Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa
Australia’s first conservation-based luxury resort, Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa, has now become the first hotel in the world to achieve carbon neutral certification from an internationally accredited greenhouse gas certification scheme.
carboNZero certification indicates that the greenhouse gas emissions associated with Wolgan Valley’s operations have been independently measured and verified in accordance with international standards.
It also recognises the resort’s commitment to continuously managing and reducing its emissions, and neutralising unavoidable emissions through the purchase of a small quantity of verified carbon credits.
The carbon neutral status for Wolgan Valley was made possible through a combination of initiatives, including large-scale environmental rehabilitation programmes, removal of cattle from the property, and protection of existing remnant vegetation areas. To date, over 175,000 indigenous trees have been planted in wildlife corridors and along creek banks on site. The overall footprint of the resort was already relatively low, due to the application of green building principles in its design and construction, including the use of solar power and heat recovery. The resort even contracted its electricity supplier, Origin Energy, to supply 35 per cent of the resort’s power from renewable energy, the maximum amount currently available. Wolgan Valley is also dedicated to sourcing regional food and supplies from within a 100 mile radius, which further reduces the emissions associated with the transportation of these materials – as well as boosting the local economy.
carboNZero certification was issued following a greenhouse gas emissions inventory assessment carried out by Landcare Research New Zealand - one of the world’s leading organisations in the assessment of carbon footprints and forest sinks.
Professor Ann Smith from Landcare Research said: “The carboNZero certification process is carried out in accordance with ISO14064 and World Resources Institute standards. We are also accredited through JAS-ANZ, the government-appointed accreditation body for Australia and New Zealand. In achieving this certification, Emirates’ Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa has become not only the first carboNZero certified resort in the world, but also the first carbon neutral resort in the world to be certified through an accredited GHG programme. We also believe the certification is aligned with the requirements of the new Australian National Carbon Offset Standard.
“An integral part of the carboNZero certification process is independent verification, and full disclosure of the certification claims. These details have been posted on our website, alongside all other organisations that we have certified. This is another major difference between our certification process and others”.
Wolgan Valley’s greenhouse gas emissions and carbon neutral certification will be assessed and reviewed annually.
Visit the Wolgan Valley website here.
carboNZero certification indicates that the greenhouse gas emissions associated with Wolgan Valley’s operations have been independently measured and verified in accordance with international standards.
It also recognises the resort’s commitment to continuously managing and reducing its emissions, and neutralising unavoidable emissions through the purchase of a small quantity of verified carbon credits.
The carbon neutral status for Wolgan Valley was made possible through a combination of initiatives, including large-scale environmental rehabilitation programmes, removal of cattle from the property, and protection of existing remnant vegetation areas. To date, over 175,000 indigenous trees have been planted in wildlife corridors and along creek banks on site. The overall footprint of the resort was already relatively low, due to the application of green building principles in its design and construction, including the use of solar power and heat recovery. The resort even contracted its electricity supplier, Origin Energy, to supply 35 per cent of the resort’s power from renewable energy, the maximum amount currently available. Wolgan Valley is also dedicated to sourcing regional food and supplies from within a 100 mile radius, which further reduces the emissions associated with the transportation of these materials – as well as boosting the local economy.
carboNZero certification was issued following a greenhouse gas emissions inventory assessment carried out by Landcare Research New Zealand - one of the world’s leading organisations in the assessment of carbon footprints and forest sinks.
Professor Ann Smith from Landcare Research said: “The carboNZero certification process is carried out in accordance with ISO14064 and World Resources Institute standards. We are also accredited through JAS-ANZ, the government-appointed accreditation body for Australia and New Zealand. In achieving this certification, Emirates’ Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa has become not only the first carboNZero certified resort in the world, but also the first carbon neutral resort in the world to be certified through an accredited GHG programme. We also believe the certification is aligned with the requirements of the new Australian National Carbon Offset Standard.
“An integral part of the carboNZero certification process is independent verification, and full disclosure of the certification claims. These details have been posted on our website, alongside all other organisations that we have certified. This is another major difference between our certification process and others”.
Wolgan Valley’s greenhouse gas emissions and carbon neutral certification will be assessed and reviewed annually.
Visit the Wolgan Valley website here.