Sustainability at Club Med

HAPPY TO CARE FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT

A pioneer with a responsible vision

Sowing the seeds towards global sustainable tourism

For more than 60 years, sustainability has been part of the Club Med DNA. Throughout our history, we’ve forged a strong belief: the moments of happiness we offer to our guests are to be shared; they cannot be experienced at the expense of others or of nature.

That’s why we’re making sure that our development reflects what we know today as sustainable development: our resorts blend in harmoniously in their exceptional sites, we’re being extremely vigilant with energy efficiency, saving, treating and recycling our water, promoting renewable energy sources, controlling the water treatment and recycling techniques…

All the while we’re contributing to local development and bringing together in harmony people of very different origins, religions, nationalities, and settings… That’s what we want Club Med to be about.

Working hard to preserve our dream locations
Bye single-use plastics
Did you know that out of the 8 million tonnes of plastics dumped in the ocean each year, more than half comes from Asia?
Therefore, We’re progressively eradicating single-use plastic items from all our resorts worldwide, to reduce our footprint and keep the ocean clean. We took a first step by removing plastic straws from all our Asia resorts and replacing them by paper straws. But we want to go even further!
**Our ambition is remove all plastic straws globally and all single-use plastic by 2020. **
We reduce waste not lather
Club Med bids farewell to small single use plastic containers in its bathrooms. By the end of 2019, shampoo, shower gel and body lotion will be available in big refillable containers (and in weekend size products in our Exclusive Collection Resorts).
Last supper for plastics
By the end of 2019, straws, plastic cups, plastic trays cutterly and plates will be removed from every single Club Med Resort worldwide.
Small steps for a big relief
At Club Med, we say goodbye to small plastic water bottles during hikes... but not to cool breaks at the fountains.
PRESERVING NATURE WHEREVER WE GO
Preserving nature is one of our fundamental values. Right from the moment we design our resorts, we feel a deep sense of responsibility to protect our local environment.
We make a priority of harmoniously integrating our resorts with their exceptional natural surroundings, preserving the natural flora and fauna and keep those beautiful spaces and parks as untouched as possible. In all Club Med resorts, the built-up surfaces only cover 7% of the total site surface, allowing our guests to spend their holidays in incredibly well preserved places.
When creating our beautiful natural garden at The Finolhu Villas, 95% of the island’s plant life was grown on site by our Club Med team. Only 5% of the plants were brought in to bring some colour. Moreover, we house plants with low consumption of water and only grey water is used – making sure we’re making the most of natural resources and reducing our footprint!
GREEN GLOBE CERTIFIED
Currently 74% of our resorts worldwide have been awarded “Green Globe Certified” for Sustainable Tourism, including Club Med Bali, Club Med Cherating Beach, Club Med Phuket, and many more!
The Green Globe certification is the highest and most thoroughly tested standard of responsible tourism. It is reviewed twice per year, and resorts must prove amazing levels of sustainability across all aspects, from training and recruiting staff, to food and energy wastage, resort construction and biodiversity preservation, including the preservation of local culture of the surrounding communities.
Our aim is to have all of our resorts certified in the near future.
PIONEERS IN ECO-CONSTRUCTION
We are always looking for green innovations to make our resorts more sustainable.
We’ve installed 6 000 m2 of solar photovoltaic panels at The Finolhu Villas. These solar panels now generate 30% of the resort’s electricity, allowing us to make the most of the natural resources that are available to us.
REDUCING OUR FOOD WASTE
Specialising in buffets for over 60 years, we’ve always sought to limit the amount of food that is wasted. We’ve therefore acquired specific know-how to make our buffets generous and tasty, yet reasonable.
Our new innovative technology, Winnow, has helped reduced food wastage by 56% at Club Med Bali. This program is currently being rolled out across our Asian resorts.
Food wastage in our resorts has been minimized to only approximately 100g of waste per person, i.e. the weight of 1 kiwi fruit!
MONITORING OUR USE OF WATER
Over the last years, we’ve made a conscious effort to reduce water consumption in our resorts, reducing it by 12.5% in hydric-stressed zones from 2010 to 2015.
Moreover, 100% of our water waste is treated, and currently 89% of resorts have water flow reducers.
ECO INITIATIVES – IT’S BEACH CLEAN UP TIME!
Every little bit helps. We make a point of preserving our planet – and involving the guests too!
At multiple resorts, our G.O.s organize beach clean ups, collecting waste to preserve the ecosystem of the ocean. The waste collected is then turned into artwork by the kids during our Clean Art Planet workshop! We also organise beach clean ups in partnership with 4Oceans, and participating guests receive 4Ocean bracelets made from 100% recycled materials.
Every year, Club Med G.O.s, managers and guests from all over the world participate in the World Clean Up Day, keep our beaches, forests, streets, and even ski slopes clean.
Last summer in Club Med Bintan Island, 60 staff and resort guests, together with 300 locals, successfully removed 450kg of waste from the beaches around the island and over 2,500kg at Lagoi Bay, in conjunction with other Bintan Island resorts.
PRESERVING BIODIVERSITY
From respecting the fauna and flora of the natural areas during the construction of our resorts to protecting endangered species, we play an important role in the preservation of biodiversity.
Indeed, we’re actively protecting 1,000ha of primary Atlantic forests near Club Med Rio das Pedras, and over 60ha of primary tropical forests near Club Med Cherating Beach.
Moreover, we’re always trying to find ways to protect endangered species around our resorts. The turtle nursery at Club Med Bintan Island allows us to nurse sea turtles back to health and promote their breeding, the artificial reef at Club Med Kani and fish refuge at The Finolhu Villas help preserve the ocean’s biodiversity in the Maldives, Club Med Cherating Beach’s natural site provides a home for macaque monkeys and many more tropical species…

