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Sustainable Luxury: Yes, It’s Possible!

September 10, 2015

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THE notion of luxury harkens comfort, excess, decadence. ‘Eco-friendly’ and ‘sustainable’ it rarely is. Indeed, one often feel sustainability and luxury cannot go hand in hand. But in an attempt to turn this conventional notion on its head is the Taj group of hotels. Recently, nine Taj properties were awarded with Gold Certification by renowned Earth Check, an internationally recognised environmental management and certification program by EC3 Global.

Making these properties environmentally sustainable without compromising on luxury was not an easy task to begin with. The management said it took five years of continuous benchmarking and reporting under the EarthCheck international standard, to become internationally recognized in sustainability reporting.

The nine properties that have been Gold certified include

Speaking with The wp Journal, Raymond Bic Speaking with The wp Journal, Raymond Bickson, MD and CEO, The Taj Group of Hotels, said, “The Taj Group reiterates its focus on energy and water conservation and societal development. The milestones achieved today reaffirm and demonstrate our commitment towards building sustainable livelihoods. Our goals are also in line with the Tata ethos of keeping communities at the heart of doing business.”

Said Stewart Moore, CEO, EarthCheck and EC3 Global, “What is commendable is that the Taj Group has maintained this benchmarking for five years without wavering while some other hotel groups have dipped in and out of the sustainability space.”

In a recently concluded sustainability round table, the Group further elaborated its vision for corporate sustainability and community development initiatives. The group has committed to set new benchmarks in global sustainability and social responsibility in all its upcoming 41 new projects that will be launched in the next four years (2014-2018).