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• Reduce the use of plastics
• Protect seas and oceans
• Raise awareness in society

OBJECTIVES:

#OurCommitmentIsFuerte

Another proposal included in the Clean Seas campaign consists of leading a short/medium-term plan that aims to eliminate the use of plastic in all Fuerte Group Hotels. How are we going to achieve this? The following measures are already in operation:

• dispensers and bottles of gel, shampoo, conditioner and moisturiser have begun to be manufactured with biodegradable oxo plastics, we are replacing the 30 ml and 40 ml containers with other 340 ml containers which are also oxo biodegradable;
• we will now use paper or PLA (polylactic acid) instead of the disposable cups (made of plastic) that have been used up to present;
• traditional straws have been replaced by other bio ones;
• hygiene and laundry bags are made with potato starch;
• instead of being provided in plastic bags, cloth slippers are now wrapped with a cardboard holder;
• and the different kits that are offered such as dental, shaving, feminine, shoe cleaning or sponges are provided inside a tissue paper wrapping, not with plastic as before.
• In addition, looking towards the beginning of the 2020 season, new measures are being added, such as using garbage bags created with potato starch for rooms; replacing plastic pens with cardboard ones and increasing the use of pencils; and making bracelets identifying VIP or All Inclusive services with fabric, among other measures.

The amount of plastic we have prevented from being used is truly incredible! See more sustainable measures by Fuerte Group Hotels

Climate change is a variation of the climate with respect to its historical average values, causing effects such as rising sea levels, altering the global weather system and facilitating the formation of torrential rains and more intense storms. Therefore, coastal areas are especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change, which may impact the coastline, promenades, buildings, etc. Moreover, this occupation, as well as bad pollution practices by humans, severely affect Posidonia oceanica and other marine phanerogams, and can increase the effects of climate change. The restoration of these seagrass beds, as well as coastal vegetation in general and their associated fauna, will help us to mitigate the effects of climate change. They will act as natural barriers to waves and storms, reducing the loss of sand from the beaches, producing oxygen, providing filtration and clarification of coastal waters, sequestering CO2, and acting as settlement or reproduction areas for marine and coastal biodiversity.* It is vital and urgent to promote marine conservation actions that involve the entire population, coastline users in particular. Help us achieve it! *Information provided by Aula del Mar.

The main task of this Sustainable Development Goal is simple: conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. Therefore, we at Fuerte Group Hotels would like to promote a series of actions aimed at conserving these ecosystems and raising awareness in society as a whole. We intend to contribute our own grain of sand to the first goal proposed by SDG No. 14: “By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution.” Would you like to find out more about this SDG? Click here

Another important arm of the project consists of the protection and conservation of marine biodiversity, specifically seahorses (of the Hippocampus genus and Syngnathidae family) and Posidonia oceanica beds that they inhabit in the seas where the coastal hotels of the chain are located. The seagrass beds are areas with great biodiversity that serve as a protection and laying area for a great variety of marine species. OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT IN THIS AREA

• Promote the conservation of seahorses, and Syngnathids in general, as well as seagrass beds as a priority habitat, especially for European and Spanish Atlantic and Mediterranean species.
• Involve citizens in general in their conservation, and especially users of the coastline.
• Carry out research projects to understand these species better, mainly in captive breeding, as well as their behaviours and ecological needs.
• Promote actions to restore natural coastal habitats, primarily for seagrass beds, for the purposes of reforestation and future resettlement of these species.

The "Clean Seas" initiative is based on collaboration with Aula del Mar de Málaga, a scientific research entity that has become a benchmark in the area due to its commitment to education and participation in the conservation of natural resources and the improvement of natural ecosystems. The collaboration is focused on supporting a dissemination plan on the importance of protecting the marine environment so the educational community and society in general can understand what its real situation is, and the dangers and threats being faced every day. In Ibiza, where in the first Balearic hotel in the chain was launched in 2019, the “Ibiza Preservation”, organisation will carry out the planning and execution of the activities in preparation for the Ibiza and Formentera Marine Forum 2020. This platform will bring together experts in ecology, sustainability and seabeds in order to share knowledge and innovative projects for the conservation of the marine ecosystem. More information here

At Fuerte Hoteles, as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility framework, we are committed to ensuring energy efficiency in our hotels. To do so, we’ve implemented numerous measures to reduce harmful CO2 emissions. This includes the use of LED lights, renewable energies, and local food products help to preserve our surroundings.

At Fuerte Hoteles, we are continuously reinforcing our commitment to sustainable tourism and the environment. One example of this is how we’re protecting our seas and ecosystems through the Marbella Marine Recovery Project, together with the NGO Equilibrio Marino. This collaboration works in tandem with the Clean Seas project and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14. The value of Marbella’s marine area is incalculable, and at Fuerte Hoteles we are determined to defend it.