ISSUE 115
International Construction Managers Ltd (ICM) Building a New World: Wendall Marshall talks about the company that spans the region through an additional company: WM Construction Company.
Also featuring... Ocean Biodiversity The High Seas Treaty’sImpact on Business & Ocean Biodiversity Reporting
Global Goods Awards Why Award Wins are more than just a trophy: sustainablebusinessmagazine.net
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Welcome to the latest edition of Sustainable Business Magazine.
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CONTENTS
As we begin a new year, what better time to both look back and explore what’s to come, in shaping the sustainability practices and innovations taking place within the business world.
04 GLOBAL GOOD AWARDS
Starting with the Global Good Awards - an organisation that celebrates positive sustainability stories, while also being committed to being so much more than simply awards. Karen Sutton CEO and founder shares with us the huge impact they are making through the advice and guidance they give to companies to enable them to make major changes.
08 OCEAN BIODIVERSITY
We also take a deep dive into the High Seas Treaty, exploring what this means for ocean biodiversity and how this will impact businesses and the way they report on their impact on nature and the ocean. We have a fascinating feature from Dennis Ramoutar, General Manager of IAL who talks to us about how their small Caribbean business is making big waves in the global energy sector. Finally Uganda takes the spotlight in our travel feature this edition, with the stunning pictures speaking for themselves of the pure and natural beauty that this amazing country has to offer.
Why award wins are more than just a trophy
The High Seas Treaty’s Impact on Business & Ocean Biodiversity Reporting
12 WOMEN IN SUSTAINABILITY The women in sustainability forum at Sustainability Live
14 RHIZOCORE TECHNOLOGIES Investing in the wood-wide web
16 Q&A: PIA HEIDEMARK COOK CEO of the L’Oréal Foundation
18 INTERNATIONAL CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS LTD (ICM) Building a New World
The Sustainable Business Magazine Team
24 CARIBBEAN LED SOLUTIONS Lighting the way
30 IAL ENGINEERING Senior Writer Assistent Editor Web Development
Glen Westall Charlotte Devine Matt Woodhouse
GUEST WRITERS: 61 Bridge Street, Kington HR5 3DJ UK T: +44 (0) 208 762 068 Email: info@sustainablebusinessmagazine.net sustainablebusinessmagazine.net
Nicole Yeomans, Marine Business Development Manager and Marine Ecology Expert at NatureMetrics Karen Sutton, founder and CEO of the Global Good Awards Jack Hayes, Champions Sustainable Speakers Agency
Training To Be The Best
34 SDV WEST INDIES LTD Interconnecting The Future
38 UGANDA TRAVEL GUIDE The Pearl of Africa
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GLOBAL GOOD AWARDS
WHY AWARD WINS ARE MORE THAN JUST A TROPHY: HOW A CREDIBLE AWARD WIN CAN ADD VALUE TO YOUR ORGANISATION
By Karen Sutton, founder and CEO of the Global Good Awards With so many awards ceremonies out there, individuals and organisations can be forgiven for having awards fatigue, especially when many come across as ‘vanity’ awards that deliver little or no real impact. That’s why I wanted to make Global Good Awards truly independent and purpose-driven and to reward businesses, NGOs, charities and social enterprises of all shapes and sizes globally, that are making strides towards a better world for people and the planet. Our awards are credible because we only reward entrants for action – not aims and targets. 4 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE
As we have grown and more people are aware of us and what we stand for, we have seen entry numbers increase; this year we saw the highest number of entries from the widest global spread of entrants in the award’s eight-year history. It makes me so happy to see that organisations are striving to have a more sustainable outlook and impact as we edge closer to net zero. We try to ensure our award categories are simple and straightforward so that entrants and people reading about them can understand exactly what we are awarding, without making them too abstract.
Our award categories include: - Global Good Company of the Year, SME of the Year, Start-up Enterprise, Individual Leader of the Year, Community Partnership, Educational Excellence, Environmental Behaviour Change, Game Changing Innovation, Best Product and Campaign of the Year and Technology for Good. There is also the Canon Young Champion of the Year category, which recognises two young people who have shown outstanding leadership in campaigning for a good cause around a social or environmental issue. This year, we added a new award
for Ukraine Crisis Champions and in line with our values we donated a minimum of 20% of the category’s entry fees to humanitarian aid experts, Goods for Good. Year after year entrants tell me about the positive impact their award win has had on their business, their awareness and staff morale. SUPPORTING ENTRANTS AND WINNERS At the Global Good Awards, we’re strong advocates of transparency, even when it comes to the scores and feedback that
each of our entries receives. For us, it’s a case of ‘if you don’t know, how can you get better?’ AliKats Mountain Holidays entered the Global Good SME of the Year category in 2022 and won a silver award for the steps they were already taking to become a carbon neutral business. Naturally, our judges were impressed with what they saw, but also had some words of advice on how they could get even better. We asked Al Judge, co-founder of Alikats, to explain how they listened, learned, and then implemented the SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE | 5
GLOBAL GOOD AWARDS
judges’ feedback from 2022, to win gold in the 2023 Global Good SME of the Year category: “After we received the judges’ feedback for being awarded silver in 2022, we understood that we needed to do more around employee wellbeing. Whilst we have always done our best to take care of our team, we have ultimately been marching to the intense beat of the hospitality drum where long, tiring hours are the norm, and any illness or injury (very common for a winter ski season!) required one of the managers to backfill. This led to a very tired team by the end of the season! In the year since the awards in 2022, we have significantly changed the way we think about the team…and the results were instantly noticeable! We felt confident enough to conduct an employee happiness survey, and the results were
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overwhelmingly positive. We truly feel that we have redefined what it now means to work for AliKats.” RAISING AWARENESS Whether you’re a large or small company, social enterprise, start-up, a charity or individual, simply associating with a truly sustainable awards programme presents PR opportunities. A win or being a finalist can act as a third-party endorsement for your business and provides an opportunity to benchmark against your peers and competitors. This year, the all-new Purpose Summit also provided an opportunity for winners and finalists to come together to hear about what other organisations and individuals are doing in the sustainability space, what is actually working and making a difference. The day
was a great opportunity for networking and learning from peers in the industry. Winners had the opportunity to present and speak and were encouraged to invite potential customers and investors to prove their authority in this market. Mr Bug is a pioneering Devon bug farm, breeding sustainable, nutrient-dense mealworms in rural SW England. They won Gold in Product of the Year at this year’s awards. Managing Director, Conal Cunningham said: “We have found awards have been a fabulous way for us to convey the purpose of our business outside of just releasing products. This is really important for us at Mr Bug as our circular economy approach to farming and vision for future proofing food sources is easily missed without the detailed analysis that is part of competitions such as the Global Good Awards. To have
been awarded awarded Gold for Best Product, especially amongst such a strong field of other companies, really helps highlight the efforts we have made. Being given the chance to speak at the Purpose Summit is a great way for us to share ideas with other concerned voices, listen to their questions and learn from their initiatives to help us be part of the map finding practical solutions for the road ahead.” BRINGING LIKE-MINDED ORGANISATIONS TOGETHER One of the great things about the sustainability sector is how keen everyone is to learn from each other – we all know how important it is to make these changes and that it’s a race against the clock. Everyone is committed to doing the very best they can. Global accountancy firm KPMG won two Gold GGAs this year; one in Waste Reduction & Minimisation for their progress in reducing the amount of waste they produce, as part of their commitment to becoming a zero-waste business – eliminating all avoidable waste from operations by 2030. They have successfully removed over eight million items of single-use plastic across their estate, reducing paper consumption by 74% and overall waste by 24% in the past three years. Roisin Sharkey, co-head of corporate responsibility at KPMG UK, said: “We are thrilled to receive a Global Good Award again this year. This recognises our efforts
towards becoming a zero-waste business and our collective impact with the charity, National Numeracy, on the annual National Numeracy Day campaign, which we co-founded to boost number confidence and competence across the UK. It’s such an honour to be recognised, and it’s fantastic to connect with and learn from so many other organisations doing great work.” EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION AND ATTRACTION With millennials prioritising cause and impact in the workplace, a Global Good Award win, nomination or shortlisting can help immeasurably in attracting talent. It’s also an ideal way to recognise, reward and motivate employees already in your organisation. Zoe Vafadari, Bupa Group Chief Brand & External Communications Officer said of their two wins: “We are honoured to be the Gold recipient for the Ukraine Crisis Cham-
pion award and Silver winner for Employee Engagement and Wellbeing category. Our colleagues have worked incredibly hard on these initiatives and it’s wonderful for that to be recognised externally. We believe companies have a responsibility to proactively advocate for important causes and initiatives. These awards are an opportunity to learn and share best practice with other businesses that are also trying to make a better world, raising awareness and encouraging peers to take action. Awards can boost pride and morale and spotlight those in your business who are driving these efforts; in this case the recognition has helped to shine a light on our outstanding colleagues in Poland as well as our unwavering commitment to caring for Ukrainian refugees.” WALKING THE TALK In addition to the donations to Goods for Good, we support our charity partner, Cool Earth, by donating 1% of all turnover from sponsorship, entry fees and ticket sales, a £5 or £10 donation per paying entry to protect a tree or plant an Inga Bean and by helping to protect rainforest canopies via their carbon capture projects. This year donations totalled £3k - 50% up on last year’s contribution. To enter in 2024 and for more information on the awards please visit the website on https://globalgoodawards.co.uk/ and to learn more about Purpose Summit and the current schedule of events please visit www.globalgoodawards.co.uk SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE | 7
NATURE METRICS
THE HIGH SEAS TREATY’S IMPACT ON BUSINESS & OCEAN BIODIVERSITY REPORTING What does the High Seas Treaty mean for Ocean Biodiversity, and how will this impact businesses and the way they report on their impact on nature and the ocean.
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The High Seas Treaty will help drive much-needed alignment between business and marine biodiversity. However, achieving that alignment will have significant implications on business operations. Getting ahead of change now will ultimately set businesses up for success and sustainable growth in the future. WHAT IS THE HIGH SEAS TREATY? Following nearly two decades of discussion, including five years of negotiations, the UN has adopted the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty, commonly known as the High Seas Treaty. This is the first ever framework that seeks to regulate commercial activities that occur in international wa-
ters - the ‘high seas’. It will help to advance the ongoing process of establishing greater protection of nature, this time in the largest ecosystem on the planet. Up until recently, the ocean had insufficient regulation, which led to issues such as overfishing, resource depletion, habitat destruction, and widespread pollution. These issues were particularly acute in the high seas as they fall out of national jurisdiction and serve as ‘international commons’, constituting more than two-thirds of the Earth’s oceans and seabeds. The treaty’s ability to help prevent such damaging activities is a central reason why it has been received positively by both policymakers and environmentalists.
