The theory behind a company’s carbon footprint is relatively simple, and about reducing that company’s impact on the earth. Many sources of energy emit (greenhouse gases), so named because their emissions contain carbon products, usually CO2 (carbon dioxide) which accumulates in the atmosphere stopping heat escaping (hence like a greenhouse); which is generally acknowledged these days to cause climate change. Because of recent droughts Australians are very aware of both climate change and the need to reduce greenhouse emissions. Carbon footprint refers to how much greenhouse gas your day to day living generates, for example a short distance international flight- Australia to Fiji or Asia generates 3.5 tonnes of emissions. If you buy food individually packaged (machines use fuel to make packaging and to package it) from overseas (so travelled by boat or plane, maybe tractors and fertilisers and insecticides also involved in growing and harvesting) then that product has a far bigger carbon footprint than if you bought food grown by the Nakelo at Vuda which was only transported down the hill to the boat: – i.e. locally grown food is a far better choice.
If you can lower your emissions to the point where you can offset (plant trees or lower someone else’s emissions by subsidising the increased price of more eco friendly technology or subsidising the price of researching that technology) by the same amount then you are carbon neutral. Carbon offsets can actually be purchased from organisations online. The first thing to note in this section is at a time when many companies are busy analysing their carbon footprint and boasting about buying offsets Treasure Island is not. Treasure Island Resort does care very much about its carbon footprint, however there is a worry that companies will spend time trying to (probably inaccurately too) calculate their carbon footprint, then spend money on buying “carbon offsets” to assuage their guilt, despite there being no real guarantee the offset is genuine or accurately calculated. During a recent look at a carbon footprint calculator apparently designed for use in Fiji it was immediately apparent there was no consideration for the source of the food consumed- and obviously food imported would have a far greater carbon footprint than that grown just up the road by a local farm using very little machinery or chemicals, so one would have to question the validity of basing your carbon neutrality status on such a calculator. Treasure’s current policy is to spend this time and money for the moment reducing its carbon footprint as much as possible, and to try and further reduce its footprint every year though careful monitoring and judicious savings. Having said that TIL is considering the use of an offset equivalent for specific purposes even if only to pay lip service to the theory, e.g. for each GM business flight trees can be donated and planted on vulnerable erosion prone Nakelo land, or shade trees around schools, or mangrove regeneration planting (basically any planting we can assume to be “permanent”) to unofficially “offset” the flight; however the first objective is to obviously reduce flights taken as much as possible (and skype is proving to be very handy for this purpose!).
To lower a company’s carbon emissions two things need to be looked at:-
Lowering your own use via more efficient energy use and cleaner energy sources.
Lowering global use by only supporting those products with a small carbon footprint, starting with buying locally and less processed products where possible.
Treasure Island Resort has made, in my opinion, astounding inroads into reducing their own emissions and lowering their carbon footprint given the tough economic climate they have been functioning in. This includes some large capital purchases as well as a lot of work going into many departments, and constant careful choice of both suppliers and contractors.
On island several areas stand out. Island hot water systems have been analysed, with a study firstly commissioned (with EU assistance) to look at the viability of solar water heating on the guest bures. It was found that due to Treasure Island’s canopy of mature heritage trees that solar heating was not feasible; however there is still a possibility that gas boosted solar water heating can be used in the staff quarters and this is being investigated currently. Gas produces about 1/3 of the green house emissions of conventional energy; and also gas water heating is done “to order” rather than a whole tank full of water being heated and held at temperature, so it is far more efficient too. In a household context gas water heating for an average house produces1.7 tonnes of greenhouse gas/year compared to 4.5 tonnes on electricity (the source for all figures in this section unless stated otherwise is the Australian Conservation Foundation). Treasure Island this year changed ALL bure hot water systems to on-demand gas water heating, potentially saving at least 182 tonne of greenhouse gases. Initially gas bottles were used, then to reduce the transport implications these were replaced with a reticulated gas system. All cooking appliances in the kitchen use gas as gas cookers are considered to produce less than 1/3 of the emissions of an electric cooker (in an Australian context); though this saving could actually be even more given the high sulphur diesel used to generate electricity and the fact that gas is instantly hot and hence quicker and more responsive. There is only one clothes dryer on the island- in the laundry – and it also runs on gas rather than electricity.
