`Biodiversity in Good Company` Initiative

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Progress report of TUI AG 2011/2012
on the Leadership Declaration of the ‘Biodiversity in Good Company’ Initiative
Declaration:
All signatory companies acknowledge and support the Convention´s three objectives:
·
·
·
Conservation of biological diversity
Sustainable use of its components
Fair and equitable sharing of the benefits that arise out of the utilization of genetic resources.
Signatory countries furthermore commit themselves to:
1.
Analyze corporate activities with regard to their impacts on biological diversity.
2.
Include the protection of biological diversity within their environmental management system, and develop
biodiversity indicators.
3.
Appoint a responsible individual within the company to steer all activities in the biodiversity sector and to report
to the Management board.
4.
Define realistic, measurable objectives that are monitored and adjusted every 2 to 3 years.
5.
Publish activities and achievements in the biodiversity sector in the company’s annual, environmental reports
and/or corporate social responsibility report.
6.
Inform suppliers about the company’s biodiversity objectives and integrate them accordingly.
7.
Explore the potential for cooperation with scientific institutions, non-governmental organisations (NGO), and/or
governmental institutions with the aim of deepening dialogue and continuously improve the corporate
management system vis-à-vis the biodiversity domain.
1) Analyze corporate activities with regard to their impacts on biological diversity: Since the 1990s, annual
monitoring of hotels, shareholdings and destinations is carried out by TUI on a regular basis with the view to
assess sustainability aspects, including biodiversity. In 2012, TUI AG also carried out a group-wide
"biodiversity check" to identify relevant biodiversity factors and derive corresponding approaches for action.
Based on the Corporate Biodiversity Management Handbook published by the ‘Biodiversity in Good
Company’ Initiative, all operational areas were assessed as to their impact and dependency on biodiversity
for the first time with the view of formulating adequate recommendations. The assessment was conducted
as part of the European Business and Biodiversity Campaign and carried out by the Global Nature Fund on
the basis of documentation and interviews.
In a subsequent workshop with all the sustainability coordinators of the Group, the results of the
assessment were presented and a plan of action designed (including identification of TUI biodiversity hot
spots, implementation of measurable objectives, and integration of biodiversity aspects into existing
management systems). One of the first measures taken as a result of the biodiversity check is the
biodiversity guidelines for hotels, which are currently being drafted. The guidelines recommend measures
broken down by the various hotel areas (e.g. restaurant/kitchen, guest rooms/lobby, management,
excursions, communication, hotel grounds/garden) to protect biodiversity in the sphere of influence of the
hotel - e.g. through the use of endemic species in the hotel garden design, the use of recycled paper for all
administrative and communication tasks or by raising customer awareness of endangered wildlife and plant
species in the holiday destination. A list of tourist-related labels, which are relevant to biodiversity, should be
attached as a guide.
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2) Include the protection of biological diversity within their environmental management system, and
develop biodiversity indicators: In 2011, TUI AG supported the European Business and Biodiversity
Campaign in the development of biodiversity indicators for tourism. They are already being qualitatively
taken into account as part of the annual monitoring of investments, which is used to check the sustainability
performance of all TUI companies. The company is continually working on their development and
quantitative implementation in collaboration with external partners. Moreover, biodiversity criteria are being
scrutinised in the annual destination monitoring. This assessment of current sustainability issues in holiday
destinations thus includes, among other things, questions about protected areas and endangered species in
the tourist destinations as well as about measures and projects to protect them.
3) Appoint a responsible individual within the company to steer all activities in the biodiversity sector
and to report to the Management board: Already in 1990, TUI was the first major tour operator to appoint
environmental coordinators across its worldwide business operations and set up Environmental Management
Division, which has been since continually expanded. Biodiversity conservation was one of its top priorities
from the outset. Since 2009, the sustainability coordinators of the Group have been meeting twice a year to
exchange views and ideas. Since 2012, the company designates a "biodiversity focal point" within the Group,
which is used to pool and coordinate questions and projects on the subject.
4) Define realistic, measurable objectives that are monitored and adjusted every 2 to 3 years: Based on
the content of the Leadership Declaration of the ‘Biodiversity in Good Company’ Initiative and taking into
account the "National Strategy on Biological Diversity" TUI AG consistently implements the operational
objectives of its corporate biodiversity strategy:
Operational objectives of the biodiversity strategy of TUI:
1. TUI systematically analyses its corporate activities with regard to the consequences for biodiversity in order
to promote the effective integration of biodiversity into its business activities.
2. In order to define the most urgently needed protective measures TUI has already defined appropriate
indicators. The TUI specific KPI system is under continuous development in internal discussions and with
external partners.