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NATURE METRICS direct reliance, such as those that require fish products, whilst others have an indirect reliance via activities such as mineral extraction or bioprospecting. Ocean ecosystems have an estimated worth of USD $30bn annually resulting from the services they provide, which means it is both environmentally and economically imperative to protect them. The High Seas Treaty is a significant step in the right direction when it comes to achieving that protection. The treaty will shift the amount of the high seas that are protected from 1% to over two thirds. This will have a huge impact on how businesses operate, forcing them to reflect upon their relationship with nature and how they can improve it.
The High Seas Treaty is part of a wider trend of regulation aiming to mitigate the loss of biodiversity and align that objective more closely with the business world. Other pressing legislation and frameworks include CSRD in Europe, which requires companies to disclose their impacts and dependencies on nature, and the Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), which seeks to bring nature-related risk assessment into the mainstream of financial and business reporting. This makes for a rapidly changing regulatory context that will encourage businesses to both understand their operational dependency on nature and mitigate any impact that dependency may have. THE INTERSECTION OF BIODIVERSITY AND THE ECONOMY To appreciate the importance of protecting the ocean’s biodiversity, we need to zoom out and understand the role it plays in preserving the planet and human life. The ocean generates 50% of the oxygen we need to breathe. It is the primary source 10 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE
of protein and livelihoods for 3 billion people. It absorbs 25% of all carbon dioxide emissions, captures 90% or the excess heat generated by those emissions and is the earth’s largest carbon sink. Those services are not just generated by the water alone, but by the living organisms in the sea that produce the oxygen and sequester the carbon. Protecting the biodiversity in the ocean is therefore not only beneficial to life within the oceans, but to all of life on Earth. Moreover, the vast amount of business models with supply chains reliant upon ocean resources means there is a significant economic component at play. Some have a
THE IMPACT ON BUSINESSES AND HOW TO ADAPT Practically speaking, the most significant impact on businesses will be on their reporting and disclosure processes. Greenhouse gas emission disclosures have now become commonplace in sustainability reports, and are currently being mainstreamed into financial reporting via the new ISSB standards. Meanwhile, nature-based reporting remains nascent, and many businesses do not have effective processes in place to collect the necessary data to report on their impact on nature and biodiversity. As regulations like The High Seas Treaty evolve and the state of nature declines, these impacts will only become more financially material for businesses. Industry will need to adapt, finding new methods to collect that data, to avoid falling behind their competitors and falling foul of regulators. Part of this adaptation process will see biodiversity monitoring become part of the reporting toolkit. Biodiversity monitoring has been a conservation tool for many years, allowing scientists to monitor and assess the state of ecosystems over time. However, inefficiencies and inaccuracies of the methods behind biodiversity modelling have stopped it from being successfully translated to nature reporting. Much of
the data used has been based on either inefficient and outdated methods or proxies and models with little grounding in the depth of data needed to really understand biodiversity at site-level. Thankfully, recent developments to techniques and methods now make the collection of biodiversity data more efficient, objective, replicable, and scalable than ever before. One of these methods is the collection and analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA). All living things leave a trace of their unique DNA through their regular activity, which means the sampling and analysis of the water, soil or sediment of a particular area will give a clear and reliable picture of the biodiversity within that environment. Crucially, eDNA is scalable, cost-effective, easy to do and extremely quick in the field and therefore scalable across business assets. The same eDNA technologies can be applied from land and freshwater to the vast oceans. This data can then be turned into boardroom ready metrics that provide decision makers with the necessary information to integrate biodiversity considerations
into their operations, as well as disclose the biodiversity-related risk information within their financial reporting, all of which will help them to align their businesses with regulatory expectations. ADAPTATION & OPPORTUNITY Whilst many businesses will have to adapt their operations as a result of the High Seas Treaty, it should nevertheless be welcomed, and viewed as an opportunity for alignment. There has been a growing understanding of the need to protect biodiversity in recent decades in order to protect life on Earth, and to protect the natural resources that are
needed to build a sustainable business, and this is now being reflected in regulations. If businesses can use innovative methods such as eDNA to collect the necessary data to report on their impact on nature, they can not only help to protect biodiversity, but also ensure they are well equipped to deal with any future regulations that arise, futureproofing themselves and getting ahead of their competition. Nicole Yeomans, Marine Business Development Manager and Marine Ecology Expert at NatureMetrics at www.naturemetrics.com
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WOMAN IN SUSTAINABILITY
THE WOMEN IN SUSTAINABILITY FORUM AT SUSTAINABILITY LIVE Written by Charlotte Devine
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At the start of September, Sustainable Business Magazine attended Sustainability Live, an event at the Business Design Centre in London which brings together industry leaders who are shaping the future of sustainability. On the second day of the event, the Women in Sustainability Forum saw a range of C-suite executives discuss their experience and offer advice as women in the sustainability sector. Amongst the speakers were Michelle Davies, Global Head of Sustainability at EY, Joanna Bonnett, Head of Sustainability at PageGroup and Founder of Green Jobs Foundation, Angela Hultberg, Global Director of Sustainability at Kearney and Katie Mills, Head of Zeigo Power at Schneider Electric.
While the sector appears to offer an inviting space for women, the panellists noted how far the industry needs to go to improve gender diversity in finance, engineering and other STEM pathways. ‘We’ve got to get more women interested in finance. Women need to see engineering and finance as a career option in school. It needs to start early in schools.’ Mills pointed out the lack of female role models which she saw in tech, reflecting that the ‘industry does a really poor job of putting female role models out there.’ The panellists agreed that in order to get talent into the sustainability sector, change needs to begin in schools. Women need to be encouraged to see themselves in STEM careers and sustainability needs to be ‘infused throughout our education system’ starting ‘from reception.’
SUSTAINABILITY AS A SPACE FOR WOMEN According to Ecoact, 58% of sustainability executives in large companies are female. The panellists opened by discussing the reasons why, in their experience, the sustainability sector has been a space to which women are drawn and in which they excel. For Michelle Davies, sustainability is an area ‘which really plays well to women’s strengths’ as ‘women tend to see the bigger picture’ and are ‘nurturing, protective’ and ‘pragmatic.’ The sector ‘lends itself to far greater emotional intelligence probably because of the impact that sustainability has on many many people’, adds Katie Mills.
SUSTAINABILITY VS PROFIT One of the principal challenges which sustainability executives face in forming their business strategies is the ‘perceived conflict between profit and sustainability.’ However, Davies makes clear, this perception is ‘absolutely false.’ Hultberg, who was named the road transport lead for the COP26 Climate Champions team during the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference, also underscores the profitability of sustainability strategies as ‘institutional capital at some point will cease to engage with you if you are not showing progress’ towards ‘a transition plan or strategy of sorts.’ Sustainability strategies, explains Hultberg, who is a lawyer, do not necessarily even mean losing out in the short term. There are ‘value triggers’ to be found, for example, amidst risk insurance and debt providers, which can turn sustainability action into ‘a short to medium term value proposition.’ The problem with implementing sustainable business plans, Davies identifies, is not a lack of developed tech but a failure in ‘deployment’ of technology towards sustain-
able goals: the reality is ‘we have solutions to most of our problems… we are just not deploying them.’ The women agreed that in order to encourage departments to deploy sustainability strategies the executive needs to impose a ‘mandate’, with Davies and Mills asserting that they ‘should tie bonuses to sustainability’ as had been carried out at Schneider Electric decades earlier, currently one of the top 10 most sustainable companies globally. CAN WOMEN ‘HAVE IT ALL’? Mills reflects on her younger self’s desire to ‘have it all’, an attitude which she recognises in many young graduates today. ‘Why can’t I be a mum and have an amazing career and not have to have my husband stay at home?’, she remembers asking herself. The reality she found upon having her first child was a desire to find her own ‘balance’ between work and home, which the panellists acknowledged might look different for different people. The women shared how they have each had to find their own balance amidst ‘sacrifices’: for some this was having a stay at home husband and for another it was placing their child in a nursery five days a week. The ‘myth’ of ‘have it all’, as Davies calls it, appears to ask women to impossibly ‘be the perfect stay at home wife’ and ‘the perfect c suite executive.’ What is more realistic, they agree, is figuring out what personal sacrifices they are prepared to make. Hultberg explains that missing out on time with her children is ‘not ideal’ but that ‘if you were a stay at home and you were anxious for that big career, that’s not ideal either.’ For Davies, ‘the difference between men and women in this case … is just the guilt: the men have to make the same sacrifices’ but they deal less with the ‘internal and external’ judgement of being seen as a ‘bad mum.’ What’s important, Bonnett affirms, is for people to ‘be kind to themselves in those decisions.’ c SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE | 13
RHIZOCORE TECHNOLOGIES
INVESTING IN THE WOOD-WIDE WEB Rhizocore Technologies, an Edinburgh-based company that produces unique fungal pellets to ensure trees survive and thrive, has ambitious plans to scale its operations over the next two and half years, after winning £3.5 million pounds in new funding. Founded in 2021 by CEO Toby Parkes and Chief Mycologist David Satori, the company has developed the first-of-its-kind pellet, which facilitates a vital underground nutrient exchange known as the Wood-Wide Web. Their unique approach to restoring underground fungal networks offers a new and sustainable solution to accelerating woodland regeneration, improving forest productivity, and increasing the potential for carbon capture. The Edinburgh-based company’s latest funding has come from ReGen Ventures, Collaborative Fund, and Grok Ventures. The investment will allow Rhizocore to build 14 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE
upon its 10-person team and develop the infrastructure needed to achieve its goals. “To receive such global backing really is a validation of our product’s potential to restore ecosystems around the world - but it’s also a recognition of the transformative power that fungi hold, as the crucial foundation of the planet’s ecosystems,” said Toby Parkes. “This is a radical approach to tackle climate change that we’re developing at Rhizocore, and with the support from our investors, we will be able to sequester gigatons of carbon to protect the future of the Earth for generations to come.”
THE WOOD-WIDE WEB The Wood-Wide Web is the subsurface network that promotes tree growth in a forest ecosystem. Rhizocore’s pellet is made from mycorrhizal fungi, which enhances nutrient uptake, water absorption, disease resistance, and soil stability, thereby promoting the overall health and productivity of forests. Rhizocore Technologies produces locally adapted mycorrhizal fungi which helps trees and plants access water and nutrients from the soil, and in return, the plants provide the fungi with sugars produced through photosynthesis. The mycorrhizal fungi are crucial for regulating plant growth, and its benefits to trees range from improving tree growth in early years of planting (typically the first 10 years of the tree’s life), to decreasing the mortality rates of young saplings. The fungi are essential for trees because not only does it shuttle nutrients into trees, but it also allows trees to pass water between themselves and it increases the tolerance of trees to soil-borne diseases.
ways, from cleaning the air to reducing soil erosion, from providing habitats for wildlife to mitigating the effects of climate change. According to the UK’s Annual Tree Planting Rates 2023 , in the 12 months leading up to the end of March 2023, only 12,960 hectares of woodland were created, which is roughly 1,000 hectares less than the previous year. This new total is only slightly more than one-third of the UK government’s annual target of 30,000 hectares per year by the end of 2025. Considering the role trees play in environmental sustainability, there is an urgent demand for more trees to be planted in the UK. A single tree can absorb up to 48 pounds of carbon dioxide per year, which means that if you plant just one tree, you can offset the emissions from driving a car
for 1,000 miles. The benefits of trees to the environment cannot be overemphasised. Trials of Rhizocore’s fungal pellet are underway with The Nature Trust in County Mayo, Ireland, as well as with the Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Forestry England, Trees for Life, and the Borders Forest Trust. This year they’ve treated between 30 to 40,000 trees. They plan to treat as many as 250,000 next year and between three to 5 million in 2025. When asked what the measure of success will be over the next two to three years, Toby is clear. “More trees surviving, more forests and ecosystems re-establishing, and more carbon being drawn down.” That’s surely an ambition we should all share.