Happy to care forour guests
Spreading kindness through environmental awareness
Holidays are a time to relax, but also a time to grow and learn. We love it when our guests, big and small, partake in our efforts to protect our planet. Whether it’s by putting up posters about how our guests can work with us to do their part for the environment or inviting them to our Green Activities, we feel truly rewarded when guests come back home feeling closer to nature, full of ideas on how to live more sustainably.
ORGANIC LOCAL PRODUCE FROM FARM TO FORK
On average, 90% of good, materials, and produce in our resorts is purchased from local suppliers. Sourcing our food from local and agro-ecological farmers allows us to serve fresh and locally-grown produce in our restaurants, providing our guests with in-season, organic and pesticide-free food that goes directly from farm to fork.
We source sustainably, and you reap the benefits - it's better for the environment and for YOU. Plus, your tastebuds will go on an extraordinary journey, discovering the local culinary culture and local delicacies at our buffets. You can even enjoy cooking lessons with local chefs!
Local farmers are supported, we know where our products come from, and our guests get to eat healthy in-season food! That’s a real luxury.
CLUB MED G.O.s DEDICATED TO BIODIVERSITY
More than 15,000 G.O.s are trained each year on sustainability, learning how to help preserve our environment. Our G.O.s then raise awareness among our guests through eco-initiatives, bring forward new ideas on how Club Med can become more sustainable, and coordinate the environmentally-friendly initiatives in our resorts.
We’re also lucky to have real experts on biodiversity and sustainability in our resorts, including our “Green G.O” at Club Med Cherating Beach and our marine biologist at Club Med Kani!
Partake in unique resort initiatives
Protecting wildlife with our Turtle Sanctuary
Playing a vital role in local fauna conservation, our Turtle Sanctuary at Club Med Bintan Island protects the beachside breeding grounds of two endangered species, the Green and Leatherback turtles. The Sanctuary also acts as a research facility, and as a sickbay for injured turtles to be nursed back to health.
Last summer alone, over 200 baby turtles have been successfully released from our turtle sanctuary at Club Med Bintan Island!
Ecological walks to discover the wildlife
At multiple resorts, our G.O.s organise ecological walks every week to collect waste from local areas – and guests are invited! Those educational and fun eco treks are the perfect opportunity to reconnect with nature.
In Club Med Cherating Beach for example, guests get to reconnect with nature, discover the incredible preserved forests surrounding the resort, and learn about wildlife protection, guided by our Green G.O.
Committed to restore the Maldivian marine life
The Maldivian marine life is suffering from global warming and pollution. At Club Med Kani, we’ve partnered with marine biologists to create the Mobi Reef Underwater Trail, a snorkelling tour teaching our guests all about underwater life and how to preserve it.
We also have an artificial reef installation, sheltering fishes and marine life in our resort’s perimeter. Furthermore, guests can sponsor replantation of coral plants with our coral propagation program.
Teaching sustainability to the little ones
Learning about plants, nature and nutrition
Our “Super Radish” programs and Pedagogical Gardens* sensitize children to healthy and responsible nutrition, teaching them about plants’ needs and how to grow fresh vegetables.
*In Bali, Marrakech, Opio, La Palmyre, Guilin
Sharing eco-attitudes with children
We believe in helping kids better understand and appreciate the local environment through fun and inspiring activities. They’ll never forget seeing the turtles hatch at Club Med Bintan Island, or discovering fishes’ ecosystem on the underwater trail at Club Med Kani.
Encouraging mutual cultural exchange
Your little ones get to make new friends from all over the world! Local kids are invited to come play at Kids Club – playing local games in small groups, creating artwork and painting together.

