Green Globe has welcomed Hyatt Ziva Cancun to its collection of certified resorts in Mexico. Hyatt Ziva Cancun is the first Hyatt property in Mexico to be certified for its sustainable operations and management. Alexandre de Brouwer, Director General, Hyatt Ziva Cancun said, “We are very proud to have been awarded with the Green Globe certification. As part of the tourism industry and as human beings we have been blessed by Mother Nature and should preserve it for future generations.

“This award is the result of consistent team work and marks our commitment to continuing to manage and operate our business with the environment, our local community and its culture and traditions in mind”, added Director General de Brouwer.

Hyatt Ziva Cancun put together 11 Sustainability Teams to tackle Green Globe certification’s four key themes: Sustainable Management; Cultural Heritage; Social Economic and Environment. Weekly meetings were put in place for each of the teams to follow up different sustainability initiatives. Every two months, meetings were held, along with the General Manager, to review achievements, improvements and opportunities for each and every one of these initiatives.

Hyatt Ziva Cancun also launched its own Sustainability Development Department, responsible for projects focused on reducing the impact of hotel operations on the environment.

As a fundamental part of its work, the Sustainability Development Department began with the creation of a Sustainability Management System, to promote knowledge and respect for local community and its cultural, social, archaeological and natural heritage and encourage responsible behavior inside and outside the hotel. The system also works to organize, plan, prioritize, manage and monitor sustainable development projects by Hyatt Ziva Cancun management and staff.

Projects to support local organizations have been supported with personal time and/or donations that aim to improve the quality of life for the local population and preserve the environmental resources of the destination. Some of the volunteer work includes: the Epiphany Caravan - bringing toys to children in isolated and impoverished communities; and annual fund raising to benefit Ciudad de la Alegria, a local foundation that supports orphans, women and the elderly.

For the conservation of the environment, many new ideas and activities have been introduced including, composting of food waste; waste segregation to support recycling; the use of biodegradable corn-starch containers; and water saving in guest rooms.

Hyatt Ziva Cancun also supports campaigns to promote awareness of common social problems within the destination. These campaigns have focused on addiction, domestic violence, child abuse and sexual exploitation. The aim of the campaigns is to connect effected people with organizations that can provide advice and assistance.