FOR THE LOVE OF MUSHROOMS For Toby Parkes, the humble mushroom has had a raw deal. “I think humans are biased towards cute, cuddly animals whereas the planet’s biodiversity relies just as much on systems that most people find less interesting,” said Toby. “However, we will never improve ecological systems without fundamentally understanding all of the quirky organisms that are fundamental to processes that go on in the natural world. “We need to elevate the profile of fungi up to the level of plants and animals because it is every bit as important, even if you’re unlikely to see a David Attenborough documentary about it.” THE URGENT NEED TO PLANT MORE TREES Tree planting is an important branch of environmental sustainability, and trees are powerful tools that nourish the earth in several
“MORE TREES SURVIVING, MORE FORESTS AND ECOSYSTEMS REESTABLISHING, AND MORE CARBON BEING DRAWN DOWN.”
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Q&A: ALEXANDRA PALT
ALEXANDRA PALT CEO of the L’Oréal Foundation
Alexandra Palt, CEO of the L’Oréal Foundation, is ranked as one of the top international net zero speakers in the world. Her work at the cosmetics giant involved several successful sustainability and community-based strategies that benefited different communities. By uniting stakeholders, management, international teams and other bodies, Alexandra believes that businesses can drastically reduce their climate impact on our planet and invest more in community efforts. In this exciting interview, learn more about Alexandra Palt and her role in sustainability. 16 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE
As the CEO of the Fondation L’Oréal, what does your role involve? “I have two roles at L’Oréal. So, one is to lead the transition to a new business model with all my colleagues and internal partners. I am also in charge of the outside contribution to society. “Historically, the Anglo-Saxon world, especially the US, was much more engaged in philanthropy with higher amounts of money, less work on the internal transformation. The Europeans were a little bit the other way around. We do everything internally, but it is the welfare state who takes care of the difficulties that society faces. “So, in my role, I lead the entire philanthropic commitment to society, and I lead the foundations’ work. We also have a charitable endowment fund for women where we support grassroots and community organisations all around the world. Also, every brand that L’Oréal has, has a commitment to contribute to society. I try to give the best strategic orientations to this causes.”
to do so L’Oréal, in 2030, can work within the planetary boundaries? Meaning that we do not take more from this planet than the planet can take. “Our whole programme was created on this scientific basis and that leads to very, very ambitious targets, of course, because it means 100% recycled plastic, 95% of our ingredient’s bio based or from biotech, and so on. There is a whole transformation ongoing. “What allowed us to be so ambitious is that we started early, we saw that a lot of things are possible with the right mindset, that people are very mature on sustainability issues and very aware. So, in the whole company, there is a lot of awareness, which allows us to be a lot more ambitious.” What does the future of sustainability look like for brands like L’Oréal? “I think every brand, not just L’Oréal, but the future of brands is... sustainability is not going to be on the side. Sustainability is
going to be central to everything companies and brands will do. “So, the step we must take now is to bring the right innovations to the market. That means refills for a cosmetic company, solid shampoos, it’s a lot of different things. We have to bring this innovation; we have to raise awareness. “Then as a last step, we need to do choice editing, altogether. So, at one point we have to stop bringing to the market products that are not having an improved environmental footprint. That means choice editing, so that there are more sustainable products available, more sustainable offers. “It really is the next level of maturity that companies will have to reach, in the next few years, if we choose to survive as a human species.” This exclusive interview with Alexandra Palt was conducted by Jack Hayes.
The Sharing Beauty with All commitment positioned L’Oréal as a sustainability champion. To date, what has been your proudest achievement with the campaign? “So, Sharing Beauty with All finished in 2020, and we achieved most of our targets. We outperformed on some of them, like our carbon footprint. We reduced the carbon footprint of our industrial activity by 80% since 2005, so that was really a huge, huge achievement “Some other goals were more difficult, and, you know, environmental science is always moving. So, at times we discovered that our approach was not the right way to tackle [climate change] and we had to reformulate and redefine our targets. “On the whole, it was very, very successful. And so, in 2020 we announced the next generation of sustainability targets, our L’Oréal For the Future strategy. The interesting thing about L’Oréal For the Future is that we didn’t work anymore based on, what is our impact and by how much can we reduce it? “We looked at it in a different way, we asked, what does the world need from us? So, we took the scientific basis and the planetary boundaries, and we looked at what we had SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE | 17
INTERNATIONAL CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS LTD (ICM)
BUILDING A NEW WORLD International Construction Managers Ltd (ICM) was started by Wendall Marshall as a Construction Management firm for the Caribbean. Mr. Marshall’s first company, ICM Bahamas, was established in 2010 after the president returned from studying and working in the United States. Today, the company spans the region through an additional two companies: ICM Antigua and ICM St. Martin. Furthermore, it has its own construction firm by the name of WM Construction. ICM’s name is already attached to some of the region’s most notable buildings. It was responsible, for example, for the One West Business Park and the RBC Wealth Management centre, both in Nassau. In Antigua, ICM constructed several government buildings and various custom residential properties. Meanwhile, in St. Martin, it focuses on the demolition and construction of high-end hotels. LIFTING UP EVERYBODY It’s clear that the company is successful and the ICM name carries a good reputation. It has created this in just 13 years. However, 18 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE
in order to deliver its projects, ICM has had to change how construction works – not only for itself, but for the rest of the region as well. One of the starkest examples of this was the foundation of WM Construction. Mr. Marshall explains why establishing the company was essential and how it’s changed the local landscape: “We found that in, some places where our projects went ahead, we couldn’t find appropriate local construction companies. We had to actually start a construction company in order to do some of the work that’s very technical, or because there simply wasn’t the staff locally to do it. We’d
therefore bring people in from abroad to carry out the work. “Over time, though, we realised that bringing in foreign workers meant our costs were exorbitant. We were looking at bringing people in from the US or Canada and obviously their rates are higher. Plus you’re paying for housing, transportation, schooling for the kids, and other amenities. It became expensive. “Instead, we changed tack. We decided to train local people and work with them to try and bring them up to our standards. That means when the project’s over, we leave people there in those communities
that are confident and capable to carry on using the skills they’ve learned from us. As a result, we’re helping raise the overall skill level throughout the areas that we work – and when we return, we can rely on them to help us meet our standards.”
ICM’s approach of ‘if it doesn’t exist, create it’ has extended beyond manpower, though. It’s also created the infrastructure for better materials provision across the countries its operating in. ICM St. Martin, for example, created a lumber yard so that
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INTERNATIONAL CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS LTD (ICM) of creating a plant that will do pasta – but it will also do PVC pipes and metal studs for our construction work as well.”
it didn’t need to rely on imports. “We realised owning the materials made life a lot simpler because you don’t have to worry about supply and demand and who comes first and prices going up and down,” explains Mr. Marshall. “Since then ICM has also purchased a ship, so that we can transport a lot of materials we use for ourselves. For instance we get PVC, cement, aggregates, and lumber steel out of Dominican Republic. With the ship, we don’t have to book in transport and wait for the deliveries, we can just organize it to our schedule.” ICM even created a new sideline for itself in the form of pasta manufacturing. “We’re going into mini manufacturing,” Mr. Marshall says. “We set up a factory in Grand Bahama where we want to produce pasta. It’s obviously not construction but we realised from doing a lot of exporting to Haiti that food is an issue there. I wanted to want to do something simple that could help. A lot of the time the people there don’t have a lot of electricity, so when they 20 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE
get bread they can’t store it, they have to east it as soon as possible. On the other hand, pasta can be stored for a long time and used in the exact amounts required. “When our ships go there, they go out empty and then come back with materials. We’re paying the same amount of fuel and manpower to go and get the materials, whether the ships go out empty or loaded so we decided to start doing exports as well. Pasta is the ideal export product for us in that respect, so we’re in the process
CREATING EFFICIENCY Materials are the basis of ICM’s work, and ensuring that it’s able to have what it needs, when it needs them, is an ongoing cause for improvement for the company. Its plans for PVC pipes and metal studs will enable it to be much more efficient, but there are plenty of other materials required on every construction project as well. Mr. Marshall explains how the company does its best to mitigate this through a sensible and sustainable approach: “What we realised also after doing construction all over the Caribbean and America is that the number one issue was supplies. We’ve got partners in the US, warehouses where we get electrical supplies, plumbing supplies, finishing supplies like tiles and drywall, and lots of items like that. We get all of our main supplies from the US and Canada. “There are a lot of suppliers based in the Caribbean but their prices are triple because by the time they’ve imported the items and paid for the shipping, storage, overheads and then added profit and delivery, the prices rocket upwards. Therefore we only use suppliers here for things we need on the spot. Not a lot is actually made in the Bahamas, we have to import so much, so we always try to plan ahead and order sufficient materials ahead of time so we don’t find ourselves in a predicament affecting our schedule and outcomes to our projects. “One example of that is a project we’re executing with Carnival, the cruise company. They own an island where the cruise ship goes and docks, then people get off and people can stay there. The island has structures that are very challenging, even though we do a lot of island projects. The issue with something like that is materials and workers. What we realised with working on islands is that you don’t have access to local deliveries or suppliers at all.
“That way, when the hurricane comes, it allows the building to move and flex with the wind and therefore better survive the storm.”