Happy to care forour local communities
Contributing to local development
Respecting our host country and its population is one of Club Med’s founding principles. Our vocation is to promote the well-being of all concerned, and we could never have established ourselves in countries of such varied cultures if hadn’t built our resorts in a profound spirit of responsibility and respect towards our hosts and staff.
Committed to respect our hosts
PARTNERING WITH LOCAL NGOs
For 10 years, we’ve been working with the NGO Agrisud, a local farm that practices agro-ecological farming, and we are training the farmers on the standards of Club Med to supply our global resorts.
We’ve partnered with over 400 ecological farms worldwide, allowing us to reduce our carbon footprint, promote human exchanges with producers, and ensuring all of our guests get access to fresh, seasonal and organic food.
At Club Med Bali,** we’re working closely with local farming families** who deliver us fresh vegetables daily. Our close relationship with them allows us to tailor our menus according to each delivery, using only products that are in season. And in 2018, we’ve been able to fund a water tank to help them during dry season!
EDUCATING AND BRINGING HAPPINESS TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES
Every year, more than 2,000 voluntary G.O.s take action to educate local communities on recycling, equality, and to bring them joy through entertainment and games.
Whether it’s inviting local children to the resort to interact with holidaying families, welcoming them in the resort for sports lessons, organizing English and computer classes, or providing them with school support, our inspiring G.O.s lead over 140 projects to support thousands of families.
Committed to invest in our staffConvinced that happy G.Os make happy G.Ms
DEVELOPING LOCAL TALENTS
The presence of our resort in a territory brings economic and social benefits to the region, in particular through local employment. It is our aim to go further, and to strive to maximize and extend these benefits.
75% of jobs in our resorts are created locally. More than 15,000 G.O. are trained each year, due to the diversity of activities offered in our resorts. Thanks to their rich and diversified career paths, 20% of our GOs progressed onto new roles within a year. Moreover, 100% of Chiefs of Village are recruited internally.
Over the years, we've developed unique expertise in the management of people from different origin, culture, nationality and religion, with a zero discrimination policy:
§ Over 100 nationalities are represented in our resorts and offices worldwide
§ In France, the employment rate of disabled people is of 4.7%
§ More than 40% of top management positions are occupied by women, and we’re in the top 10 companies in the SBF120 for the percentage of women on the board of directors

The Club Med Foundation

The Club Med Foundation is celebrating its 40th anniversary!

In our resorts and offices around the world, thousands of G.Os give their time, their goodwill and their expertise in support of local charitable projects. Since 1978, they've taken action in the areas of childhood, social action, education programs, integration through sport, and sustainable development, investing themselves in more than 140 different projects. For 40 years, the Club Med Foundation has supported their commitment.

Our ambition: to continue to show the way towards a more sustainable tourism, which means a more desirable tourism.

#ForwardTogether

DISCOVER THE CLUB MED FOUNDATION