With the global village now striving to become more environmentally friendly, consumers are starting to see many businesses going green, especially hotels. In Botswana, hotelier group – Cresta Marakanelo has been one of the earliest partakers in what environmentalists possible consider the ‘holiest act’ – going green.
The Botswana Stock Exchange quoted hotelier has since established an environmental policy and made the commitment to “go green.” Within the policy, the company established environmental goals and has been steadily striving to meet those marks.
During 2020, Cresta planted a total of 1500 indigenous trees.
Mokwena Morulane – Cresta Managing Director explains that the tree planting process started at the beginning of the year.
“The hope was to plant 2020 trees; however due to factors beyond our control such as lockdowns and movement restrictions, we fell short of the target”.
Morulane says one of the key pillars of Cresta’s Corporate Social Responsibility is environmental sustainability.
Across the globe, Hotels that are going green are implementing ways to decrease the use of energy, waste, and water.
At one of its hotels in northern Botswana, Cresta says it is piloting a back yard gardening project from which some of the vegetables and fruits will be harvested and served as part of the daily menu at Cresta Mowana Hotel restaurants. The hotel is using waste from the kitchen to make fertilisers for the back yard garden.
“Next time you eat a green salad or a vegetarian meal chances are that the ingredients will be coming from this garden. The idea is produce our own fresh vegetables and fruits from these gardens which will then be part of the kitchen menu”, said Cresta Mowana employee identified as Talkmore during a mini tour of the gardens in Kasane.
With the tree planting initiative and backyard gardens project, the Cresta group says its intention is to go all green and even get certification for it.
“One of our hotels – Maun Cresta has already been certified. It has a green certification and we intend to have other resorts also getting the same”, said Morulane at the national tree planting day held in Kasane over the past weekend.