“In those situations we always try to order more than we need and build a mini warehouse on the island for simple things like screws and nails. Those sorts of items are important but if you run out of them, it’s a disaster. You have to get on a boat, drive for an hour across land, drive for another hour to the airport, fly, touchdown, drive. You’re talking hours. It’s not sustainable. So we built our own warehouse and imported from the larger islands to the island where the Carnival project is being built.” WITHSTANDING THE STORM The Caribbean climate, while on the face of it a welcoming one with its sun and blue skies, also harbors significant challenges
for the construction industry. In particular, the region is prone to hurricanes, some of which reach the highest category for strength. While the construction industry has traditionally favoured concrete and steel for buildings, Mr. Marshall explains how ICM is pioneering new methods: “Since I’ve been back in the Bahamas, ICM has bought machines that mean we can produce metal studs. The advantage of metal studs is it allows us to build quicker, it allows us to be more efficient, and they are much more resilient as a base for buildings. Stud don’t burn and they’re flexible. Normally in a hurricane, if you have a Category 5, the hurricane will take off your roof and blow your windows and you’re left with nothing. If
a house is made from hard concrete block, wherever there’s a crack or shear in the exterior facing, the whole building goes. “With studs though, we can design them to be more resilient. They go through computer modelling for hurricanes. The simulation tests the buildings in hurricanes from Category 1 to Category 5. Then, in each one of those, wherever there are failures, the computer will recommend putting in more studs and where to put them for greater flexibility. That way, when the hurricane comes, it allows the building to move and flex with the wind and therefore better survive the storm.” ICM is considering how this capability can help poorer communities. Much like its plans to export pasta to Haiti, the company wants to bring its metal stud building to other countries that will benefit not only from the better weather resilience but the cheaper building offered by metal studs. “When we use that system, we accompany it with something called DensGlass,” Mr. Marshall explains. “That is fibreglass boards that can be applied externally to buildings and is designed to be very resilient against weather. It also allows us to finish it in any way we like, so that it can look like a concrete SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE | 21
INTERNATIONAL CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS LTD (ICM)
“What we’re doing with pushing forwards building techniques, skilling up local communities, and creating better infrastructure for the regional construction industry is essential for the near future.“
building if you don’t know what’s on the inside. However, it has many advantages over concrete. It’s more resilient and stable, its more affordable, and its quicker to erect. “In countries like Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Cuba, where they don’t have the same resources and a majority of people are poor, this cheaper, quicker building could be a godsend. Whatever we can do to allow them build houses in smaller places, more quickly, and more sustainably, we will pursue. That will help not only those communities but people everywhere in the Caribbean.” SPORTS AID Alongside its work, ICM is also committed to charitable work in the community. At the moment, it is funding the Blazer Elite Sports Academy, which aims to course-correct the lives of young men in the Bahamas. 22 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE
“It’s for the young men with just one or even no parents, and aims to keep them away from a life of crime,” explains Mr. Marshall. “We bring them to Grand Bahama to the academy and give them the opportunity to play sports such as basketball and soccer. We also provide an education for ages seven to nine and then nine to 12. We provide housing, food, drink, everything they need for a minimal fee. Maybe some of them even go to college afterwards. “The boys don’t necessarily make it to the pros, but that’s not our goal. Our goal is to give them an education so they can go back home and pursue a fulfilling career in life. Some of them, however, are very bright and stay. Right now we have 20 guys in the academy that we are housing, feeding, and teaching basketball. Over the last couple of the year, we’ve had a total of 250 guys
come through the system and all of them have turned out pretty well.” BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE Of course, with so much going on, ICM’s future is bright and busy. It’s currently planning to build a world-first mega-yacht free port that will house 120ft yachts during hurricanes. It’s also planning a new ‘fast ferry’ project that will carry passengers from Freeport in the Bahamas to Palm Beach in Florida. This is a much called-for project as many Bahamians have strong family and friendship ties to Florida – and many also go to the US for shopping. “We’re actually in negotiation with some people to buy property at both ends already, and are conducting the research and planning to make this dream a reality,” Mr. Marshall explains. The President and founder ends on a thoughtful note on the future for ICM and the Caribbean more widely: “What we’re doing with pushing forwards building techniques, skilling up local communities, and creating better infrastructure for the regional construction industry is essential for the near future. We don’t know what’s coming in ten years, we need to be prepared. So we’re trying to get ahead of the waves to benefit not just us but all of the Bahamas and Caribbean.” c
BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE FOR THE BAHAMAS
SETTING THE INDUSTRY STANDARD International Construction Managers Ltd. (ICM) is an industryleading Construction Management Consulting firm that provides professional services to companies within the construction and engineering industries, as well as private and corporate owners. We Specialise in: Construction Management • Vertical Construction Marine Construction • Civil Construction Works • Commercial Resorts. SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE | 23
Contact us at wmarshall@wmbahamas.com
CARIBBEAN LED SOLUTIONS
LIGHTING THE WAY
Sustainable Business Magazine speaks with Saleem Khan, Director and Founder of Caribbean LED Solutions, about the incredible success his company has had. He explains how it not only leads the LED lighting solutions market in Trinidad & Tobago today, but created that market in the first place. Caribbean LED Solutions was established in Trinidad & Tobago in 2011 by Saleem Khan. LED lighting was unusual and innovative in the country at the time, but the company had success with its first project at Alchemy Night Club in Port of Spain. Founder and Director, Mr. Khan, describes this first project to Sustainable Business Magazine: “It felt very playful at the time as we didn’t expect to become such a profound business. The nightclub’s staircase was painted black so it was very dark. We put in LED lighting and it worked fantastically. That success peaked our interest in LEDs as a lighting solution and we’ve been tinkering with them ever since.” However, Caribbean LED Solutions was so ahead of the curve that it wasn’t entering a market space – it had to create one. Mr. Khan expands on the company’s early history:
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“We got into LED solutions in 2013, at which point we were buying a selling them. However, we were doing that from the US because there was no Caribbean market at the time. Importing from the US led to some problems. People asked us why our lights were so expensive and, when they went bad, why couldn’t we repair them. “That became frustrating so I opened an LED light up and realised that it was just an electrical circuit. There wasn’t any special gas or filaments inside them like in
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CARIBBEAN LED SOLUTIONS
traditional fluorescent and incandescent bulbs. That blew my mind, but I knew I could make something of this. I had family living in Canada and, fortunately, some of them manufactured LEDs for the oil and gas industry. I learned some of the principles of manufacturing LEDs from them. “At first we tried to bring their product line to Trinidad & Tobago but we were unable to get it into the oil and gas sector here because of the cost. Instead, eventually, we decided to take their manufacturing principles and set up our own assembly line here. I knew that way we weren’t dependent on external manufacturers to return faulty products or carry out services. We learned to do that ourselves. That’s how we got into the soft assembly of LED lighting solutions.” This can-do attitude set the tone for Caribbean LED Solutions’ future. BUILDING A NEW MARKET When Mr. Khan and his colleagues established Caribbean LED Solutions, there was no market space for LED lighting to speak 26 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE
of. That’s why the company found it so hard to find a foothold in the first place. Once it did, it faced further hurdles. “We quickly realised that architects didn’t know how to translate the brightness of LEDs into their work or how to use them properly in room designs - they were too accustomed to traditional bulbs,” Mr. Khan says. “My solution was to learn design. We used computer software to try and figure out how to translate the brightness of LEDs
into something that architects could understand and implement.” However, that wasn’t the end of the issues, as Mr. Khan illustrates: “We then started getting into the engineering and into the backend of how to utilise our lights because we had problems with installers. They simply didn’t know how to install LEDs. Back then they were challenging to install because not many people knew how to do it. They knew how to deal with
high-voltage solutions but a lot of these were fixtures used low voltage. So that meant we ended up getting into installation as well. “By the end, we were able to provide a top-to-bottom service where we custom designed, manufactured, installed and provided aftercare servicing for our LED lighting.” As a result, Caribbean LED Solutions didn’t enter a fledgling market, it created one. And the company has remained at its forefront ever since. CONFIDENCE IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN LED lighting is now almost ubiquitous in many parts of the world and Trinidad & Tobago is no exception. The market space is much more vibrant now than it was ten years ago and there are competitors to Caribbean LED Solutions’ offering. However, not all LEDs are made equal, and the company has used this to its advantage. “The problem with LEDs today is planned obsolescence,” explains Mr. Khan. “An article published by the New Yorker in 2016 discussed how LED lights are supposed to be a green product but when you look at the full lifecycle of the products, that isn’t always true for newer products. “There are LED lights out there that are ten years old and still working perfectly, but newer products will last just two or three years before they die. Sure, you may get carbon savings during those few years, but then it comes time to dispose of them. LED lights aren’t made of glass and metals that can be returned to the earth: they’re plastic and aluminum and other non-biodegradable materials. “Since we can’t recycle the products, we should be able to repair or repurpose them. However, newer LEDs don’t allow this either because they’re made from cheap materials. We used to donate old LEDs given to us - whether they were ours or not - to Habitat for Humanity, who could use them in homes. We had to stop that though because planned obsolescence meant we started getting too many, and their quality was very poor. We weren’t able to service them, repair them, before donating them.” Caribbean LED Solutions’ answer to this is simple: use better quality materials and better quality manufacturing. “A lot of our raw materials come from China, as with many other manufacturers around the world,” explains Mr. Khan. “This is mostly to do with Trinidad & Tobago being an island nation. We simply don’t have the natural resources needed to produce
“By the end, we were able to provide a topto-bottom service where we custom designed, manufactured, installed and provided aftercare servicing for our LED lighting.” LED lighting. We’re limited. We need to import nearly everything. Our trick, though, is to ensure we get compliance certification from our suppliers throughout the chain. All of them must comply with the CE and RoHS standards. “Beyond that, we also acquire material spec sheets to verify and validate the quality of all our raw materials. We don’t want to buy diluted aluminium that’s fairly common in China, for example, because that would diminish the quality of our end products. We have to get this certificate from our suppliers signed off to make sure the materials that they are using and guaranteeing are up to our standards. A lot of contracts have given us high-grade aluminium, stuff that will stand the test of time, which means that if they need to change or repair components, the lighting solutions will still work. “Our compliance certification also means we can offer our clients long-term warranties on our products. Our circuit boards come with a five-year guarantee, for example. Our quality checks on materials mean we want
our products to last at least ten years if not more. We want them to stand the test of time. There’s no incentive to take this path in Trinidad & Tobago - there are no tax breaks or green initiatives that reward our decision to do this. We’re doing it of our own accord. We want to make LEDs a truly green and sustainable lighting solution.” SUSTAINABILITY AND SERVICEABILITY Having been a key player in building Trinidad’s market for LED lighting, Mr; Khan explains that Caribbean LED Solutions is now returning to its roots and focusing on the longevity of its products: “In 2023, we finally reached that part of the market space where we could shed all the other hats we were wearing to ensure the product is integrated correctly. That meant we could focus on educating architects and installers on how to use our products currently. The USP of our fixtures is that we build them not just to last, but to have high serviceability. That means where SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE | 27
CARIBBEAN LED SOLUTIONS