3. The Group’s “Environmental Management / Sustainable Development” department steers all activities with
regards to biodiversity and reports directly to the Executive Board. There are already diverse approaches
and concrete examples for successful initiatives concerning the protection of species and environmental
protection throughout the integrated tourism business. TUI’s future focus will be the consolidation of these
initiatives, the making use of experience and the promotion of best-practice examples within the Group.
4. In TUI AG’s Code of Conduct the commitment to the preservation of biodiversity is clearly stated. As a
result, TUI determines objectives for its activities and its quality and puts these into effect throughout the
Group.
5. By regular monitoring TUI’s objectives and extensive internal and external communication, for example in
the Annual Report, the Sustainability Report and the internet site www.tui-nachhaltigkeit.com, TUI
objectively looks into the issue of effectiveness of the protection initiatives and aims at creating awareness
and trust of all guests, employees and partners.
6. TUI’s contracting partners in the integrated tourism business are being continuously sensitized regarding the
protection of species and are gradually contributing more to achieving our objectives.
7. TUI resorts to the expertise of research and scientific organisations as well as governmental and nongovernmental organisations in order to enhance its competences.
http://www.tui-group.com/en/sustainability/env_management/biodiversity/biodiv_strategie
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The Code of Conduct of the TUI Group, drawn up in 2009, expresses a clear commitment to preserving natural
biodiversity. In 2010, the company introduced a web-based training for all employees, which is focused on the
content of the Code of Conduct. Since 2009, TUI AG has been publishing its specific biodiversity targets in its
Sustainability Report. In the most recent, 2011/2012 Sustainability Report of TUI AG, they are listed as part of
TUI's Sustainable Development Programme.
Sector
Target (with direct relevance to biodiversity)
Deadline
TUI AG
Group-wide biodiversity check to identify relevant
biodiversity factors and derive corresponding approaches
for action
Gradually increasing the commitment to nature
conservation and biodiversity preservation
Gradually increasing the proportion of typical regional
garden design/taking account of endemic species in newly
opened hotel complexes
Increasingly reflecting sustainable forestry, agriculture
and fishery products in procurement
Introduction of minimum criteria for sustainability
regarding the range of excursions on offer in cooperation
with ABTA (Animal Welfare Committee of the Association
of British Tour Operators)
Planting of 57,000 native trees in a nature reserve in
Majorca
FY 2012/2013
TUI Hotels &
Resorts
TUI Travel PLC
TUI Deutschland
ongoing
ongoing
ongoing
ongoing
2015
Extracts from the "Sustainable Development Programme" of TUI AG, 2011/2012 Sustainability Report, pp. 17 and from the website of TUI Travel PLC.
http://www.tui-group.com/en/sustainability/sust_management/reporting/sdreport2012
http://www.tuitravelplc.com/sustainability/priorities/destination-projects/destination-projects-overview
5) Publish activities and achievements in the biodiversity sector in the company’s annual, environmental
reports and/or corporate social responsibility report: Since the 1990s, biodiversity has become a priority
issue in the company's annual reports as well as in its sustainability reports, which are published every two
years based on the relevant guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative. In addition, since 2009, the public
can learn about the extensive conservation activities of TUI AG in the "Sustainable Development" section of
the Group's website.
http://www.tui-group.com/en/sustainability/env_management/biodiversity
Since 2006, the company has been organising for its employees information and action days on
sustainability, which take place every year at TUI's headquarters in Hanover. On the occasion of the
"International Year of Biodiversity 2010," the so-called TUI Green Days were devoted to the protection of
global biodiversity. As part of TUI Green Days 2011, held across the Group for the first time, employees
were given the opportunity to plant trees and find out more about projects and protection measures in the
"International Year of the Forests 2011."
6) Explore the potential for cooperation with scientific institutions, non-governmental organisations
(NGO), and/or governmental institutions with the aim of deepening dialogue and continuously improve
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the corporate management system vis-à-vis the biodiversity domain: For many years, TUI has been
using awards such as the TUI Environmental Champion award or the Group's internal EcoResort quality seal
to motivate its hotel partners to apply sustainable hotel management principles. Both awards take into
account biodiversity aspects in their criteria. Since 2009, the certification has been extended in accordance
with the internationally recognised Travelife certification system. It reviews and assesses the sustainability of
hotels and other service providers in holiday destinations based on around 100 criteria and also addresses
biodiversity issues. In addition to the already developed guidelines for sustainability in hotels, a guide for
hoteliers is currently being developed that takes into account only biodiversity and conservation issues.
You can see best-practice examples also in the area of biodiversity conservation involving TUI hotel
investments on the Group's dedicated website www.ecoresort-tui.com.
