Zero Carbon Emissions Objective: In order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and move towards the target of becoming carbon neutral, several initiatives have been implemented. These include:

• Utilising timber from sustainably managed and certified sources
• Using natural ventilation as much as possible
• Sourcing materials locally
• Installing energy-saving light bulbs
• Encouraging the use of bicycles and battery-operated vehicles
• Reducing 'food miles' by growing fresh produce in our two organic gardens

Soneva Fushi also employed the British environmental engineering and design consultancy XCO2 in early 2005 to highlight pathways to reduce carbon emissions. XCO2 conducted an initial feasibility study at the resort and proposed three major steps towards achieving its zero-carbon goal. Strategies include 1) cooling, lighting and water efficiency measures, 2) the installation of a heat recovery system in the generators and incinerator and a pressure recovery system in the desalination plant, and 3) the gradual replacement of finite energy carriers such as diesel with renewable energy sources such as biodiesel, biogas, solar and wind power as well as deep-sea cooling.

Carbon-offsetting programme: The largest impact that the tourism industry has on the global climate is often the journey to resorts and hotels rather than during a vacation. The greenhouse gas emissions associated with air travel are large and are predicted to increase. To help tackle the issue, a special programme has been developed by Six Senses with The Converging World. From January 2008, Soneva Fushi is contributing a ‘carbon tax’ of 2 % from every guest villa to offset the resort-related emissions. This money will automatically flow into the Six Senses Carbon Offset Fund, which will be used to finance The Converging World’s wind turbines in India. The revenue generated from green energy will be used for social and environmental projects, of which 25 % will be given to an Indian NGO called Social Change and Development (SCAD) to invest in community development. Examples of the work that SCAD is involved in are the building of schools for disadvantaged children, the empowerment of women and the improvement of water supplies.

Being surrounded by the Indian Ocean, water supplies at Soneva Fushi do not seem to be limited. However, powering a reverse-osmosis desalination plant to convert seawater into freshwater for the resort's operations and both guest and host needs is energy intensive. The desalination process uses a large amount of diesel as an energy source and in this way contributes to the depletion of fossil fuels and to global warming. Water-saving measures are therefore required, and the following have been implemented at Soneva Fushi:

• Guests are given the option to not have their bed linen and towels washed each day
• All swimming pools use filtered seawater
• The newly renovated guest rooms as well as other areas are connected to a grey-water recycling system; the filtered water is used for the irrigation of the organic gardens
• The island's groundwater is used for staff sanitation
• Rainwater is collected and channelled into the reverse-osmosis plant to make the desalination process more efficient
• Native plant species only are grown in the jungle areas that do not require additional irrigation

Waste disposal, litter and debris on beaches and adequate recycling facilities are major concerns in the Maldives. The country currently lacks the facilities to separate, collect and recycle or reuse materials generated by households and businesses. Most resources and items that could be recycled or composted are at present treated as waste and transported from resorts and islands to landfill. As the country develops it seems inevitable that more consumer goods will become available, consumption will increase and so will the amount of material that will need to be recycled, reused or disposed.

We are working with local islands as well as national and international organisations to tackle waste issues, which are likely to become even more of a problem if sustainable waste management policies and practices are not adopted. At Soneva Fushi:

• The amount of waste generated is reduced through responsible purchasing (see Ethical and sustainable purchasing)
  
• Guests are provided with reusable glass water bottles rather than disposable plastic bottles
  
• No plastic bags are issued to staff and guests and no plastic items whatsoever are provided for guests
  
• Waste separation has started and will be improved as soon as better national recycling facilities are in place
  
• The composting system has recently been improved; the system now recycles food waste, paper, cardboard and sawdust and wood shavings from the carpentry workshops
  
• Guests take home their used batteries

'Sustainable purchasing' is a concept that has become increasingly important during the last decade and is now regarded as one of the central features of corporate environmental and social responsibility. There are several aspects to such a policy, the main being that supplies and suppliers are not selected on a financial basis alone. In relation to the decision-making process this implies that the cheapest quote may not always be the most desirable, when environmental and social performance is included. The environmental impacts during the production, distribution and waste management are considered, in other words the 'life-cycle' of a particular product or process.

