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Why does a resort dedicated to honeymoons and adult-only vacations focus so much on the preservation of our natural habitat for future generations? The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), provide a roadmap for caring for our guests, staff, community, and environment. For a sample of the many SDG initiatives that are powering your Bucuti & Tara dream vacation, let’s take a peek behind the scenes here at what Green Globe refers to as the “World’s Most Sustainable Hotel or Resort.”
Exploring Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are the most universally accepted criteria the world has in the shared need to combat climate change, preserve cultures and create social-economic stability.
For hotels, this comes down to sustainable tourism practices and ethical development. Upon Bucuti & Tara winning the Global UN Climate Action Award, the UN shared that the resort’s sustainability program was “highly replicable and scalable” for hotels worldwide to follow.
When experiencing the powdery white sands, turquoise seas, and laidback luxury setting of Bucuti & Tara, the first thought is not necessarily connecting it all with the 17 SDGs. However, when most guests discover that their stay is helping others within the community they’re visiting along with Mother Earth, that vacation smile grows even bigger.
How Bucuti & Tara is taking action
SDGs are carefully woven throughout the Bucuti & Tara experience. While each is specific, they are also interwoven. The resort has more than 400 initiatives that tie into the 17 SDGs. Let us look at a few.
SDG 3: Good health and well-being
Wellness joins Romance and Sustainability as the three cornerstones of a Bucuti & Tara vacation. From the natural benefits of swimming in the sea and healthy, delectable dining, to nature-based excursions and a comprehensive wellness program led by on-staff certified wellness specialists, wellness is infused throughout every guest’s stay.
Bucuti Associates are central to your memorable Bucuti & Tara vacation. Providing more than employment, their health and well-being is paramount to us. The resort Staff enjoys a comprehensive benefits program with offerings that are high-quality differentiators from other island employers. From additional private health and life insurance, professional training, mental health support, healthy meals served in the employee dining areas, complimentary gym memberships, and low-interest loans including green loans. Staff are provided with a safe workplace setting.
SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
Bucuti & Tara has a long history of proud support for gender equality. There are equal employment opportunities and equal pay. Women hold top management positions. Front line staff have equal opportunities for growth including advancement.
SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation
Every guest arriving at Bucuti & Tara is gifted with a reusable, keepsake canteen. Aruba’s drinking water is rated among the world’s best according to standards of the World Health Organization. It is purely refreshing from every tap and fitting for SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, island guests love it! Bucuti & Tara banned single-use plastic and Styrofoam 20 years ago. This canteen initiative, the first on the island, saves 290,000 single-use plastic bottles from ever being created, transported, and disposed of at the resort every single year. Guests continue using their Bucuti canteens long after their vacation.
SDG 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all
Bucuti & Tara is home to the largest solar installation in Aruba’s private sector. In the resort’s commitment to caring and supporting its staff, it also provides green loans for staff so they can also enjoy the same sustainability benefits as they do at work, at home, including solar panel installations, inverters, electric vehicles and a free EV charging station at the resort.
The resort’s award-winning dining experience is as delicious as it is healthy for all. Incorporating SDG 7, the culinary team creates cuisine in a kitchen drawing power from the rooftop solar panel system, turns on hot water made possible by solar-powered water heaters, and induction stovetops that transfer almost 90% of generated heat to the pan versus only 40% on gas stoves.
SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth
Bucuti & Tara honors SDG 8 with its employment and deep care for staff. Bucuti Associates were cared for all throughout the pandemic even when the borders were closed. Every day they experience skill building, nourishing food in break rooms, wellness activity access and safe working environments. The resort also provides green loans for staff wanting to procure EVs, electric bicycles, solar panels for their homes, or other sustainable living options.
SDG 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation
Joining Aruba’s charging infrastructure, Bucuti & Tara installed three Level 2 EV chargers. This service also provided support when Aruba had its first EV taxi, which Bucuti & Tara immediately began prioritizing for guests needing taxi service. The EV taxi can count on charging at the resort free of charge when needed. Chargers are available to guests and staff, free of charge, with the goal to accelerate the transition to clean energy.
The resort continues its innovative actions by introducing the first heat pump water heater and energy monitoring with the Emporia Vue in Aruba. Looking ahead, Bucuti & Tara looks to introduce biofuel for its generators this year. Also coming up, the resort is working to install a major battery pack to help stabilize the electricity distribution infrastructure in Aruba.
SDG 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries
Bucuti & Tara has inclusive hiring practices that welcome both locals and employees from diverse backgrounds. More than 100 nationalities can be found amongst Aruba’s population of 110,000 residents. The resort hires candidates with the best talents and skill sets irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, economic or other status.
SDG 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
For Bucuti & Tara, sustainability extends far beyond the property lines. The resort provides staff with competitive compensation packages, incentivizes them to take public transportation, provides store discounts, and The Bucuti Tara - GMC Nature Preserve is restoring ecosystems to include functioning as a carbon sink, which provides cleaner air for the entire community to breathe.
