Leading the way has been Spain’s No.1 Golf Resort, Camiral Golf & Wellness, whose commitment to environmental responsibility spans across sustainable golf course management, efficient resort operations and a series of energy-saving actions.
We caught up with CEO David Plana to understand how the European Tour Destination, one hour north of Barcelona, has managed to reduce its energy consumption by 50% and, while offsetting its carbon footprint and preserving its green infrastructure:
Solar Energy
“A recent and significant investment at Camiral Golf & Wellness was the on-site, 900m2 photovoltaic power station with 316 solar panels that were installed on Hotel Camiral’s roof, enabling the resort to generate 210,772 KW of green energy to power both the hotel and Wellness Centre.
“This is a first in many important steps we are taking to become self-sufficient and eventually rely almost entirely on energy generated on site, rather than energy sourced externally.”
Cutting Carbon
“Our solar power project is enabling us to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 51 tonnes per year, while the state-of-the-art air conditioning units we implemented in 2022 at our five-star Hotel Camiral and in our 1,000m² Wellness Centre, have resulted in a decrease in CO2 of 311 tonnes.”
Zero-Kilometre Produce
“In alignment with the growing interest in zero-kilometre food, the resort cultivates its own organic produce in our on-site kitchen garden to sell at the resort shop and harvested for our residents.”
100% Recycled Water
“Camiral Golf & Wellness recycles 100% of its water. We irrigate the golf courses and green spaces using recycled water that is treated and purified, derived from both nearby towns and the complex’s own buildings.
“This was one of the first proactive measures to minimise our environmental impact we implemented across the resort since our opening in 1999.”
Championing biodiversity
“Since 2015, our in-house biologist has been nurturing the resort’s local biodiversity thanks to mosaic landscaping, ecological rewilding and a maintenance programme that is akin to that of a natural sanctuary, aligning us more with the policies established in the European Green Deal and the EU biodiversity strategy 2020-2030.”
Sustainable Business Strategy
“Sustainability is not just a short-term strategic objective; it’s part of Camiral Golf & Wellness’ culture and at the heart of everything we do.
“We believe sustainable practices can coexist with luxury and leisure and that golf destinations that embrace this long-term ethos will not only help the environment, but earn the respect of their staff and support of their customers.”
As resorts like Camiral Golf & Wellness lead the charge towards a greener golfing future, venues across the European Tour Destination network are committing to environmental responsibility and finding innovative ways to reduce their own carbon footprints.
Find out their stories in the multi-media feature: “A sustainable future for golf”.
