The five new Gold certifications were earned by Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao Bangkok, Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resorts Pattaya, Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket, Centara Kata Resort Phuket, and Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives. Together, these properties reduced their Carbon footprint by 37 kg. CO2 equivalent per guest night. Their performance on greenhouse gas emissions has been on average 30 per cent better than the global best practice benchmark.

Centara said in a press statement that it now has a total of 10 Gold certified properties, plus another five with Silver certifications – the phase proceeding Gold. Centara earned its first Gold certification since 2015.

Centara began its concerted environmental initiative in 2008. It involves energy, water, and waste management programmes; education and engagement of management, staff, suppliers, guests and the community, with objective monitoring of all activities to measure its improvements, the statement added.

“To celebrate 10 Gold certified properties, we committed to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 5 per cent in 2018,” said David Good, VP Operations at Centara. “These accomplishments motivate the rest of our teams as we continue our efforts to bring about positive environmental change.”

“We believe it is important to take a leadership role and encourage others to join the effort,” added Thirayuth Chirathivat, Centara’s CEO. “Whether you’re staying with us in the centre of Bangkok or on a pristine tropical beach, we want you to be aware of our strong commitment towards the environment and sustainability.”