with a higher cartridge yield means you won’t need to change the cartridges as often, which helps us strive towards sustainability. Right now, we are not able to send back the empty cartridges like in other

Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Paul Morris, Managing Director and Founder of Mavcom, about affordable, efficient devices, investing in young people, and preparing for the future.

countries, so by reducing the number of cartridges that our clients buy and use, they save in the long term, and it helps the environment.”

“The more regularly a client comes back to purchase cartridges the more money we make, but we have decided to take a more long-term approach,” says Mr. Morris. “We try to supply our clients with cartridges that are more efficient, so they don’t have to keep coming back to us regularly. When we consider the overall impact on our client’s business and the environment, it is better to make less profit in the short term and create a more sustainable business for our clients in the long term.”

INTERN INVESTMENTS

For years Mavcom has been fostering an internship program. “We take the top IT (Information Technology) students from secondary schools and bring them in for a two-week internship,” says Mr. Morris. “We give them a chance to see different components of the business and introduce them to some of our clients and managers to sit and ask questions, so they can get a feel of what the business world is like.”

“Since starting that program, we’ve hired one of those interns full-time,” says Mr. Mor-

ris. “We continue to employ staff who are still in, or who have just completed college, with those often going on to become some of our most equipped and diligent recruits. We firmly believe that investing in people is key and we do not have a bias towards hiring older people as opposed to younger persons. In fact, younger people are more easily trained and become a longer-term investment even if they do not stay with the company. We are investing in the development of the country.”

FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS

Mavcom is aiming to improve service quality, along with strategies to reduce their impact on the environment. “We are looking at how we can improve the lives of our clients,” says Mr. Morris. “We want

to provide a better service by improving the return from their IT and making their business process more efficient. Within the next year or two we are looking into how we could, in an affordable way, send some of the components back to the manufacturers to be recycled. One of the challenges of this is the high cost of shipping out of Saint Vincent, but we really want to reduce the amount of cartridges ending up in the landfill. In the past, we have tried working with an individual in scrap metal recycling, giving them old computers which we collect from clients. This did not continue for as long as we would have liked, however we are hoping in the future to find someone to take this over to keep more devices out of the landfill, and to benefit the environment.” c

“IT IS BETTER TO MAKE LESS PROFIT IN THE SHORT TERM AND CREATE A MORE SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS FOR OUR CLIENTS IN THE LONG TERM”

DISASTER RESISTANT

By Izzy Moss

Domus Windows & Doors Ltd. was founded in 2006 on the island of St. Kitts, launching a year later with the intention of manufacturing Unplasticized Poly Vinyl Chloride (uPVC) windows and doors for the Caribbean on home turf. The components of Domus’s uPVC products are designed to resist rust, peeling, corrosion, rot, swelling or blistering for over 20 years.

In the beginning, an old sugar factory building was used for manufacturing until their world class factory could be constructed in 2018. Today, the company has offices in St. Kitts, Trinidad and Tobago, and Antigua, broadening and redesigning

with a strong research and development ethic in selling locally-made, high quality, long-lasting hurricane-resistant products to the Caribbean market.

SOPHISTICATED MANUFACTURING

“Domus uses a sophisticated computer integrated manufacturing system, which costs roughly TT$30 million,”,” says Terrance Ortt, Chief Executive Officer from Domus Windows & Doors Ltd. “It has 1,000 different models that can be customized to any size and configuration. Moreover, we have the only glass lamination plant in the Eastern Caribbean. We can laminate any two pieces of glass, including very high efficiency Solar-E from Pilkington, which cuts the solar heat gain through the windows almost in half. Pilkington is the leading glass company in terms of research and development. A large percentage of our customers are now purchasing Solar-E energy saving glass.”

Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Terrance Ortt, Chief Executive Officer at Domus Windows & Doors Ltd., about hurricane resistant products, rigorous product testing, and guarantees of efficiency.

The company’s labor costs are considerably lower per unit compared to the average, despite overall costs often being greater. “There are cheaper products everywhere, but there aren’t better products anywhere,” says Mr. Ortt. “The efficiency of the manufacturing system allows us to put that same labor-cost-saving back into higher quality materials such as stainless steel and special coatings over the screws, so they don’t corrode in salt air.”