In 2008, TUI adopted guidelines for the protection of animals in captivity for quality assurance regarding the
range of excursions on offer. The "Group Captive Animal Welfare Guidance" was developed in close
consultation with nature conservation organisations and in accordance with the provisions of the
International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN and the Washington Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and it applies throughout the Group. In 2010,
an auditing programme was introduced to check the main excursion offers for compliance with the wildlife
and biodiversity protection guidelines. In total, 35 quality checks of this kind have been carried out to date.
Operations that do not meet the criteria will be taken out of the programme altogether, or until they
implement suitable improvement measures.
Since 2009, by signing an annex to the contract entitled "Sustainable Development Addendum," the hotel
partners undertake to comply with social, ethical and environmental minimum standards and with the
provisions of the Washington Convention CITES in particular.
In close cooperation with local hoteliers, TUI is currently involved in a pilot project on the implementation of
measures for sustainable protection of sea turtles in Turkey. The code of conduct was prepared in
cooperation with stakeholders; the implementation of all measures and the installation of appropriate
infrastructure are taking place in stages and in close consultation with all local stakeholders. The plan is to
transfer the results of this project to other holiday destinations where sea turtles arrive or nest.
In 2009, together with the Global Nature Fund and the incoming agency Aitken Spence in Sri Lanka, TUI
developed a nature and cultural trip to the mangroves of Sri Lanka. These excursions do not only benefit the
local population, which has the opportunity to showcase and sell local crafts, but they also promote the
reforestation and sustainable utilization of mangrove forests to protect against tsunamis.
7) Exploring the potential for cooperation with nature conservation organisations, scientific or
governmental institutions with the aim of deepening our expertise through dialogue and continuously
improving the corporate management system: On the occasion of the "International Year of Biodiversity
2010" TUI, in cooperation with the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, launched the project
"Biodiversity on holiday." The most important components of the education campaign for guests, hotel
partners and employees were the souvenir guide "TUI’s Little Guide to Preserving Species," biodiversity
protection spots in the on-board programme of TUIfly airline and the children's magazine "Children and
nature conservation on holiday." The souvenir guidebook has been distributed in more than 20 destinations
where illegal souvenir trade takes place. Since 2012, "TUI's little cruise guide to preserving species" is even
available to guests on board the TUI Cruises ships.
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In 2001, this cooperation project received the award “Selected Landmark 2001” in the contest “Germany –
Land of Ideas”. The award is given to projects and initiatives that illustrate Germany’s innovative capacity
and sustainability. Together with the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, TUI presented the project
"Biodiversity on holiday" at the Week of the Environment 2012 at the Bellevue Palace in Berlin. For their
commitment to protecting biological diversity, TUI AG won the German CSR (Corporate Social
Responsibility) Award in 2012 in the category "Biodiversity Management for Maintaining Global Biological
Diversity."
As part of the Green Star Hotel Initiative to improve the environmental and sustainability performance of
the hotel industry in Egypt, TUI AG developed an awareness programme in 2012 aimed at protecting the
coral reefs in Egypt. The information materials created in consultation with local hoteliers and a marine
biologist (1,000 beach posters and 20,000 guest stands), which include a coral reef code of conduct, will be
printed in Egypt and then distributed to the 50 hotel partners in the Red Sea area. Children aged 3-12
should learn about the biodiversity and vulnerability of coral reefs in a playful way using a colouring and craft
book (planned print run: 10,000 copies). You will find more information on the Initiative at
http://www.greenstarhotel.org/
As a member of the evaluation committee of the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected
Areas (EUROPARC), TUI continues its involvement in implementing standards for the sustainable tourism
development. Managers of protected areas, tourism providers and tour operators voluntarily commit to
developing and applying a common action programme to promote the development of tourism in
conformity with sustainable management of natural resources.
The subject of biodiversity conservation is regularly communicated to employees as part of "TUI Green
Days," which is an internal campaign aimed at raising awareness among employees on sustainability. In 2011,
employees of TUI AG had the opportunity to get involved in the following biodiversity protection campaign:
an insect hotel was set up in the courtyard of TUI's headquarters with support of the staff. The entire
campaign was accompanied by information provided over the Intranet and completed with the planting of
forage crops for insects in the autumn of 2012.
More information on biodiversity and conservation at TUI AG is available in our most recent 2011/2012
Sustainability Report (from page 32), in the new annual magazine “Destination Sustainability 2013” and on
the following websites:
http://www.tui-group.com/en/sustainability/env_management/biodiversity
http://www.tui-group.com/en/sustainability/sust_management/reporting/sdreport2012
http://ecoresort-tui.com