Renewal of plant including new generators meant that Treasure Island Resort now has two different sized generators which can be phased according to demand which further saves fuel. Many formerly mechanised operations are now done by hand- hand trolleys are used housekeeping, and the porters also have changed to hand trolleys for shifting guest luggage, minimising fuel use, emissions and noise pollution. Rubbish has been changed to larger containers with lids, and efforts made to reduce as well as recycling which of course has been in place as part of the green globe accreditation. Rubbish is now shifted in only a few runs by a specialised vehicle straight onto one barge, rather than many trips back and forward by tractor and smaller boat. With rubbish removal rationalised down to one operation per week the opportunity is now there to measure amounts of rubbish to help set objectives for rubbish reduction in addition to the marked savings in fuel use and emissions this new method has resulted in.
Other reduction measures included only air-conditioning small areas of the resort (two offices only apart from guest rooms) and using signage to ensure the doors of those areas are always kept closed. The rest of the main buildings are open with good ventilation and designed for natural lighting to minimise use of lights and air-conditioning. Only energy efficient light bulbs are ordered now (unless there are real availability problems) so most light bulbs have been upgraded in the past year. This may sound like small stuff, however studies have found replacing all lightbulbs will reduce lighting energy consumption by up to 80% (source: Kemp, W: Biodiesel Basics and Beyond).
Case Study: Marine savings
One area where island resorts really struggle to keep their carbon footprint and resource use in check is their boat movements to and from the mainland for both passenger transport and good supplies. Over the past 2 years Treasure Island resort has made major inroads into resource savings in this area. Firstly the boat movements were rationalised from 4-7 per day to 2 or 3 according to demand, one first thing in the morning, one at 4:30pm, and a later one if sufficient demand. All eco friendly sustainability tip sheets recommend the use of public transport to save emissions- the Mamanuca’s essentially have an equivalent to public transport- the South Seas Island Cruises, including the Cougar and the Tiger IV. The Resort made the conscious decision not to compete with those boats, and to only operate in the hours they don’t travel which is the globally responsible way to operate despite that fact they can technically be considered competition to TIL’s marine department.
With the rationalisation of boat movements also came the reduction in van trips from the Lautoka office; as the van formerly met every boat mileage was immediately drastically reduced. To further analyse the van mileage and identify any opportunities for further increases in efficiency the van now has a log book with mileage, destination and reason noted for each trip. Stores now come out on one boat once per week apart from a few perishables, so transport is further reduced as that boat is exactly the right size, and runs out of Lautoka rather than Vuda which reduces the distance from the warehouse to the boat. Rubbish then is transported to the mainland on the return trip. Boats that run to Vuda also are chosen according to number of passengers with the resort using not only its own boats but 2 different charter firms so as to be able to run the most efficient sized boat for each run.
Different fuels have different performance. Diesel motors burn their fuel far more efficiently and use less to cover the same distance (source: Kemp,W). Likewise smaller engines use less fuel than larger engines. Treasure Island’s two new boat purchases both make considerable inroads into emissions reduction- the Tui Eluvuka’s 300hp diesel engine uses considerably less fuel than the (smaller) boat it replaces. And the new transfer boat the Bula Tale is made of aluminimum, lighter and uses a smaller engine and less fuel than the boat is replaces; it has the bonus of also being built in Fiji (a company requirement wherever possible). The boat commonly used for larger groups, the Nanuya Belle also has a diesel inboard engine.
