Club Med has announced new initiatives as part of its ongoing sustainability efforts designed to address the social and environmental challenges facing the global tourism industry.
"Since its conception, Club Med has held a strong belief that memorable experiences should never be lived at the expense of others or of nature," the company said in a statement. "Throughout its reputable practice of responsibly pioneering new destinations, the band’s core values have been defined as key pillars of sustainable tourism – building resorts that blend in harmoniously with nature, controlling water treatment and waste management, being vigilant with energy and water usage and engaging in local solidarity."
New Social Responsibility Commitments
Embodying the brand’s core belief that its vision comes with the responsibility to respect the countries in which its resorts are located, as well as its communities, landscapes and resources, Club Med will soon see the following initiatives at its resorts across North America, the Caribbean and Mexico.
Partnership with Beyond Meat
Beginning in APR at Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda, Beyond Meat will supply its plant-based protein products to the resort. This will be implemented throughout all of Club Med’s North American resorts, including those in Canada, Florida, the Caribbean and Mexico by the end of 2022, according to Club Med. A 2018 peer-reviewed Life Cycle Analysis conducted by the University of Michigan found that producing a Beyond Burger uses 99 per cent less water, 93 per cent less land, nearly 50 per cent less energy and generates 90 per cent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than producing a quarter pound U.S. beef burger.
Organic Composting with Grogenics and The Ocean Foundation
Grogenics and The Ocean Foundation, both with missions to conserve the diversity and abundance of marine life, are partnering with Club Med to address a variety concerns for coastal communities in the Caribbean, like sargassum. This year, they will pilot the first project of its kind in the Dominican Republic by harvesting sargassum from the beach of Club Med Michés Playa Esmeralda and reusing it for on-site composting and regenerative gardening. This organic compost, which utilizes carbon sequestration, will eventually be made available to local farms in the region.
Renewable Energy Efforts
Following the 2019 installation of solar panels at Club Med Punta Cana in effort to reduce energy consumption, a second deployment of solar panels will be installed later this year at Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda.
Bye-Bye Plastics
Following the company-wide commitment to reduce and eventually eliminate all single-use plastic products, all plastic water bottles in Club Med Cancún will gradually be replaced through 2022 with glass water bottles.
History of Social Responsibility
In 1978, the Club Med Foundation was developed to contribute to biodiversity preservation as well as improve the lives of children by supporting local schools, orphanages and leisure programs for vulnerable youth. According to Club Med, the foundation was one of the first corporate foundations to be created by a company.
In 2019, Club Med launched its “Happy to Care” program, which features a range of commitments dedicated to responsible tourism and addresses an array of issues like eco-certifications, elimination of single-use plastics, energy management, food waste, animal welfare, cultural preservation and local development. Initiatives enacted upon under this program include:
- Green Globe certification of all Club Med resorts in North America and Caribbean; the new Club Med Québec Charlevoix will apply for certification later this year.
- While in construction, the infrastructure of the brand’s two newest resorts, Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda and Club Med Québec Charlevoix, are undergoing a series of assessments in order to earn their BREEAM certifications
- Combatting food waste through the development of food waste programs, like a partnership with Solucycle at the new Club Med Québec Charlevoix, which converts organic waste into renewable energy sources
- Prioritization of local sourcing like Club Med Québec Charlevoix, which sources 80 per cent of its food products from Canada and 30 per cent from farms within 100 kilometers of the resort and Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda, which sources coffee, cacao and produce from local farms
- Protecting endangered species and supporting biodiversity preservation through environmental partnerships with companies like the Turks & Caicos Reef Fund, The Florida Oceanographic Society, the Peregrine Fund and SEMARNAT (The Mexican Secretary for Environment and Natural Resources)
- Creating the Club Med RecycleWear collection, a staff uniform as well as boutique product made from recycled plastic, which has recycled over 2 million plastic water bottles since its deployment in 2019
- Club Med is a founding member of PROMICHES, the hotel and tourism association of Miches El Seibo dedicated to the region’s sustainable development.
Looking Ahead
According to Club Med, its North American resorts will continue to see more ecological menu options featuring plant-based proteins and an increase in both local and organic products. Club Med North America has also set an objective to source 100 per cent fair trade coffee by 2023 and 100 per cent cage-free eggs by 2025.
For more information on Club Med's corporate social responsibility efforts, visit its web site.
