Baha Mar invests $2m into environmental sustainability

By YOURI KEMP Tribune Business Reporter ykemp@tribunemedia.net

BAHA Mar executives yesterday said the Cable Beach mega resort has invested more than $2m in conservation and sustainability initiatives to help attract environmentallyconscious guests.

Melvern Williamson, the Baha Mar foundation manager, told Tribune Business during the resort’s Sustainability Week first-day workshop that it will today unveil a $50,000 donation to the Bahamas National Trust (BNT). This, she added, aligns with the resort’s efforts to promote itself as environmentally conscious.

“Annually, we donate over $2m to various environmental causes in the country,” she added. “These days, a lot of the guests now are asking for sustainability reporting companies, and we are putting initiatives in place that make sure that they can see it first-hand.”

O’Neil Leadon, director of conservation and sustainability programmes, said the effort to promote Baha Mar as sustainable can be seen through it being the only resort in The Bahamas with the ‘Preferred by nature, sustainability certification’, which means that - internationally, and with their guests - it is recognised as an environmentally-stable organisation.

He said: “If you’re someone who is interested in environmental conservation, preserving the planet, or even just living a more sustainable lifestyle, then that ‘Preferred By Nature’ audit certification - on the e-mails, on our sites and on any communications that we make - that goes a long way in promoting the core value that we possess.”

Tarran Simms, Baha Mar’s assistant director of conservation and sustainability programmes, added: