Zoe Cox (Sustainability Manager & Marine Biologist) says: “As we are on the doorstep of a fragile environment, it’s important our impact is minimised. Not only environmentally, but socially.
To manage our environmental impact, we grow and make as much as we can on the island under our homemade and home-grown initiatives. This includes our own energy and water. We desalinate our own drinking water removing the need for plastic water bottles. We harvest 14% of our overall energy from our solar panels, which is only phase 1 of our solar plans. In partnership with Maldives Resilient Reefs, our reef fish are bought from local fishermen, who get paid a higher price if they stick to our sustainable fishing guidelines, this ensures juvenile fish are released, safe guarding the next generation of fish.
A large part of our initiatives include our homemade produce. We have a Mystique Garden that is home to vegetables, fruits, herbs, tea and flowers and a hydroponic garden that grows leafy greens. We have a sweet potato garden as well as a plantation for bananas. Alongside landscaped gardens, we have native vegetation, growing breadfruit, coconuts and screw pine perfect for our team members’ appetites and weekly Maldivian nights.
Our produce then supports our homemade initiatives. Coconut oil helps us in kitchens and especially the spa, making balms, oils and scrubs. Javvu spa also makes Kombucha, soaps, deodorants, teas and bath salts. The kitchens make kefir, ketchup, Nutella, ice cream, yoghurts, jams and pickles from off cuts of fruit and vegetables.
We connect with our environment, both above and below water. Amilla’s resident Marine Biologist educates guests on the fauna around the island. Particularly on the nesting bird population, the White Tailed Tropic Birds. These birds are a protected species in Maldives, and have a strong loyalty to their nesting island, and even their nesting tree, reusing the same sites over and over, occupying them for around a third of the year. We are the first in Maldives to research their nesting behaviours, which are vital in their protection.
To ensure our presence in Baa is a positive one to the community, we conduct a minimum of one CSR activity each month, which can cover: environmental awareness, supporting fundraisers, donations to NGOs, training to councils and organisations or projects with school children.
Part of our social sustainability is to ensure guests with mobility issues or hidden disabilities can enjoy the Maldives to the same extent as an able bodied person. We have modified two villas to ensure the rooms work for wheelchair users, and not the other way round, maintaining the luxury aspect that Amilla is known for. Our staff have been trained on hidden disabilities such as autism, hearing loss, ADHD and dyslexia, and how certain experiences may be uncomfortable for people with these conditions. We’ve incorporated this by discussing how certain noises and lights can be reduced, or the guest can be warned in advance to prepare for any scenarios.”
