Gili Lankanfushi Maldives receives Gold Certification from EarthCheck

Pioneering Maldivian luxury resort Gili Lankanfushi Maldives recently received Gold Certification from EarthCheck, the world’s leading scientific benchmarking, certification and advisory group for sustainable travel and tourism.

The gold certification follows the resort’s silver certification in 2017 and bronze certification in 2015, a testament to Gili Lankanfushi’s enduring commitment to building and strengthening its sustainability practices for over more than a decade.

The prestigious certification recognises properties which have demonstrated a lasting commitment to sustainability, meeting key EarthCheck benchmarks across energy, water and paper use, carbon emissions, waste, chemicals and community and employee impact. 

Gili Lankanfushi is one of only three resorts in the Maldives that have earned the accolade.

Resort manager Rodrigo Buanafina said of the certification: “We are extremely proud to have achieved Gold Certification by EarthCheck in recognition of our ongoing commitment to sustainability here at Gili Lankanfushi. Gili is passionate about preserving the natural beauty and ecosystems of this natural paradise, which is why we are so committed to reducing our environmental impact.  Our numerous sustainability initiatives, including our Eco Centre and world-famous Coral Lines project, which our guests love to get involved in, are at the heart of what we do, to ensure the wonder of The Maldives can be enjoyed for many more generations to come.”

At the right time

The certification comes at a pivotal time in Gili Lankanfushi’s sustainability journey, with the resort recently unveiling a state-of-the-art Eco-Centre. 

A complete renovation of the island’s previous structure, the centre comprises extensive recycling and composting facilities alongside a ‘Gili Veshi’ Marine Biology Shack.

 The recent addition of the Eco-Centre includes a food composter that digests food and garden waste, in turn generating the compost the resort uses to fertilise its Organic Garden, where a selection of herbs, spice and lettuce are grown and used for dishes in Executive Chef Harinath Govindaraj’s popular plant-based menu. 

There is also a glass-crushing machine, which creates construction materials from glass waste, while a compacting machine compresses tin and aluminum that is later recycled. 

Guests can participate in these efforts via a variety of local handicraft workshops, creating special souvenirs they can treasure long after they return home.

Sustainability at Gili Lankanfushi 

Sustainability is at the heart of Gili Lankanfushi’s vision, with an emphasis on preserving the natural environment, protecting the fragile marine ecosystem and leaving only footprints behind.

Conservation is taken seriously by the island’s dedicated marine biology team who monitor the health and biodiversity of the surrounding coral reef ecosystems, measuring light intensity and sea surface temperature, identifying and tracking manta ray and turtle populations, removing invasive Crown of Thorns starfish, and educating guests about the underwater world through lectures and guided snorkelling trips.

Gili Lankanfushi’s Coral Lines project provides a nursery environment for new corals to grow, bolstering the house reef and monitoring health and survival types across coral genotypes.

Guests have the opportunity to participate in the famed conservation project, where they learn about coral reef restoration and rehabilitation, visit the nursing coral on ropes and can even adopt a coral. 

All buildings are constructed using sustainably sourced plantation teak, palm wood and bamboo in addition to recycled telegraph poles. 

All rooms provide organic toiletries in refillable earthenware containers, to minimise plastic use and wastage, while the island’s dedicated desalinisation plant is used to provide glass bottles of still and sparkling water for all guests.