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the aluminium profiles or the plastic pieces would normally go to landfill or get recycled, we actually keep those parts as long as possible. On our lights, we can change the circuit board or the external transformer without replacing the whole product. “There are of course some limitations in terms of the national electric code in each country. For example, in the US, our American suppliers weren’t able to send us back all their broken fixtures. I could have repaired them but it would have breached certain standards they have with their governing body. As far as possible though our drive is to keep serviceable stuff out of the landfills. Every part of our manufacturing is serialised so that if anything goes wrong, we can send a replacement part if it is external, or if it’s internal then we get a registered person who knows how to do it to safely do that retrofit for you.” BEAUTIFYING SPACE With a proven record of success behind it, Caribbean LED Solutions’ plan for the future is to continue pushing the boundaries of the market space that it helped create. “Our future plan is convincing more people of LEDs, lobbying for better support for sustainable lighting solutions, and educating the market on good lighting design,” Mr. Khan explains. “One of the most overlooked aspects of sustainability as it relates to lighting is the importance of light to wellbeing. And that’s one of the services we’re going to start putting more effort into. “It’s becoming more important to people that they don’t want to be in a sterile space when they’re working, shopping or trying to enjoy themselves. They want to feel motivated to go out, especially after Covid. If we want to get people back out into the public space and have healthier engagements, we need to create more beautiful spaces for them. “In Trinidad & Tobago, everything is a little more sterile right now. So our work now is to add a whole other layer of beauty to spaces and motivate people to come back out.” c
“Our compliance certification also means we can offer our clients long-term warranties on our products. Our circuit boards come with a five-year guarantee...” SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE | 29
IAL ENGINEERING SERVICES
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TRAINING TO BE THE BEST
Sustainable Business Magazine talks to Dennis Ramoutar, General Manager of IAL Engineering Services, to find out how a small company from a Caribbean nation is making big waves in the global energy sector. IAL Engineering Services is an essential part of Trinidad and Tobago’s energy sector, having offered its services to the nation for nearly 90 years. During that time its remit has changed from being the middle man between Trinidad’s energy sector and the international market into what it is today – a manufacturing and engineering firm with an international reputation. The company has achieved all of this through robust management and skilled employees. Founded in 1935, IAL Engineering Services started as an agency that represented international firms in Trinidad and Tobago. This was reflected in its original name: Industrial Agencies Limited. Dennis Ramoutar, General Manager of IAL Engineering Services, explained to Sustainable Business Magazine how this business later changed; “Over the years we have reskilled and grown into an engineering company where, instead of just representing foreign technologies, we had a hybrid approach. The company brought engineering to the table. We innovated with machining, manufacturing, welding, pressure testing and so on. Continuous growth over the years has seen our business expand to where we now export to 50 countries around the world. “Internationally, we rely heavily on licence agreements, particularly in our tubular business. Most oil and gas wells depend heavily on pipe tubing to access the reservoirs because they can sometimes be 20,000ft below the surface. We represent foreign technology partners with machine
threads crossovers and other similar parts in support of the local oil and gas industry. “Being remote on an island has encouraged us to strengthen our self-sufficiency, such as improving our ability to manufacture products for the local energy sector. As a result, we’ve gained international attention. One of our larger international clients is Schlumberger. They move people around the world, so they would take someone from Trinidad and move them throughout Europe, Africa, South America, and elsewhere. IAL Engineering Services’ reputation spread through that movement by word of mouth. Our customers started marketing for us. They would tell their partners and clients that we could produce parts efficiently and quickly. This led to companies in more than 50 countries demanding our services.” HIGH STANDARDS SUPPLY CHAIN Despite its international reach, IAL Engineering Services is fully focused on how it can help local and community sustainability in Trinidad. One of the most significant
ways it does this is by ensuring its own supply chain meets rigorous global standards. “We are ISO 9001 certified, which is essential for quality management systems,” Mr. Ramoutar explains. “In addition to that we have expanded. We are now also ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certified, for environment and health and safety respectively. “In terms of supply chain management, we seek partners that share the same core value as us across all of those areas. The standards have provided a framework from which we’ve developed working procedures, and we expect our partners to meet all of those standards whether locally or globally. They may not be ISO certified themselves but we have certain minimum requirements that they must adhere to. In turn need to prove they have systems in place for sustainability and continuity, particularly in the event of unknowns such as Covid, natural disasters, or other serious disruptions. In this way we ensure that the whole supply chain provides value to the end customer and benefits local regions worldwide.”
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IAL ENGINEERING SERVICES
CENTAUR FOR ALL YOUR QUALITY PROCESS PIPING MATERIAL • BEAMS • PIPES • SHEET PLATES • GASKETS • FASTENERS • FLANGES • BALL VALVES • PIPE FITTINGS • EXTRACTOR FANS • WINCHES
M: 868 349 1042 | O: 868 655 8378 | www.centaurtt.com Mr. Ramoutar then elaborates on the proportions of their business: “We’ve established a tier system for our partners: Tiers 1, 2 and 3. Our technology partners such as Vallourec, Tenaris and Baker Hughes – those are Tier 1 OEMs. Goods and services must come from the licensee partner because often it’s a case of trade secrets and proprietary devices. Beyond that, we try to support local
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content as far as reasonable and practical. At present, the balance is roughly 60% international partners, 40% local.” PHILANTHROPY AND COMMUNITY As well as the importance of sustainability throughout its supply chain, IAL Engineering is also keen to show how it can help Trinidad’s local communities directly. “First and foremost, we try to screen hire persons within a five mile radius,” says Mr. Ramoutar. “That means we’re developing skills locally. We partner with training bodies to create courses for welders, fabricators, technicians, and other crucial engineering skills. We facilitate shop floors. We run youth outreach programmes to inspire the next generation. And at the national level, we reach out to the energy chamber. “I personally partner with training body MIC and give lectures for them. It’s an agreement I have with the directors. I’ll talk about the expectations of the industry for fresh graduates, that type of subject. They allow me even to present to the graduating class as the feature presenter. we don’t just give cash and walk away. We give our time. “We have scheduled shop tours where a career paths – whether you want to be a machinist, a welder, a fabricator – are broken down and laid out for students. Many of the people coming into the industry are are from economically challenged backgrounds. They come here because they might not be able to get into university to qualify as a doctor or lawyer. We try to reach those communities. We then get to hand pick the best and brightest and help them continue their development. It’s all part of continuity. “IAL Engineering Services puts a lot of work into our staff. Most of our employees are long-term employees. One of them has been here 38 years. I’m the ‘new kid on
the block’, and I’ve been 17 years. A lot of our machinists have had 20 years with the company, with most of them having spent at least 10 years here. Our holistic approach in terms of development, training and competency means we pick the most promising and ensure they stay to grow. We say what we do and do what we say.” Sustainability is a byword for IAL Engineering Services and that extends beyond its staff roster. Mr. Ramoutar explains how the company ensures that it’s helping all aspects of its community thrive: “We are a small, privately-owned company so we will never publicise our charity work. You won’t see photos of us on the front page of the newspaper shaking hands with ministers. However, we commit a portion of our budget to good causes in our country, such as helping vulnerable people in the community. “IAL Engineering is also involved in good causes. For example, we invite our employees and their families to get involved in beach clean-ups. Those are not only socially responsible but also great days out that help build and bond the company. We undertake walks for different causes such as cancer awareness. These re often tied into global initiatives, so that on World Cancer Day for example we have our local branches get involved.” DIGITIZATION The company works in a very high demand industry, supplying parts to the local and global oil and gas sector. Time is money in this sector. That means it’s essential IAL Engineering Services can deliver what it says, when it says it will. That’s why it has constantly worked on improving efficiency. Mr. Ramoutar illustrates the sort of advances the company has made in recent years: “We supply products that will prevent shutdown of half a million US drilling rigs.
“We commit a portion of our budget to good causes in our country, such as helping vulnerable people in the community.” Most of these drill ships have a daily operating rate of USD$500,000 – $600,000 per day. That means if we don’t deliver services and miss two days, that’s a $1m. That illustrates the cost implications of our work and how important it is that we deliver on time, every time. “We’ve made a number of progressions in our work environment to help with this. Crucially, we have digitised much of our work flow. Almost everything we do now is digital and web-based. In most machine shops you’ll see big blueprints on paper, that require cutting down trees and lots of space. In our shops, we have been fully electronic for the last eight years. Each work centre has touch screen stations containing all of the work construction blueprints, pressure test shots, quality documents, and anything else the machinist needs. That was a huge investment. It’s a Microsoft platform but heavily customised to get us where we need to be, ultimately costing millions of dollars. “Looking forwards, we’re going to continue digitising our work processes as much as we can because it helps underline the reliability and efficiency that we need. We expect to digitize our quality management, maintenance and safeguarding systems soon. That’s the future of IAL
Engineering Services in terms of where we need to be. “Since 2019, we have been working off the coast of Guyana in what was the largest oil deposit find for many years. We have been in full blown operations directly supporting Exxon on their work. Plus we’ve got contracts with a lot of the drilling rigs in the region, including with Global from the US and Stenna from the UK. Because of the electronic systems, we have been able to – without moving masses of persons to Guyana – set up a satellite location where the actual work is done. The engineering, the quality, the safety systems, it’s all webbased and electronic so we’ve been able to move quickly into the satellite location without having the brain drain from one country to the next.”
The feedback from the OEM was that they were bright, and that our company has a bright future. The fact we have taken on the youth, trained them, helped them grow, and they can take on running some of the company’s largest departments, is testament to the work of IAL Engineering Services as whole. “At the age of 44, for example, I had already worked in most of the departments within the company. That is essential for our continuity as an 88 year old company. Given everything else the company stands for, and how it’s helping the community, and how the community helps us, I believe we have a long and bright future ahead.” c
BRIGHT FUTURE IAL Engineering Services’ history is one of growth and progression. That’s how the company has managed to keep growing and become a crucial player in the regional and international oil and gas industry today. And it’s this point that Mr. Ramoutar feels defines the company: “We sent two 35-year-old managers to Vallourec in France recently for training. SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE | 33
SDV WEST INDIES
www.sdvgroup.com
INTER INTERCONNECTING THE FUTURE Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Giovanni De Biase-Madrid, Director and General Manager of Trinidad and Tobago’s pre-eminent EPC company SDV West Indies. He discusses the importance of the company’s local relationships and how they are crucial to turning the Caribbean islands into a region of the future. SDV West Indies is an engineering, procurement and construction company based in Trinidad and Tobago. For decades it has been a prominent name in the country with the specialisation in transmission works for the energy sector. It’s with this specialisation that the company is now attached to the largest solar farm throughout the Caribbean. Giovanni De Biase-Madrid, Director and General Manager of SDV West Indies, first told Sustainable Business Magazine about the company’s history, laying out how it has come to hold such a prominent position in its field: “SDV West Indies is a subsidiary of SDV Energía e Infraestructura S.L., a company incorporated in 1989, which currently consists of a Spanish based group committed to the execution of industrial and electrical power projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. SDV have executed projects in over 12 countries, including substations and transmission lines projects up to 800 kV in Latin America and we are currently executing 110 km of a 500 kV Transmission Line in Colombia”. That shows how the company 34 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE
at large has a wide range of experience in transmission infrastructure. “Our operations in Trinidad and Tobago actually began in 1980 through the company SADE. It was responsible for important power, lighting and transmission projects until 1985. We then came back in 1999 with Sadeven Industrias which now is SDV Energía e Infraestructura, and finally in 2000, we established SDV West Indies in the country to help with our local operations. Since then, we have continually executed a wide range of projects and obtained recognised experience, which has proven our capability in performing all kinds of transmission projects up to 220 kV contributing with the country’s development. This year we completed the biggest transmission line of the past decade in the country, which is the double-circuit 220 kV transmission line from Union Estate to Gandhi Village Substation and currently we are working in the EPC for the interconnection of the Solar Plants which is the most important project in the country within our sector”.