Biofuels are not only made from renewable resources, so preferable to crude oil based fuels; but are proven to have far lower emissions, especially in Fiji where very high sulphur fuels are still allowed. Treasure Island has been investigating biofuel since September and this week started trialing B100 (or 100%) coconut oil derived bio-diesel ( “Coco-Diesel”) in its large transfer boat the Tui Eluvuka, with a plan to extend the use of bio-diesel to other diesel engines within the operation after the (hopefully successful) initial trial, with a final objective of trialling the recycling of the resort’s waste cooking oil into bio-diesel as well. Compared to #2 grade diesel in the USA, B100 (100% neat biodiesel) results in a 100% reduction in sulphur emissions (that’s because it doesn’t contain any), a 75% reduction in hydrocarbons, and a 55% reduction in carbon monoxide (Kemp, W: Biodiesel Basics and Beyond). These figures are especially significant in a Fijian context given the extremely high amount of sculpture in Fijian diesel fuel. All fuel use is now overseen and monitored by the storeman (woman actually) who must sign out every litre, so strong records now exist of the useage by different boats which will form a benchmark for further improvement, and a means of spotting other anomalies such as poorly performing engines…
In summary Treasure is moving to locally built boats (where possible) running on locally sourced biofuels with drastically rationalised number of trips per day and per week, which also make a point of NOT competing with the “public transport” (SSIC). Boats are a necessity of life on an island, but this doesn’t mean they have to fast, flashy and run lots of times a day with big outboard motors! Responsible boat use in the last two years has markedly reduced the carbon footprint of this department, which has also benefitted from staff training including paying for training courses and upskilling existing deck hands with short courses in navigation, first aid, seamanship and emergency recovery; and with longer courses including Class 5 marine engineering.
Case Study: Responsible Renovation
Treasure Island has, since the change of ownership and GM around two years ago, has been in the process of undergoing considerable renovations; these are scheduled to continue with new buildings, and renovation of existing buildings. Eco-principles have been considered at every step of the way so that any new building will be eco-smart with natural lighting, ventilation and insulation to contribute to emission savings. All woods or other material used must be sourced from sustainable plantations, all furniture, furnishings and fittings must be sourced locally if at all possible. With the initial soft renovation of the bures simple local tapa was used as decoration on the walls, and furniture was re-used by either painting or resurfacing to give it a lift. Furniture not retained was either re-used at Bounty Island, or sold at low prices to the staff, so very little was actually thrown out.
During the restaurant renovation similar principles have been adhered to. The new tiles are a light colour to keep the restaurant light and bright. The tables will be resurfaced and retained. Art works were purchased off emerging Fijian artists at a recent Unitec art exhibition in Suva. Unlike most hotels that use imported furniture and fittings Treasure Island has an absolute commitment to try and source all furniture from local manufacturers. Unfortunately despite many discussions with the owner of a local furniture factory they were unable to complete the consignment to provide chairs for the entire restaurant area. However after working closely to help the manufacturer it was agreed they could still provide the outdoor chairs if TIL staff could apply the stain (which they did).
Responsible renovation includes never building more bures than the island can cope with- so there will never be unacceptable amounts of traffic over the reef, or water runoff off the island. It also involves not putting in water inefficient products or structures- e.g. if a large pool was to go in it would need to have no very deep area (1.2m is acceptable) and probably incorporate salt water technology to avoid the emissions implications of pumping that amount of water from the mainland, or producing it via desalination. Treasure Island is working with its designers and architects to meet all these sorts of criteria.
Despite the proposed development there is a huge reluctance to lose any more trees than absolutely necessary. It has been decided that outdoor bathrooms can indeed be built around significant trees. No trees are to be removed without prior approval from the Chairman, and Dick Watling is due to visit to discuss which trees are essential for the local flora and fauna (e.g. which ones do the parrots feed from? Which ones do the kingfishers nest in?) and which trees are significant culturally as well as check on the overall health of the trees and plants.
Case Study: The Boutique- sometimes its about what you don’t buy…
One of the most vital parts of supporting local culture and reducing your carbon footprint is to ensure all suppliers are operating ethically and in an environmentally sound way. The first step is try to source locally, try to use suppliers that use sustainable methods, and try to reduce details such as extraneous packaging which has to be both manufactured, and disposed of. But it goes further than that and sometimes supporting local culture and the environment is as much about what you don’t buy as about what you do.
Pringles and other Australian/NZ imported snack products are profitable for the boutique, but were “banned” about six month ago and replaced with local products. This has proved to be a hit, guests love the experience of trying dalo, taro and cassava and breadfruit (uto) crisps on their holidays. Steps are in place to phase out the imported ice-creams (this involves replacing the freezer at the end of the agreement with a TIL owned one to stock the local product) as well. This immediately reduces the carbon footprint that selling products that have traveled a long way creates. New large wooden clothes racks were also sourced locally and look great in addition to being a sounder decision than imported fittings.