SDG 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
The resort has hundreds of initiatives that reduce waste, conserve water, promote reuse and recycling, source locally and encourage responsible consumption among our guests. Today, 68% of waste is diverted from Aruba’s landfill. A long-standing program of rainwater and greywater harvesting including UV sanitation covers the resort’s landscaping irrigation needs. While Aruba has an arid, desert-like climate, the resort prizes sourcing locally. Many years ago, the resort replaced single-use toiletries with bulk dispensers filled with treasured Aruba Aloe products. This practice prevents more than 91,000 single-use bottles being used annually.
Twenty years ago the resort banned single-use plastic and Styrofoam. Shortly after and ever since, every guest checking in receives a keepsake, reusable water canteen. This prevents 290,000 single-use water bottles from being procured and sent to the landfill annually. In 2016, the resort introduced Healthy Portions. These sensibly sized meal servings continue to be popular while also minimizing food waste by 30%. In 2018, we partnered with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to further reduce food waste by another 30%.
SDG 13: Climate Action
One of the biggest highlights is that Bucuti & Tara is the Caribbean’s first and remains its only certified carbon-neutral hotel. It is also the Caribbean’s most eco-certified property including Green Globe Platinum, Travelife Gold, LEED Gold (v4.1) and CarbonNeutral®. Representing SDG 13: Climate Action, guests enjoy a carbon neutral stay that truly leaves behind only sandy footprints and not a carbon footprint.
SDG 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
Several practices protecting marine life and habitats are supported by the resort that guests, too, are invited to join. Only safe cleaning products are used. Monthly beach clean-ups keep the environment pristine while also preventing anything from blowing into the sea such as plastic bags that can be mistaken as tasty jellyfish by sea turtles. Staff and guests join together and annually, more than 500 lbs of debris is removed. Keeping the beach clean is important for vulnerable nesting Leatherback sea turtles. Growing up to 1,500 lbs or more in size, these majestic prehistoric wonders return to their natal beach when it comes time to lay their hatch. The resort partners with local sea turtle conservation organization, Turtugaruba to help protect the nesting ground and share conservation best practices with engaged guests.
Bucuti & Tara was the first to promote reef-friendly, locally-made sunscreen In 2021, it became law on the island. The resort is a proponent of local coral reef restoration projects.
SDG 15: Protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
New in 2022, in celebration of the resort’s 35th anniversary, it gifted its island home and visitors with The Bucuti & Tara - GMC Nature Preserve. The preserve forever protects 30 acres/12 hectares of scarce, available undeveloped land in Aruba for future generations. This also ties in below with SDG 17. The prevention of the loss of nature combined with the drawdown of dangerous climate change-causing emissions through Phase 1 of the progress at the nature preserve is already evident in the return of more flora and fauna and the strengthening of fragile ecosystems.
The resort itself could even build bigger, however, we are interested in maintaining the balance we have with nature. Our guests greatly appreciate the resort’s wide open spaces where the focus is on Aruba’s stunning nature.
SDG 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
Bucuti & Tara actively participates in local initiatives and partnerships that aim to enhance community well-being, support local governance, and promote social equity. One such example that has an island-wide impact is that in 2015, the resort founded Stimami Sterilimami, a non-profit spay and neuter organization to help curb the island’s pet overpopulation. As the biggest contributor to the organization, Bucuti & Tara has pulled together the veterinarian community and local businesses and organizations. To date, more than 36,500 local dogs and cats have been treated. This provides humane living for them while protecting the island’s community and ecosystems. In Jan. 2024, the resort hosted a tire pressure campaign and provided free checks so that participants were driving vehicles that were safe for themselves and one another and decreased their carbon footprint.
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
By sharing knowledge, resources, and best practices, Bucuti & Tara contribute to a global exchange of information that supports sustainability goals. After debuting Healthy Portions in 2016 and reducing food waste by 30%, Bucuti & Tara teamed up with the World Wildlife Fund to further reduce food waste by another 30%.
The Bucuti Tara - GMC Nature Preserve is successful in Phase 1 thanks to a strong partnership with island nonprofit Ban Lanta y Planta. Co-founded by Bucuti & Tara’s Owner/CEO Ewald Biemans, the organization is helping to lead the way by tending to seedlings and pulling together staff, community, government officials, and even guests are reforest the green space tract with indigenous trees. Flora and fauna are thriving. The nature preserve also serves as a carbon sink drawing down dangerous carbon emissions from the atmosphere. Ultimately, 15,000 trees will be planted with an annual drawdown of 375 tCO2, which also supports SDG 13: Climate Action.
Leading the way
Bucuti & Tara Owner/CEO Ewald Biemans is routinely invited as a guest speaker and panelist on world-stage events such as the recent World Travel & Tourism Council’s 2023 Global Summit in Rwanda. He openly shares the resort’s sustainability successes and enjoys learning from others. Weekly sustainability tours are available to guests and are often attended by students, foreign dignitaries, and researchers.
Guests have many opportunities for a deeply fulfilling vacation experience here at Bucuti & Tara. We welcome hearing guests share how opting for a vacation here is a conscious choice that has positive impacts on the environment, the island community, and culture.