“SDV represents knowledge, experience, quality and commitment in execution of projects in the energy sector.” THINK LOCALLY, ACT GLOBALLY While Trinidad and Tobago are islands, SDV West Indies is not an island. The supply chains that it is a part of are an essential part of its success. The company recognises this and places great emphasis on fostering strong relationships with its suppliers and clients.. “In Trinidad and Tobago we know our local suppliers well”, Mr. De Biase-Madrid says. “They get what we need and we trust
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SDV WEST INDIES and prosperity. Furthermore, as we move into 2024, we are taking steps to amplify our social responsibilities. Next year we will be participating in environmental cleaning events that actually align our business with a greener, more sustainable future for the communities that we are serving”.
“We are bridging the transition from conventional power sources to a greener more sustainable future for trinidad and the caribbean” them. We work closely with them, and together we can manage through even troublesome times”. “Of course, a lot of our procurement is handled in Spain. We are tied to SDV Energía e Infraestructura, which is helpful because we reach out to suppliers from other parts of the world and get the best materials, tools and equipment. The advantage in handling procurement from Europe rather than the Caribbean is great because we can use the experience that Spain has from previous projects in Latin America, and the strong relationships with different suppliers that they have”. “If you ask me what the key is, it’s constant communication with our suppliers. We are always checking on them, checking the quality of what we get, comparing it with what is really required for a project. We have learned together and if something is needed, we will work together to figure it out. In short, our success comes from working closely with the locals and global suppliers, treating them like part of our team and always aiming for the best in materials.” Close local relationships mean more than just other companies, though. SDV West Indies is also keen to ensure it is a beneficial part of Trinidad and Tobago’s lo36 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE
cal communities. The most obvious way it does that is, of course, through its work on creating or improving the country’s energy infrastructure. “Every project we execute, whether small or large, will directly or indirectly touch lives”, explains Mr. De Biase-Madrid. “A modern and reliable power infrastructure can be a game changer for local businesses, schools and households, by providing that upgrade of infrastructure, SDV is literally fostering environments where businesses can flourish, students can learn uninterrupted, and families can live comfortably”. “On top of that, I will say our projects often create jobs and provide knowledge transfer to local workers, which at the end of the day is boosting local economies. Our work might be about installation of electrical infrastructure but our impact is much broader, fostering development progress
BIG HORIZON Trinidad and Tobago is in line with the rest of the world in pushing for a growth in renewable energy. There are plans underway for the islands to be home to the biggest solar farm in the Caribbean. Due to its market-leading position in the country, SDV West Indies is key in getting that farm built. “Currently our focus is on the engineering, procurement and construction of the essential transmission infrastructure for that project”, says Mr. De Biase-Madrid. “We are doing the work for three new substations, three existing substations expansions, and three new transmission lines in 132 kV and 12 kV. That will then allow the interconnection of the Orange Grove and Brechin Castle Solar Plants. Together, they will provide 112 MWac of green solar energy to the national grid. It will deliver 10% of the electricity generation in the Country, which will reduce the greenhouse emissions by 150,000 CO2e tonnes annually”. “Our work is important because without our part, not a single electron from the solar plants could make it to the national grid. The way I see it, we’re not just installing equipment and connecting wires, we are bridging the transition from conventional power sources to a greener more sustainable future for Trinidad and the Caribbean”. “SDV West Indies wants to help ensure the nation progresses to renewable energies as smoothly and efficiently as possible. Our current collaboration with major players in the energy sector is key and we really expect to be in the mix for the new green energy projects that are coming, such as the installation of onshore and offshore wind farms that are in the works for the near future. There are also many of other sustainable energy projects
planned in the longer term, and we believe SDV West Indies is ideally placed to help all of those become a reality”. Such a large project comes with its own complexities, but Mr. De Biase-Madrid is confident in his and his team’s capacity to meet those challenges and overcome them: “From experience, I know that each project comes with its own complexities, from logistical issues to coordinating with multiple stakeholders. At SDV, we face these challenges by encouraging open communication and collaboration, mutual respect, and a clear shared vision. This approach ensures clear communication lines, both within our multicultural team and with our clients, setting realistic expectations for all parties involved and ensuring transparency. Our team members have clear responsibilities, and we avoid indecision by involving decision-makers directly in
the process. We celebrate small victories, as they are crucial and build momentum toward achieving our larger project goals.” KEY PLAYER IN A GREEN FUTURE With the Solar Farm project coming together, and with Trinidad and Tobago now transitioning to a more sustainable future, the coming years look bright for SDV West Indies. “The future really has endless possibilities for SDV West Indies”, Mr. De Biase-Madrid concludes. “I envision a landscape where we amplify our core strengths and simultaneously embrace innovations that the future requires. Our commitment to enhancing the transmission infrastructure remains firm, and we are equally excited about integrating new sustainable energy sources into the country’s grid. That includes the direct installation of solar panels and energy storage systems under our
umbrella by creating strategic partnerships and collaborations”. “Meanwhile, although Trinidad and Tobago will always remain our base, our eyes are set on the broader horizon, we want to take our expertise and solutions to other Caribbean islands and Guyana directly by SDV West Indies and to other Latin American countries through the other companies of SDV Group. I have always said that people talk about solar farms, wind farms, and green energy but usually forget to talk about investing in the grid modernisation so that those projects can actually connect to the grid. We want to be the company that will make that an essential part of the conversation throughout the region, and also the people that will make it happen”. “As I said earlier, I am sure that we will be part of the projects for the interconnections of the new green energy projects that are coming in Trinidad and Tobago, related to the installation of the onshore and offshore wind farms that will happen in the near future to allow the development of the green hydrogen projects in the country”. “All of these will benefit the people and economy of the country, and SDV West Indies will be proud to have played a crucial role in their developments”. c SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE | 37
TRAVEL GUIDE: UGANDA
UGANDA Welcome to Sustainable Business Magazine’s Uganda Travel Guide from Gessa Simplicious, Head of public relations for Uganda Tourism Board.
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It’s essential to know that, when you visit Uganda, you can have confidence in the country’s tourist infrastructure. We at the Uganda Tourism Board have worked hard bringing together both the public and private sectors to ensure tourism is safe and reliable not only for visitors but for the places you are visiting. People come to Uganda for many different reasons. We have the Big Five, for example: lions, leopards, rhinoceroses, elephants and buffaloes. There are many operators that offer ‘Big 5’ tours providing the opportunity to catch a glimpse of these feared and magnificent beasts. However, Uganda also has the ‘Unique
Two’. These are two equally impressive animals found in the country that are very rare elsewhere: the endemic mountain gorilla, and the endangered chimpanzee. We are one of the few if not the only country where you can see all of these creatures. However, it’s important that this isn’t done recklessly. All of these creatures – and especially the unique two – are precious. That’s why we have worked with the government to implement laws that protect both wildlife and humans. For example, when visiting the mountain gorillas, tourists are subject to the ‘gorilla trekking rules’. They ensure that groups no bigger than eight
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people are permitted to visit locations where the gorillas live, that each group stays for no longer than one hour, and that only one group visits the gorilla habitat per day. Moreover, nobody in the group is allowed within eight metres of a creature. These rules are to protect the mountain gorillas. We do not want to stress them. We want to ensure they are able to relax and feel comfortable in their homes without fear of humans coming too close. The distance limit is set to prevent transmission of illnesses such as colds to the creatures, as that’s the last thing they need! We are very aware of the needs of the gorillas, and what we can to do preserve them while enabling tourists to enjoy viewing them. We have laid out similar rules for chimpanzees too. Mountain gorillas are found in two locations: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park. Apart from the gorillas themselves, both of these parks are, of course, incredible places of beauty in themselves. UNESCO has listed Bwindi as a World Heritage Site, for example, because of its incredible diversity of flora and fauna. Half of all mountain gorillas live in the 40 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE
forest. It also has the highest density of tree diversity in all of eastern Africa, for example, and is one of – if not the – most important location for afromontane butterfly species across the continent. Mgahinga is also recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Despite its small size at just 33.7 square kilometres, its diversity of plants and animals is breathtaking including the other half of the mountain gorilla population live in the forest. Alongside them live golden monkeys, the only place in Uganda where these creatures live, as well as buffaloes, antelopes and more than 30 other mammal species. In addition to go-
VISIT UGANDA
rilla trekking, there are also plenty of hiking and biking routes as well as Mount Sabyinyo, where from the peak you can see not just Uganda but the beauty of Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo as well. The sustainability of these and every other national park in Uganda depends on the collaboration between us, the Uganda Tourism Board, national and local governmental structures, private sector actors, and of course the tourists themselves. One simple way we have done this is to ensure that tourism brings money to local communities. For example, 20% of all entry fees to national parks in the country are handed over to the communities that border onto those parks. Not only does this generate income for people, but it helps them understand and appreciate the important of conserving the parks. If people from those communities wanted to go one step further, they could become tour guides. We have set up the Uganda Hotel and Tourism Training Institute to help them do just that. This two-year certification program is designed to create high quality tour guides that can help not only visitors have a good experience but also monitor the health and quality of our national parks. As the name suggests, people can also train as more than just tour guides at the institute. It serves many key roles within the tourism and hospitality industry. It’s not just the people, though. When companies want to construct new buildings, they must do it in an eco-friendly way as well. That means using solar panels on the roof, wood that is sustainably harvested, architecture that is sympathetic to its surroundings, and other green measures. Hotels, cars and other tourist facilities will use paper rather than plastic for packaging. We even go so far as to insist on low or no lighting during night time. Of course, this saves energy, but it also helps create a much more natural and authentic atmosphere. It lets you take yourself into the natural beauty of the birds, bats, insects and other night sounds. We also encourage water conservation throughout. In this way, we’re creating a framework for holistic sustainability that companies can follow and we can supervise. SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE | 41
TRAVEL GUIDE: UGANDA
With this in mind, Uganda is currently working towards ISO certification in tourism, and all of these measures are part of that effort. We take it very seriously. We are working closely with government and private partners to ensure every standard is met so that we can achieve that ISO seal of quality, In fact, to ensure high standards are maintained throughout our national parks in particular, we are working with Uganda Police. They will investigate adherence to our measures locally and take action against anyone breaking them. For example, if a hotel or lodge advertises itself as four-star, customers want to see four-star amenities such as a swimming pool and bar. If it doesn’t meet the standard, police can investigate. We want every visitor to have confidence of our international standards. At the same time as ISO certification, we are also currently talking to various global tourism bodies about membership. Uganda is already a member of regional tourism trade associations such as East Africa Community, which offers a unique opportunity opening Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda up to tourists on a single visa. However, we are now talking with the UN World Tourism Organization and the World Travel & Tourism Council. Becoming a member of these trade organisations is important to us much in the same way that attaining ISO certification is: it shows our international standards. Right now we’re currently gathering the 42 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE
measurements index from them in order to begin the process of association. While our national parks and wildlife are our most impressive attractions, there are also plenty of other things to see and do here. Jinja, for example, is the place to visit for adrenaline junkies. Along the banks of the Nile, which runs through Jinja district, there are plenty of companies offering activities such as bungee jumping, white water rafting, fishing, hot air ballooning, horse riding, quad biking and many other intense adventures. Meanwhile, Mount Elgon is our hub for sports tourism. It’s where athletes that want high altitude training go to. You can also visit the Kichwamba escarpment, which has a community tourism initiative to help the local tribe benefit from the tourist industry. We recently also opened the Uganda Cycling Trail, an epic 1600 kilometre trail comprised of four trails and 22 stages. Ultimately, we know Uganda has as much to offer tourists as it has to offer the people that live here. That’s why we want to share it with the world. Furthermore, by doing so, we can benefit economically in a time when the world is re-opening after the pandemic. The Uganda Tourism Board is doing everything we can to ensure that every visitor has the best possible time here that they can and that they’ll want to return to Uganda again and again.
