HUATULCO – AT THE FOREFRONT OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

The Bays of Huatulco - from the Federal Government (through FONATUR) and the National Commission for Protected Areas, to the State Government (through the Secretary of Tourism and Economic Development), to the Municipal Government, as well as the private sector and local, committed citizens - have not only implemented measures for the protection of the ecology and environment, but have gone much further by implementing programs that identify and recognize Huatulco as one of the most advanced tourism communities on an international level with regards to the protection of its environment.

Here are some of the achievements:

1998 - The Mexican Government declares an area of more than 11,800 hectares as a protected natural area, today known as Huatulco National Park.

2004 - The Equipo Verde Huatulco (Green Team Huatulco) is established and coordinated by representatives from different social, economic, cultural, academic and governmental sectors. Their goal is to implement actions and programs in order to position Huatulco as a leading sustainable tourism destination in Mexico and the world.

 

2004 - Huatulco adopts the EarthCheck Program for Environmental Administration with an aim to obtain the international Green Globe certification, a methodology created for the evaluation and certification of sustainability for the tourism and travel industry.

2005 - Huatulco receives the international Green Globe certification, being the first and only tourism destination in the Americas to achieve this honor.

2009 - For the 5th year in a row, Huatulco obtains EarthCheck certification and, for the first time, masters the “SILVER” distinction, for going significantly beyond “best practice” levels.

2010 - Chahué Beach is awarded the “Playa Limpia” (Clean Beach) certification by the Federal Attorney for the Protection of the Environment (PROFEPA), the first beach certified in the State of Oaxaca.

2010 - Huatulco’s environmental footprint was determined, taking into account all economic, tourist, travel and supply activities of the destination. A proposal is presented to neutralize carbon emissions, applying a voluntary green bonus program with an aim to become the first tourism destination in the Americas, and maybe the world, to be completely carbon neutral.

2011 - Huatulco receives the EarthCheck Gold Certification for having complied in with the necessary processes and having obtained very favorable results.

As a result of these “green” efforts and processes, we are proud to boast that 100% of Huatulco’s electricity is clean, coming from a nearby wind electricity plant. Additionally, as result of low levels of fossil energy use, the energy emissions indicator in Huatulco is placed at 61% above best practice. Waste generation is also well below the national and global average, and weighs in at 7% above best practice. Furthermore, our Water Savings rating is almost 4 points better than Best Practice, as 95% of the water used is recycled or captured from rainfall...and modern water & sewage treatment ensures no waste enters the ocean.

 

The next ambitious undertaking of the Equipo Verde (Green Team) Huatulco is to mitigate global warming by neutralizing emissions and guarantee a better quality of life for the local population through it’s Carbon Neutral Program...they sent us this description to explain the program.

Resort Real Estate Services is proud to offer all our vacation rental guests the opportunity to take part in the Carbon Neutral Program. For a donation of $1 USD per person per night you can help to mitigate global warming and help to neutralize carbon emissions in Huatulco. Proceeds will fund the reforestation and conservation of more than 9,500 hectares of land in Oaxaca and Chiapas with a project set up under the Plan Vivo system – which ultimately aims to alleviate local poverty by working with communities and families on a variety of reforestation projects. Furthermore, your involvement will help to offset over 47,000tCO2 over a 100 year period!