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Here at Bucuti, we are proud to be aiding our world by mitigating our carbon footprint. As long-time stewards of the environment, we are honored to announce our newest eco-designation in the race to halt global warming – LEED® Silver certification.
What does this certification mean? LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) is a rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the world’s leading program for buildings that are designed, constructed, maintained and operated for improved environmental and human health performance. In other words, it is the worldwide standard that recognizes when a building and its operations are truly “green”.
Becoming LEED-certified is a critical step in our operational efforts to protect our island home and the world we share. We sincerely thank our staff and suppliers who worked tirelessly to help us achieve this significant certification. It is through their collaboration, and with participation and support from our guests, that we were able to implement solutions in the areas of water and energy efficiency, sustainable purchasing, solid waste management, green cleaning and indoor environmental quality.
We are humbled to welcome guests who are truly eager to join in our green efforts from the moment they arrive. From beach clean ups to using our refillable water canteens, to recycling glass, aluminum and paper, we’re constantly encouraged and grateful when guests choose Bucuti in part because of a shared belief that each day we should be protecting our endangered environment—even while on vacation. An increasing number of guests choose to participate in our Green Stay Program, reducing the frequency of housekeeping and turndown services during their stay and, in-turn, their carbon footprint. Green Stay Program guests help the resort conserve natural resources by reducing energy, water consumption and the amount of cleaning detergents used.
Bucuti now stands as the only resort in the Caribbean to achieve LEED Silver certification. Although we are proud to be at the forefront of the green movement, it cannot stop here. Temperatures are rising, and 2015 is on track to be the hottest year ever recorded. Even a fraction of a degree average temperature increase creates warmer oceans and rising sea levels that threaten the very existence of Caribbean islands. We encourage every destination and resort in the region to both adopt and embrace strong environmental initiatives like LEED to help protect our precious planet and way of life.
Everyone shares responsibility for taking care of their place in the world and together we can--and must--make a difference. This is a critical time in our history and it is imperative that environmental standards and certifications become common practice. When we take care of the environment, we take care of our guests, our suppliers, our staff and one another. Everyone wins. But, what’s more is, we can’t afford to