PA R A A S A F A R I L O D G E Murchison Falls National Park Uganda
M W E YA S A F A R I L O D G E Queen Elizabeth National Park Uganda
S I LV E R B A C K L O D G E Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park Uganda
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CHOBE SAFARI LODGE Murchison Falls National Park Uganda
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MARASA AFRICA W H E R E T H E U N F O R G E T TA B L E H A P P E N S Marasa Africa offers legendary safari experiences, with thrilling game drives and boat rides along Uganda's national parks' wildlife Waterways. Guests are drawn back time and again for our local cuisine, genuine warmth, and unwavering professionalism. Unwinding in our care, they create lasting memories for generations on safari. Discover Uganda's untamed beauty with Marasa Africa. Expect extraordinary accommodations, unmatched conferences, and unforgettable romantic getaways. Celebrate weddings, anniversaries, and birthdays amidst nature's wonders. Enjoy bush walks, private dining, and enchanting sunset cocktails. Cruise majestic rivers and experience exhilarating game drives. Marasa Africa proudly supports Uganda Ministry of Tourism Wildlife and Antiquities in providing top-notch hospitality for Ugandan families seeking vacations and special getaways, as well as conference teams in the heart of the East African National Parks.
To see pricing and Package offers, Scan code or visit www.marasa.net. +256 (0) 312 260 260
CHOBE SAFARI LODGE:
A JEWEL IN UGANDA’S TOURISM CROWN Nestled in the Heart of Murchison Falls National Park Discover the unparalleled splendor of Chobe Safari Lodge, a five-star sanctuary nestled in the breathtaking Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda. This exquisite lodge represents the pinnacle of luxury and adventure, offering an experience to captivate even the most discerning of travelers. Panoramic Splendor and Soothing Sounds Be enchanted by the breathtaking views and the melodious sounds of the River Nile’s rapids. This setting is not just a backdrop, but a gateway to an unforgettable journey into Africa’s wilderness.
Karuma Bar and Terrace: The Heart of Relaxation Unwind in the Karuma Bar, a fusion of modern comfort and safari elegance. Gaze out through expansive windows at the River Nile and let the day’s adventures sink in at this perfect safari retreat.
Unexplored Wilderness and Wildlife Galore Chobe Safari Lodge is your exclusive gateway to explore the untouched beauty of the region. Home to a rich tapestry of wildlife, birds, flora, and fauna, the lodge offers a rare glimpse into a world yet to be discovered.
ACTIVITIES: A Wildlife Extravaganza Murchison Falls National Park, home to the lodge, is a treasure trove of biodiversity. Boasting 76 mammal species and 451 bird species, the park is a haven for wildlife enthusiasts. The River Nile, meandering from the Murchison Falls, attracts an array of wildlife including crocodiles, hippos, and diverse water birds. Land dwellers like lions, warthogs, buffalo, the rare aquatic sitatunga antelope, giant forest hogs, Uganda kob, topi, waterbuck, elephants, and leopards also grace this landscape. Engage in a world where every day is an adventure and every moment a discovery in this rich ecosystem.
A Fisher’s Paradise Recognized as one of Africa’s premier fishing destinations, this part of Murchison Falls National Park is a dream come true for fishing enthusiasts. Dive into Luxury: The Three-Tiered Pool Experience the spectacular swimming pool spread across three tiers, offering privacy and stunning views of the River Nile. Indulge in a cocktail at the poolside bar, “Rapids,” or lounge in luxury as the sun sets over the river. Karuma Restaurant: A Culinary Adventure Dine in style at the Karuma Restaurant, where modern decor meets safari ambiance. Relish a blend of local and international cuisines, enhanced by traditional dance performances. The terrace, with its panoramic river views, and the cozy Karuma Bar, are perfect for an evening unwind. The Bush Lounge Experience Join a guided bush walk along the Nile and encounter Uganda’s diverse wildlife. This hour-long adventure concludes at the Bush Lounge, where a delightful continental breakfast awaits. Conferences in the Wild Transform your meetings at the Nile Conference Center, offering facilities for both large and intimate gatherings. Replace city chaos with the tranquility of Uganda’s natural landscape for a truly productive experience.
Explore Chobe Safari Lodge – where luxury, adventure, and the wild heart of Africa converge to create memories that last a lifetime. Visit https://chobelodgeuganda.com
MWEYA SAFARI LODGE:
A HAVEN IN THE WILD
An Unforgettable Experience in the Heart of Queen Elizabeth National Park Embark on an extraordinary journey at Mweya Safari Lodge, nestled on a scenic peninsula in the midst of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Surrounded by the mystical Rwenzori Mountains, often referred to as the ‘Mountains of the Moon’, the lodge offers a unique blend of tranquility and adventure. A Landscape of Wonders To the east, the lodge is guarded by the majestic Great Rift Valley hills, creating a picturesque divide from the Rwenzoris. Below, the meandering Kazinga Channel flows gracefully between two great African lakes - George and Edward, offering a spectacle of nature’s finest vistas. Infinity Pool with a View Immerse yourself in luxury at our Infinity Swimming Pool. Overlooking the Kazinga Channel, the pool offers panoramic views of the connecting lakes and wildlife below. Relax on the wooden sun deck loungers, savor a cocktail from the pool bar, and bask in the warm African sun. Elegant Dining with Panoramic Views Indulge in culinary delights either in our elegant, formal dining room or on the veranda, where meals are complemented by spectacular views across the Kazinga Channel. Our chefs are masters in crafting a range of local and international specialties. Saturday Nights to Remember Experience the joy of traditional dancers and special barbecues on Saturday evenings, making your stay at Mweya Safari Lodge truly memorable.
Conferences in the Wild Imagine conducting your next conference in our fully equipped, air-conditioned conference room, far from the chaos of the city. A refined board-room is also available for all your business or workshop needs. Discover the Park’s Biodiversity Explore the incredible biodiversity of Queen Elizabeth National Park, home to 95 mammal species and 612 bird species. The Kazinga Channel, known for the world’s largest congregation of hippos, offers a unique spectacle. Venture through the park to see lions, warthogs, buffalos, sitatunga antelopes, giant forest hogs, Uganda kob, topi, waterbucks, elephants, and leopards. Each visit to this rich ecosystem promises a new adventure. Mweya Safari Lodge: Where Every Stay is an Unforgettable Adventure Come, be a part of this extraordinary experience, and explore the unique attractions that Queen Elizabeth National Park has to offer. Mweya Safari Lodge awaits you, ready to make your visit an unforgettable chapter in your life’s adventures. Visit Mweya Safari Lodge http://tinyurl.com/2mn4e8p4
Business Meets Serenity Our Business Service Centre, open daily, caters to the needs of the traveling executive, complete with internet access. Balance work and leisure seamlessly in this serene environment. Authentic Souvenirs and Crafts Visit our gift shop for a selection of local East African crafts, guidebooks, clothing, and safari essentials. Take home a piece of the Pearl of Africa with our authentic souvenirs.
For an unforgettable experience mweyalodge.com
For more information about Marasa hotels scan here >>
TRAVEL GUIDE: UGANDA
VISIT
UGANDA KEY FACTS
UGANDA 46 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE
Capital:
Kampala
Population:
45.85 million (2021)
Language(s):
Swahili, English
Currency:
Ugandan Shilling
Time zone:
GMT +3
Dialling code:
+256
Major cities:
Gulu, Kampala, Mbarara, Mbale, Kasese, Lira, Entebbe, Jinja, Mukono, Arua
Tourist season:
December - February & June - August
Annual visitors:
814,508 (2022)
Annual tourism earnings:
736m US$ (2022)
Avg. temperature:
73 °F
Highest point:
Mt. Stanley’s Margherita Peak (5,109)
KEY ATTRACTIONS
1 Chimpanzee Tracking
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Mountain gorilla trekking
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2 Entebbe Botanic Gardens
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Ndere Cultural Centre
12 The Ziwi Rhino Sanctuary
3 Gaddafi National Mosque
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Queen Elizabeth National Park
13 Waterfalls
4 Lake Bunyonyi
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Rwenzori Mountains
14 Wildlife Conservation Education Centre
5 Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
10 Source of the Nile
15 Whitewater Rafting
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TRAVEL GUIDE: UGANDA
ATTRACTIONS & EXPERIENCES Mountain gorilla trekking At the top of our Uganda must-do list is the thrilling adventure of gorilla trekking. It’s an unparalleled experience for those seeking excitement! Immerse yourself in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and get an up-close encounter with majestic mountain gorillas. Mountain gorillas can be found in the area known as the Virunga Mountains, and live in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity allows only a few lucky individuals to witness wild mountain gorillas in their natural habitat, given that there are just around 720 left on Earth. Hence, gorilla trekking is an aweinspiring and truly distinctive adventure, undoubtedly at the forefront of many individuals’ adventure aspirations!