HURRICANE-PROOF PRODUCTS

Natural disasters like hurricanes are very common in the Caribbean, causing immense pressure on the windows and doors of housing. “Hurricanes have two menacing conditions that can occur,” says Mr. Ortt. “One is wind-borne debris that can

knock the glass out of windows unless it is laminated and glued into properly secured frames, and the other is wind load. A Category 1 hurricane may have 25-40 pounds per square foot in terms of wind load. By the time you get the strongest Category 5 hurricane at 190 miles per hour, that turns out to be 90 pounds per square foot which is almost twice the pressure that standard floors are designed to withstand. A window which is being subjected to almost twice the force that a house would have for its floor, most units will structurally fail at that point. Once a window is blown out, the buildup of pressure inside is the same kind of pressure on the outside making it very likely to lose the roof of the house.”

“Hurricanes are getting much stronger due to climate change,” explains Mr. Ortt.

“Traditionally weather disturbances that came across the Atlantic became tropical storms or rarely Category 1 or 2 hurricanes. By the time they hit the United States or Mexico, they may have picked up more steam and become a stronger hurricane whereas recently hurricanes have been at maximum strength when they pass the Eastern Caribbean islands.”

TRIED AND TESTED

Domus Windows & Doors Ltd. test their products in these intense conditions. “We have to protect from both of these hurricane conditions,” says Mr. Ortt. “In terms of wind loads, we heavily reinforce our products. Domus has the only test laboratory in the Eastern Caribbean that can properly test for wind load, at up to 250-mph. There have been two of the strongest hurricanes in the Caribbean in the last 150 years that have been up to 190-mph. Our specification now is 200-mph, which is the highest wind load standard in the industry. We had to redesign a lot of products and use extra reinforcement in order to meet the 200 mph standard. Also the screws that go around the perimeter must be much longer and installed differently. When a customer buys

from us, and we say it is hurricane resistant, we would attach to that the 200-mph specification.”

MISSILE-PROOF

There are two types of hurricane-resistant products available to customers at two price points. “We had two different types of our products installed in St Maarten when Hurricane Irma hit,” says Mr. Ortt. “The high impact hurricane product, which carried with it a 2.5-millimeter laminate, was tested to ASTM E1996 Missile D. It takes three blows of an eight foot long, two inches by four-inch wooden missile shot from a cannon at 50 feet per second. “We had less expensive Security Laminate products in some buildings since some customers did not want to spend the full amount of money for the

high-impact. To our surprise these products performed almost as well in terms of resisting impacts.”

“This product is a security laminate, which is intended for more security purposes, but we found that it performed almost as well in terms of resisting impact,” explains Mr. Ortt. “There were almost no failures whatsoever with this thinner laminate, which costs a lot less money. The impact of the debris flying around in the Caribbean seems to, in most cases, be sufficiently stopped by this thinner laminate. We have launched the only economical hurricane product line with the same wind load requirement. Another advantage of our hurricane resistant swing doors is they will also reduce the impact of flooding, which very often goes along with hurricanes or tropical storms.”

CUSTOMER WARRANTIES

Aluminum and PVC dominate the windows and doors market. “In Germany, two thirds of all windows are uPVC,” says Mr. Ortt. “In all of Europe and the UK about two-third of all windows are uPVC, while in North America it can range from 60% to 90%. The rest of the windows that are not uPVC are mostly aluminum, which is

generally less expensive and is easy to make. But the problem with aluminum is that it conducts heat far more than uPVC, making it less energy efficient – and it corrodes more easily when exposed to airborne contaminants, such as the salt that can be found occurring naturally in the air for miles around Caribbean island coastlines. Aluminum also requires a huge amount of energy in order to create the raw material itself relative to uPVC.

Not only are Domus Windows & Doors Ltd. products hurricane-resistant, but they are energy efficient also. “Pilkington Solar-E is long-lasting, reduces solar heat gain, and does not scratch,” says Mr. Ortt. “Customers end up saving a lot of energy over time. In our showroom people are amazed that you can walk around on a sunny day, and they hardly feel the sun coming through these windows. The Air Conditioning (AC) plant can be reduced in size, because the AC load is going to be lower. Having been able to build and launch the factory and train the staff, we are now ready for a lot of growth. Having the products in line with the highest hurricane standards and energy efficiency, we want to continue to expand into more Caribbean markets.” c

“THERE ARE CHEAPER PRODUCTS EVERYWHERE BUT THERE AREN’T BETTER PRODUCTS ANYWHERE”

SOLVING THE CARIBBEAN’S ENERGY PROBLEMS

Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Alous Brown, Managing Director at Keus Power, about efficient power solutions, the company’s work across Jamaica, and plans to invest in solar energy.

