Constance Halaveli Gets Green Globe Certification for Sixth Year

11 February, 2020

Green Globe recently has re-certified Constance Halaveli for the sixth consecutive year.

Constance Halaveli is an intimate and luxurious hideaway located on the Maldives’ North Ari Atoll. The tropical resort remains committed to its sustainability goals and has successfully implemented numerous green initiatives over the past two years.

“Constance Halaveli maintains its Green Globe Gold status in 2020. This prestigious acknowledgement is a great accomplishment for Constance Halaveli and the dedication, passion and continuous efforts by all our teams has enabled us to bring improvements to all respective areas within the resort. As we move forward into the next five years, we will endeavour to meet and exceed the green targets that are currently in place,” Tangi Le Grand, General Manager of Constance Halaveli, was quoted in a statement, as saying.

Collaboration with Parley

Constance Halaveli first partnered with Parley Ocean School in 2018 as part of its plastic recycling efforts. Around 51,300kg of plastic bottles — that’s equivalent to 9.5 Asian Elephants — are collected on the island, transported to capital Male and then on to Germany for recycling where they are made into items such as Adidas sport shoes.

Nature guide booklet

The resort’s Nature Walk Booklet, distributed in villas, contains information by resident biologists about the ecological history of the island, its native wildlife and the many plant species. Sections are dedicated to marine creatures and birdlife such as Sally-Light -Foot Crabs and Black-Naped Terns as well as indigenous Banyan Palms and Halaveli Bushes. Maps, photos and detailed descriptions are provided for self-guided walks.

Green News Magazine

To raise awareness and promote the resort’s sustainability efforts, a Green News Magazine is displayed on an in-house TV channel in guest villas.

The magazine announces annual environmental events including World Environment Day, Earth Hour and World Oceans Day when fun activities such as sand sculpting, lagoon cleaning and gardening are organised.

Charitable events sponsored by Constance Halaveli are also highlighted such as the Dhiraagu Road Race, the largest annual run held in the Maldives, where people and communities from all over the country gather together to support the protection of children. In addition, Breast Cancer Fun Runs and donations of stationery supplies for local school children are other social activities organised by the property.

Sustainability efforts at Constance Halaveli are communicated regularly via the magazine.

“Sustainability within the Constance Hotels & Resorts is defined as carrying out our business in line with the company’s guiding principles of being conscious of global environmental issues and acknowledging our responsibility towards the environment,” Tangi Le Grand said.

“At Constance Halaveli, we are constantly aware of the risks of our operations to the natural surroundings and local communities. We realise that our operations may produce significant environmental impacts as we consume large quantities of resources and generate waste. We also recognise that our activities can have both a positive and negative affect on these areas and that we have responsibilities to manage these impacts.”

Plastic bags and straws are banned and have been replaced with reusable bags and paper straws. Also, to encourage guests’ participation in nature preservation actions, a Batteries Recycling Bag is provided for visitors to take their old batteries (as well as those used by others) back home for recycling as there are no recycling facilities located nearby.

Furthermore, guests are educated about ethical souvenirs and encouraged to purchase and support native crafts that use traditional plant materials like coconut husk or leaves for woodwork and woven products. This deters proliferating any demand for items using coral, shells and turtle shell materials that leads to loss of biodiversity.

“When you think of the Maldives you picture islands surrounded by white sandy beaches and calm, sparkling turquoise waters. Unfortunately, as with many seaside resorts, plastic waste and other non-biodegradable materials have caused detrimental effects on the environment,” Tangi Le Grand said.

“Luckily, there are some key organisations in the Maldives that care about the environment and are making a huge effort, on a local level, to involve not only tourists but also community members to raise awareness of this situation and help make a difference in protecting fragile ecosystems. We work alongside local people toward marine conservation and preserving the pristine environment of the Maldives.”