Lake Bunyonyi Considered to be one of Africa’s deepest lakes, Lake Bunyonyi is a true gem of Uganda’s natural landscape and a highlight on our list of the top things to experience in the country! The lake is embraced by verdant, terraced hills, but what truly captivates are the 29 islands, each with its unique shape and size, scattered across its waters. This tranquil haven offers an ideal setting for relaxation, as well as opportunities to venture out on quad bikes to explore the surrounding area or indulge in birdwatching. 48 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE
Chimpanzee Tracking One of the most sought-after activities in Uganda. The wild yet habituated chimps, often perched in the trees, become more visible and interactive when given ample time. This enhances the overall experience, providing better opportunities for captivating photographs and a deeper connection with these remarkable creatures. The primary locations for this exhilarating adventure are Kibale Forest National Park and Budongo Forest, both renowned for their chimpanzee populations and the remarkable encounters they offer.
ATTRACTIONS & EXPERIENCES
The Ziwi Rhino Sanctuary Unfortunately, in Uganda’s national parks. However, there’s a silver lining: the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is home to several white rhinos thriving in a spacious environment. These majestic, endangered beings roam freely across 7,000 hectares of land within the sanctuary, embodying hope for the future of rhino conservation.
Queen Elizabeth National Park This remarkable park is a haven for wildlife enthusiasts, boasting an impressive array of 96 mammal species, such as lions, buffaloes, warthogs, hippos, crocodiles, and majestic elephants. One of the unique features of Queen Elizabeth National Park is the opportunity to witness the park’s famous tree-climbing lions.
Crater Lakes A marvel of natural beauty, particularly in the vicinity of Fort Portal, offering a fantastic exploration opportunity by car, on foot, or by bicycle. Amongst these pristine lakes, Lake Nkuruba stands out as the epitome of beauty. For an awe-inspiring perspective, the Top of the World viewpoint, offering a captivating panorama of Lake Nyamirima.
Ndere Cultural Centre For an exceptional night out in Uganda, a visit to the Ndere Cultural Centre is an absolute must. The center hosts a captivating dinner show where, alongside a delightful meal, incredibly skilled performers showcase traditional dances, drumming, and singing. Offers a dynamic immersion into Ugandan culture, making it a truly enjoyable way to spend an evening.
See the Shoebills The shoebill, an extraordinary bird, certainly stands out in the avian world. Notably large, with a visage that might not win any beauty contests, and possibly one of the more ruthless creatures in the animal kingdom. Curiously, shoebills commonly hatch two chicks but exhibit a distressing tendency to favor one, usually the stronger or older sibling, while allowing the other to perish.
Source of the Nile Discover the genuine and historic Source of the Nile Site, the very location where British explorer Speke made the groundbreaking discovery of the River Nile. Immerse yourself in this historic site. At the Source of the Nile, your adventure continues with exciting boat rides that traverse the Nile River and lead into the vast expanse of Lake Victoria.
Whitewater rafting Offering exciting opportunities for rapids enthusiasts. With plenty of Grade IV and V rapids, seasoned rapids fans will find plenty to love in Uganda, where the White Nile emerges from Lake Victoria. But newbies may be surprised to find that no experience is required to take on one of the world’s most intense adventure experiences.
Rwenzori Mountains Almost 100,000 hectares on Uganda’s border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, six of Africa’s ten largest peaks can be found in the Rwenzori range. You’ll see the richest mountain flora in Africa, endangered and threatened species – and, best of all, you’ll have them all almost to yourself, attracting only around 1000 visitors per year.
The Equator One of Uganda’s notable attractions is the equator—a line that divides the Earth into the northern and southern hemispheres. Although it’s essentially marked by a few signposts, accompanied by shops and restaurants, it’s a popular spot, providing a great opportunity for memorable photos. SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE | 49
NATIONAL PARKS
TRAVEL GUIDE: UGANDA
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Uganda’s most outstanding feature is its national parks. They are filled with an incredible diversity of wildlife and plant life, including some that are endemic to the country. There are 10 national parks in total, all of which offer something unique. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the starting point for most first-time visitors to Uganda. Located in the far south-western corner and bordering onto the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bwindi offers tourists the opportunity to witness the endemic mountain gorilla. The entire remaining mountain gorilla population lives in Uganda, and half of them live in Bwindi. Visits are limited to one group of eight people per day, with each visit lasting an hour. As a result, permits are in high demand so make sure to book in advance. There are plenty of other things to see in Bwindi as well, as it’s home to more than 200 tree species and 300 bird species. Finding somewhere to stay in or near Bwindi is simple because there are plenty of lodges throughout the area. It’s possible to reach the park itself by road, although there are no public transport options yet. Kidepo Valley National Park is Uganda’s untouched jewel. While it lacks the beautiful mountain gorilla, Kidepo Valley is rich with many other forms of wildlife. It is situated in the far north of Uganda, at the border with South Sudan and covers more than 550 square miles, making it the country’s third largest national park. In almost complete contrast to Bwindi, Kidepo Valley is a savannah environment. That means it is home to the Big Five such as elephants, zebras, and buffaloes as well as other recognisable savannah creatures including giraffes, hyenas and cheetahs. At the heart of the park is Apoka, where remnant pools, seasonal oases and wetlands nestle between the vast open savannah plains. More than 77 mammal species and 470 bird species call this place their home, making it the ideal place for a safari. Kidepo is most easily reached by air, but it also has plenty of road access.
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TRAVEL GUIDE: UGANDA Murchison Falls National Park is Uganda’s largest park by area. It is made up of woodlands and riverine forest cut in two by the famous River Nile. The river and its stunning surroundings provide ample opportunities for activities such as boat cruises, white water rafting, sport fishing, and of course visiting the spectacular Murchison Falls themselves. Venture beyond the river, though, and there is plenty more to see and do. Guides offer chimpanzee treks to groups of up to six people, and you can plan your own hikes along the park’s many signposted trails too. There are more than 450 bird species living in the park, including the endemic yellow-footed flycatcher, so there’s plenty to see and do. Murchison Falls National Park is located in the west of the country, by Lake Albert, and accessible by road – including by public transport or chartered tourist buses. There are plenty of eco-friendly lodges and hotels to stay in. Kibale National Park is located in the highlands of western Uganda. Kibale is an evergreen rainforest home to 13 species of primates including chimpanzees, baboons and monkeys. There are nearly 1,500 chimpanzees living in the park, making it Uganda’s mecca, and guides organise regular chimpanzee trekking tours throughout the year. These tours will enable you to see many of the other primates and creatures living in the forest as well such as the pangolin, the world’s most trafficked animal, living naturally and unharmed. Apart from the apes, Kibale is a
great place for hiking. There are well established tours of the crater lakes in the park, formed as a result of volcanic activity. The Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary is also not to be missed. This jungle swamp is a rare type of ecological feature and local communities have opened this rare opportunity up to tourists so that the income generated can help restore and maintain the swamp itself. Like most other parks in Uganda, Kibale is accessible by road through chartered and public transport. Many people choose to stay at Fort Portal, a town about an hour away from the park’s entrance. Mount Elgon National Park is located along the country’s eastern border with Kenya. Mount Elgon, an extinct volcano, rises more than 14,000 feet into the air and dominates the park. Guides offer the opportunity to trek up the mountain, including to its highest peak Wagagai. Mount Elgon’s volcanic history and height gives the park a unique and changing biosphere, ranging from montane forest and moorland at lower altitudes and higher altitudes offering a huge biodiversity due to the cooler and wetter climate. There are caves, waterfalls, hot springs and escarpments to explore in the park, as well as plenty of wildlife tours and safaris. The diverse climate and biosphere of Mount Elgon also makes it an ideal place for hiking. The park is accessible by road, both by chartered and public transport, and like Uganda’s other national parks offers plenty of accommodation if you wish to stay in the area.
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WHAT TO DO AND SEE
CITIES Uganda is more than just its beautiful natural landscapes, of course. Its cities and towns offer a host of enticing and exhilarating cultural experiences. Kampala Uganda’s capital, and offers everything you might expect to find in a world city. That includes plenty of restaurants, cafes, night clubs, cinemas, markets and street food vendors. It’s also less than an hour’s drive away from the country’s only international airport in Entebbe, so will almost certainly be the first port of call for any international travellers. However, it is more than just a transit point. There are also a number of unmissable cultural attractions throughout Kampala. The National Museum is the heart of these, containing exhibits and displays represent-
ing Uganda’s scientific, artistic and cultural history. There is also the UNESCO-recognised Kasubi Tombs, where four tombs of Uganda’s historical Buganda kings sit. Meanwhile, Fort Lugard is a fascinating monument to Uganda’s colonial past and the Baha’i temple in Kawempe district is the only one of its kind in Africa. One unique feature of the city is the Makindye district. This part of Kampala spills into massive Lake Victoria, thereby giving the city a seaside feel despite being landlocked. Here you can enjoy boat cruises, fishing, diving and water sports – or just relax on the beach with a cocktail. SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE | 53
TRAVEL GUIDE: UGANDA Entebbe The arrival point for most international travellers, and is easily overlooked because of that. However, missing out on what it has to offer would be a shame. The Botanical Gardens are home to many interesting trees and wildlife among which you can relax and enjoy a picnic. Be sure to hire a guide to get the most out of this place, though. Entebbe is also host to a number of wildlife sanctuaries including the Chimpanzee Sanctuary (on the appropriately named Chimpanzee Island), Reptile Village, and the Wildlife Conservation Education Center. All of these are worth visiting to view some of Uganda’s most precious wildlife close-up.
The Sesse Islands A group of 84 islands in Lake Victoria, and make up the Kalangala District. It is a place of beauty, where white sandy beaches meet the blue lake water, and an ideal place to relax. It offers golfing, boat cruises, fishing, hiking and even zip-lining. But after a long day enjoying these activities, you can always return to the beach and watch the sun go down. The islands are reached by ferry from Entebbe.
Fort Portal The gateway to several of Uganda’s national parks including Kibale National Park, Semuliki National Park, and Rwenzori Mountains National Park. As such, it is Uganda’s first designated Tourism City. However, there is also plenty to do in the city without having to leave its limits. Your first stop should be Tooro Palace, where its circular structure and high vantage point provides a 360 degree view across the entire city. Then check out Tooro Botanical Garden, home to a wide range of native plants and trees, where you can learn about local traditional medicinal and artistic practices. Don’t miss the Amabere Ganyinamwiru caves, where local legend has it that a king tried to hide his daughter. Then, after you finish your long day seeing the sights, have fun at one of the city’s many night clubs. Ugandans love to party, so why not join them? 54 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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Jinja The adventure capital of eastern Africa. Like Entebbe, it is located on the shores of Lake Victoria. Unlike Entebbe, though, the mouth of the River Nile passes through the town. This has given rise to the adventure tourism for the city, in particular white water rafting. There are several grand rapids on Jinja’s section of the Nile, so make sure to hold on tight! Operators also offer bungee jumping opportunities over the Nile, jet boating and jet skiing on the river, and quad biking and horse riding through the stunning rural landscape around Jinja. And once you’ve finish with all of that, you can go and visit the source of the Nile itself, which is located where Lake Victoria come inland at the city.
e h TPearl OF AFRICA
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