By Elizabeth Cope

The Keus Trading Company was registered in Kingston, Jamaica in 2013, with a mission to provide the country with world-class power and energy solutions at a fair price. Keus Power now works with the two largest telecoms providers in the Caribbean: FLOW and Digicel. An ostensibly young company, Keus Power boasts an extensive background in telecom engineering, totaling to a combined experience of more than 80 years on each collaborative project they undertake. “Our permanent staff comprises just four of us, but at any time we could have around 15 persons working for us,” says Alous Brown, Managing Director at Keus Power. “Purchase orders come directly to us from FLOW, and arrive from Digicel via a third-party, Product Solutions Ltd. Through them, we have been able to do a lot of work across the Caribbean and parts of Central America.”

EFFICIENCY FIRST

Keus Power strives for high-efficiency and reliability across its power equipment. “Our equipment is upward of 96% efficient,” says Mr. Brown. “We primarily sell Virtiv and CE+T power equipment, including inverters, batteries, and power distribution systems. We chose Virtiv in particular because they are a high-efficiency company, with a reputation for manufacturing products that are highly reliable. The more efficient your equipment, the lower your energy demands, and the more you’re able to limit the amount of fossil fuels you’re burning.”

The company also applies a sustainable focus to its engineering work. “There’s a history of vendors over-provisioning power,” explains Mr. Brown. “You’d have rectifiers being powered, which would then go under-utilized, with only 25% to 30% of the

“THE MORE EFFICIENT YOUR EQUIPMENT, THE LOWER YOUR ENERGY DEMANDS, AND THE MORE YOU’RE ABLE TO LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF FOSSIL FUELS YOU’RE BURNING”

available capacity actually being used, and resulting in a very low energy efficiency. In our energy work, we’re given the opportunity to right-size the power equipment to prevent over-provision, ensuring that the customer doesn’t end up using more electricity than is absolutely necessary.”

PROBLEM SOLVING

Keus Power recently undertook work in Duke Street, Montego Bay, and Ocho Rios, on a on a major power upgrade for FLOW. “It was a major project encompassing three critical sites, all of which were experiencing issues including energy leaks and failures,” says Mr. Brown. “The Duke Street site in Kingston is the largest telecom facility in the Caribbean. Likewise, Montego Bay probably ranks among the top five in terms of size in Jamaica, and FLOW’s site in Ocho Rios is located within the north coast tourism belt, a critical site for the telecom infrastructure. That was rolled out as a full-turnkey project; we diagnosed all the problems, and provided all the equipment, engineering, installation work to resolve the situation.”

Keus Power has also performed significant reorganization work for Digicel, at its data center in downtown Kingston. “The facility was somewhat chaotic in terms of how the power was being distributed to the equipment,” explains Mr. Brown. “We conducted a full documentation, going into the interface of every single server within the data center as we looked to complete our rationalization. They had a number of inverters that were under-utilized, while others were bursting at the seams. Thanks to the clarity and quality of our work, Digicel are now in a position to reorganize their distribution, and eliminate inefficiencies. For Digicel, we have done a number of power failure investiga-

tions across the Caribbean, in Haiti, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, Antigua, along with further power investigations for Flow Jamaica.”

SOLAR SOLUTIONS

Partnerships offer an avenue for Keus Power to increase its uptake of solar energy. “Locally, we’re experiencing a lot of vandalism at remote telecom mobile and data sites, the target of which is almost always power,” explains Mr. Brown. “We are looking to find a solution in partnership with Ascot – a company that offers a hybrid power solution, equipped to make use of either wind or solar power. For our circumstances, we’re looking more closely into solar power

with a combination of solar batteries and dc power generators. In the case of the latter, it’s important that we’re able to move away from diesel – both for the obvious reason that it’s not clean, but also because it’s prime for theft. We’re currently in discussions with Ascot to solve that problem, while also working to ensure our telecom operators see improvements in their network availability.”

“We intend to push further into energy-drive solutions,” says Mr. Brown. “We’re currently in discussions with a potential customer for temperature monitoring. We’re currently looking at pharmacies, supermarkets, and similar businesses, with the opportunity to conduct 24-hour temperature monitoring. The process involves the collection and storage of temperature data, with a notification then sent to a relevant person if their refrigeration system is faulty, allowing the issue to be fixed prior to the onset of spoilage. We’re also looking to expand into other areas, capitalizing on our experience working with power development right across the Caribbean. We’re familiar with the region’s needs, and we’re aiming to get bigger in the years ahead.” c