UK: Belmond the luxury travel brand has appointed Carmel McQuaid as head of environmental and social impact, to start on January 2, 2024.
McQuaid will be responsible for delivering on Belmond’s environmental and social goals, as well as shaping the brand’s global sustainability strategy.
In her previous role, McQuaid was head of ESG, Marks & Spencer.
McQuaid said: “Belmond is renowned for one-of-a-kind experiences and its genuine connections with the destinations where they operate; I recognise an opportunity to further extend the ethos of service and care to the people and places that make Belmond so unique.
“I look forward to further building on the work that the company has already delivered across its environmental and social impact work.”
Dan Ruff, CEO Belmond said: “Carmel joins us at an exciting time. Through a rigorous assessment across our business over the past year, Belmond is entering a new phase in its transformative journey, particularly focusing on environmental and social responsibility.”
He noted that next year the brand would be accelerating its efforts and introducing new initiatives and actionable roadmaps “that aim to create long-lasting positive impacts on the business, the industry and most importantly, the communities we serve.”
The brand will launch a pilot programme at ten properties, which will create roadmaps with clear sustainability targets. It will implement three projects that focus on increasing the use of renewable energy, reducing freshwater withdrawal and creating a ‘Gastronomy Academy’ to guide its work in reducing impact in food and beverage.
Belmond properties are also set to receive EarthCheck Silver certification by the first half of 2024. EarthCheck benchmarking and auditing process will establish baselines that will be used to measure and improve our performance across energy, water and waste.
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