The theme for this year’s Earth Day 2024 (yesterday, 22 April) is planet versus plastics, emphasising the importance of businesses across the world continuing to play their part in protecting the earth from harm through sustainable business practices.
Measures to do so include waste reduction, water saving, the use of green energy, the implementation of climate change initiatives, promoting sustainable financing around the world, conservation efforts and more.
Water and energy conservation
Sustainability is a growing priority for almost every industry on the planet right now and hospitality is no exception. That’s hardly surprising. Apart from a desire to act as good corporate citizens, it’s also something that the industry’s customers increasingly demand.
In fact, a 2021 study found that 81% of travellers planned on choosing sustainable accommodation in the next year.
When it comes to making sustainability-driven changes from an operational perspective, small changes can make a big difference.
For instance, simply measuring energy and water usage as well as waste can give hotel managers and operators a baseline from which they can start making improvements. Those improvements frequently don’t require major retrofits either.
A good example of this is water usage. Clinton Thom, GM at Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront, comments: “The Radisson Hotel Group has, for a number of years now, asked hotel guests to reuse their towels. For each set of towels that’s reused, 15 litres of water are saved. That might not seem like much, but for a hotel like the Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront with 177 rooms operating throughout the year, it can quickly add up. Similar gains can be made by improving energy efficiency and reducing waste and single-use plastics wherever possible.”
Taken together, such changes can result in hotels operating in a much more sustainable manner without compromising (and in some cases even improving) the overall guest experience.
A sense of urgency
South Africans are no stranger to the impacts of climate change, recurrent blackouts and water scarcity and Earth Day 2024 is an opportunity to drive a conversation about the need for ongoing investment in, among other environmental concerns, renewable energy, initiatives that promote energy efficiency, and sustainable agriculture, supported by a dynamic legal framework.
Bridgett Majola, partner: banking and finance, and head of project finance: energy and infrastructure at CMS South Africa, says: “Despite efforts over the past two decades to address infrastructure needs, South Africa’s water systems are now facing a crisis marked by water scarcity, the effects of climate change and some inefficiencies in maintenance of existing infrastructure or difficulties in effectively collecting revenue from the end consumers.”
Majola urges the need for investment in water infrastructure: “It is estimated that billions are required over the next decade to upgrade existing systems and build new infrastructure to support the growing demand for water (and other services) by South Africans.”
Effective funding strategies are crucial in addressing the challenges in water management. The complexities and intricate nature of funding water infrastructure is nuanced – importantly because, while the Constitution recognises municipalities as an independent sphere of government with its own unique set of rules.
It means that municipalities have to raise their own funding off their own balance sheets and this will not be guaranteed by the national fiscus, meaning that the relevant municipalities bear the responsibility for repaying the debt.
This presents certain constraints and complexities because municipalities have limited balance sheets and lack liquidity because they are reliant on collecting revenues from their end consumers, which may, as the South African economic landscape is understood, be indigent communities, which need the water services but may not always be in a position to pay for it, timeously, or at all.
This may make funding municipalities difficult, especially for the private sector.
“Additionally, it is encouraging to know that a few billion have been allocated towards water and sanitation infrastructure according to the Minister of Finance’s Budget speech earlier this year”, says Majola.
To overcome these barriers, there is a need for increased capacity building, financial resources, and better governance practices to ensure sustainable water management in South Africa. By addressing these underlying issues, the country can move towards a more resilient and secure water future for all its citizens.
Smart driving can be beneficial for both you and the planet
Beyond the global narrative around the need to better protect the planet, Earth Day is an opportunity to reflect on individual actions and what changes we can make in this regard – whether it’s about using a reusable water bottle or driving less.
An example of making a change in line with the global narrative keeping in mind the ever-rising fuel costs, driving less is as good for the planet as it is good for your pocket.
Keletso Mpisane, head of digital insurance at MiWay Blink, shares her advice in this regard: “You can drive more sustainably and save money by lightening the load in your car at all times, minimising driving time by travelling either late or early to avoid peak traffic, using the air conditioner and car heater only when necessary, reducing your idling time, using the recommended grade of oil for your car, and changing gears according to your driving speed.”
These are all small things that make a big difference. “Many of us pop out to the shops, then to run an errand, go to the gym, and then to see friends or family. Try coordinating as many of these trips into one to minimise the amount of fuel you use”, advises Keletso.
Adding these small changes into your routine can be beneficial towards both you and the planet.