Sustainability GOLD certification second consecutive year

08 August, 2017
Posted by: Knai Bang Chatt

Gold certification

say no to plastic water bottles

Up-cycled bottles

Knai Bang Chatt achieves ‘Green Growth’ GOLD certification for second consecutive year

Gold Certification for Kep province’s Knai Bang Chatt Hotel as a continued benchmark for sustainability in Cambodia’s rising tourism industry

PHNOM PENH, August 8 – In 2016 Knai Bang Chatt became the first hotel in Cambodia to achieve Gold certification in the Green Growth 2050 global standard. A recent annual audit resulted in Knai Bang Chatt achieving Gold certification for the second consecutive year.

The independent audit conducted by an Australian expert covered more than 400 CSR and sustainability indicators, ranging from Health and Safety and Human Rights to Environmental Stewardship and Social and Community Development.

The most recent audit identified that Knai Bang Chatt has developed further in sustainability indicators and standards especially in the areas of sustainable operations and best practice, sustainability management, pollution reduction and protection of bio-diversity.

Jef Moons, founder and CEO of Knai Bang Chatt said “I am incredibly proud of the ongoing commitment of our team as we strive and move forward and to pave new roads, for other to follow” Mr. Moons went on to say that sustainable operations and practices are the DNA and at the heart of the resort.

Some of the new initiatives since Knai Bang Chatt first became certified include significantly reducing the consumption of plastic packaging, by sterilising and bottling drinking water in reusable glass bottles, using bio-degradable plastic bags for waste management and eliminating the use of plastic straws by providing bio-degradable straw alternatives.

Jorge Rico, sustainability manager of Knai Bang Chatt said “I am very proud to be part of a great Green Team which is 100% committed to making a difference to our planet, through the small changes which are in everyone’s power to make”

John Black, general manager of the luxury boutique hotel, explained that travellers expect more than just a room, they want to feel part of something else and part of making a difference. “Our strong commitment to our environment, local community and culture is who we are and is what matters to us most” Mr. Black said.

Cambodia’s Best Kept Secret

Knai Bang Chatt is a boutique luxury resort located in Kep province, on Cambodia's southern coastline that is swiftly gaining a reputation for barefoot luxury as it rejuvenates guests as well as local communities.

In the 1960s the area was known as Cambodia’s Riviera, where royalty and stars mingled in private villas overlooking the Gulf of Thailand against a backdrop of lush, forested mountains. In 2003, Knai Bang Chatt became the first luxury resort to reopen in the province, with the goal of reviving its culture and economy. The resort has since invested more than $1 million in village-based development projects in the province and now employs more than 85 staff, including those who work at its adjacent Sailing Club.

Knai Bang Chatt consists of four renovated villas built in the 1970s by protégés of the father of New Khmer Architecture, Vann Molyvann, a student of the world famous architect Le Corbusier. The villas are astonishing historical landmarks that guests can now experience as private residences and suites.

For more information please visit www.knaibangchatt.com/ and join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/knaibangchatt. For media enquiries please contact Knai Bang Chatt General Manager John Black. Email: gm@knaibangchatt.com/ telephone: +85578888552

About Green Growth 2050

This certification program is fast becoming the leading standard for Green Growth by linking sustainable tourism and corporate social responsibility to achieve and adhere to Green Growth. It was developed by Belgium-based Greenearth.travel and Australia-based VisionCSR. What makes it distinct is the more than 400 indicators used to measure compliance and tailored software that allows venues to track progress and identify shortcomings on each of these indicators. These include: the UN Global Compact, the UNEP Green Economy Principles, UN Declaration of Human Rights, Code against the Sexual Exploitation of Children, and the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria for Hotels and Tour Operators. Annual audits are conducted to gauge compliance with the indicators, which cover:

· Sustainability Management