At Soneva Fushi the Purchasing Department has a policy to avoid certain products that have been placed on the 'red list'. These include:

• Food products such as caviar, fois gras, veal, shark and blue-fin tuna
• Timber from virgin forest clearance
• Items that have unnecessary packaging

Similarly, positive discrimination is given to items that are produced in a sustainable way. The items on the 'green list' include:

• Fair Trade products
• Certified timber products
• Eco-friendly soaps and chemicals
• Shade coffee, locally-grown and organic produce
• Products that can be sourced locally and transported by dhoni (boat), thus reducing the environmental costs of distribution. Examples include seafood, fruit and vegetables

The food system has also received considerable attention recently. The environmental impact of industrial agriculture is now well documented and includes loss of biodiversity, unsustainable water management as well as the consumption of large amounts of energy. The distance that food travels, often unnecessarily, is referred to as 'food miles'. In order to address these issues we have introduced several policies, with the overall aim of reducing and wherever possible minimising the environmental impact of our food supplies. The three main tenets of our food policy are to source organic produce, local food and to compost food waste (as well as paper and card board).

• Organic production: Organic systems avoid synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, which require large amounts of energy to produce (in the form of crude oil and natural gas). This also means that the environmental impacts of importing these types of energy inputs can be reduced. Pesticides kill not only pests but also beneficial insects and can be harmful to human health. These have been replaced with organic pest management techniques such as the introduction of natural predators, pheromone traps, companion planting, fleece and mesh covers and manual collection. Selecting indigenous plants, which have adapted to local conditions is also important, as well as establishing a rotation, using green manures and cultivating natural fertilisers such as comfrey. Branches and coconuts are passed through a chipper to provide mulch, which minimises evaporation thus reducing water consumption. Mulch also breaks down gradually to increase soil organic matter.
  
  
• Reducing food miles: Our policy is to source as much food as possible from local islands then look to suppliers in other Atolls. Organic food production has also been developed at the resort, which reduces food miles to a minimum. There is an organic fruit garden, a vegetable garden, a mushroom hut and a medicinal and culinary herb garden which supply guest and host restaurants.
  
  
• Composting: the two main benefits of composting are that the amount of putrescible waste is reduced and fertilisation is provided for the fruit and vegetable gardens. In the case of the latter this means that less organic fertiliser is imported. We are currently improving the compost system to make the process quicker and to incorporate as much biodegradable material, such as paper, card and sawdust, as possible. Several compost bin designs and input mixtures are being tested to identify the optimum conditions. A method in which the compost does not need to be 'turned' is the goal, achieved primarily through sufficient air circulation and a balance between wet and dry material.

We at Soneva Fushi believe in living in harmony with nature and not manipulating it. The island flora and fauna may still hold surprises in terms of species discoveries, while the beautiful, biologically diverse reef communities are enormously complex. They have survived for millions of years without human assistance and they are poorly understood, therefore we suspect that non-interference is the best approach. In keeping with this policy, we have adopted the following practices:

• The resort has been designed and built with great care to minimise the impact on the island and the reef. Buildings are designed to blend with the natural facade of the island. During construction buildings were located and designed to minimise the damage to trees. When necessary trees were transplanted in a similar habitat on the island. Established trees are not felled, branches are cut in a controlled way, and only fallen flowers are used for decoration. Cut branches and fallen trees are processed further in our carpentry.
  
  
• We have taken aboard a resident permaculturist to enhance the green footprint of the resort by such things as improving organic waste recycling and the organic garden productivity.
  
  
• Considerable stretches of the island's shorelines have been left undeveloped and unlit, so that turtles can continue to nest on the beaches and seabirds and other wildlife find a natural habitat in the dense vegetation. We have also not built any seawalls or groynes, so that the sand can freely move around the island in accordance to the seasons. The effectiveness of these efforts is ascertained by monthly measurements of the beach width at benchmarked locations.
  
  
• A resident marine biologist is employed to inform guests and staff about the wonderful coral reef ecosystem they are privileged to experience and about responsible behaviour in the reef environment. This is accomplished by informal presentations and snorkelling trips. These activities further enhance the guest experience and lead to a greater appreciation of the unique coral reef life and its need of protection.
  
  
• We endeavour to keep our reefs healthy by:
  • Informing all visitors about responsible snorkelling and diving practices
  • Installing mooring buoys for boats to avoid anchor damage
  • Improving our sewage treatment to minimise the nutrient input to the reef from that source
  • Not carrying out any night-fishing activities above the reefs for guest amusement, as this non-selective fishing method not only kills many non-target organisms, but damages corals
  • Not engaging in coral transplantation or propagation projects of dubious conservation value but instead invest our efforts in protecting what is already present
  • Not interfering with natural food webs and organism interactions, e.g. by removing natural predators or eroders
  • Discouraging both guests and hosts from feeding wildlife and fish
  • Encouraging guests to leave all debris, shells, coral pieces and sand on the beach or in the reef
  • Not selling any shells, coral or other animal products in our gift shops

To evaluate the effectiveness of these efforts we have contracted an independent reef scientist to quantitatively monitor the reef and advise management. These efforts have led to Soneva Fushi having one of the most beautiful housereefs in the Maldives.