The Treasure Island boutique in the last year has supported at least six different local clothing manufacturers, sourcing locally sewn shirts, skirts, rash tops, and locally printed sulus and t-shirts as well as staff uniform. Treasure Island does not import any products for its boutique sales, only local wholesalers are used. However Treasure Island’s boutique deliberately does not sell many products it could. Once per week local villagers come to the island to set up stalls, and the boutique does not sell any products similar to theirs, nor in direct competition to theirs so as to support this village enterprise. All assistance is given to these ladies, including allowing them to bill products to the guests room via the Treasure Island Billing system to encourage guests and facilitate their purchases (even if they’re only in a bathing suit and towel when they walk past the stall!). Secondly the shop does not compete with the local carver based on the island, so that he can have the best opportunity to preserve and showcase his art. The carver is also provided part time employment in other areas of the island (e.g. in the bar at night) to keep this vital showcase of culture viable.
Finally the boutique has also reduced its paper use this year, by entering sales direct into the computer, which generates one small form for guests to sign, instead of, as previously, having the guests sign on a pad (each in triplicate- 3 pieces of paper), then also entering those into the computer later…
Case Study: No White Sugar!
Treasure Island food and beverage has made considerable inroads into reducing its impact on the globe while conversely improving food quality. Recent surveys undertaken by an independent research company (which TIL commissioned) of guest experience found high satisfaction with the food product.
All food is now sourced locally where possible, and beef in particular is sourced locally rather than imported. As meat is a very inefficient source of energy in terms of the energy consumed to produce it the resort also supports those who choose vegetarian options with a solid selection of quality, delicious meat free options on each menu or buffet. Ingredients are bought in bulk with minimal packaging and all baking of cakes, biscuits, breads and pastries is done on island. Fijian style foods are offered and showcased, especially but not limited to kokoda, palusami, ika vakalolo, kai, ota, lovo cooked products, local curries including goat and vegetarian, okra; and interestingly cassava wedges are a real favourite at kids dinner! Where there are issues with a local supplier management go out of their way to try and resolve it rather than go to imported. Early in 2007 chef’s were struggling with producing quality dishes with a local pasta product. The GM invited the producer to come out and work with the kitchen for a day, and he did, setting a ravioli blackboard special for the evening and working with the chefs until everyone knew how to best prepare and cook the product. During the night they also masterminded and produced several new delicious dishes which were given to unsuspecting guests in the restaurant to trial!
At Treasure Island resort there is NO white sugar, and this has become really one of the key examples of Treasure’s commitment to globally responsible behaviour. In Fiji of course sugar is only refined to a soft brown level before being exported. So all white sugar has traveled to a foreign land and back! Every hotel that has pretty paper straws on its table of white sugar is raising its own carbon footprint. In the resort’s restaurant locally sourced wooden bowls are filled fresh with soft brown sugar (bought locally and in bulk). The only exception to this is the occasional bulk (with minimal packaging) purchase of icing sugar for use on top of cakes…
Market forces can be used to modify supplier’s behaviour, and with the arrival of GM Graeme Back two years ago purchasing policy with respect to fish changed. Treasure Island still bought fish directly off the local fishing boats from the Yasawa’s when they arrived on the island, and they still generally bought the whole boat load too. However Treasure refused to take any undersized crayfish/rock lobster, or any egg carrying crayfish. The chef’s told the fisherman to put those back for the sake of their children and grand children. Very quickly the local fishermen stopped offering the undersize fish to Treasure Island Resort and this hopefully signifies a change in fishing behaviour; however the GM was devastated to eat at a mainland resort property recently and see very small crayfish being served up…
With the abundance of delicious local foods the challenge is to devise world class dishes to present to the guests using them. Of course Treasure Island Food and Beverage is run by exceptionally competent Fijian locals, however they are fortunate to be assisted several times per year by Serge Danserau. During his years as the executive chef of the Regent in Sydney he became noted for shaping new menus of the highest quality out of locally produced delicacies, and since then he has carried that love of local produce to his own restaurant “The Bather’s Pavillion” recently again recognised as one of the finest in Australia. His visits to the kitchen at Treasure always result in much inspiration as he works with the Fijian chefs to produce new dishes using local produce for the Treasure Island menu (while his family relax and enjoy the rest of Treasure Island)…
