Page 66 - Gondwana Value Creation Report 2020
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HOW WE MAKE AN IMPACT  We consider renewable energy our go-to source whenever we have a choice. Fortunately, Namibia is perfect for solar energy generation. 95% of our lodges are equipped with solar energy plants (2019: 80%).   A central part of the magic of Namibia is the desert landscape. Operating in this environment means we have the responsibility to protect the little water we have to spare. We sensitise guests to this fact and request


                                                                                                                                                                                                                2.
              1.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Sparing use of precious water
                  Efficient energy usage and innovative energy solutions
                                                                                                                                                                                                              them to use water sparingly. 82% of our lodges are equipped with wastewater recycling plants. We use the wastewater to irrigate our lodges’ gardens, which cuts overall consumption by more than half. In 2020 we
            The excess energy from these plants is fed into the main supply system operated by Namibia’s national power utility, NamPower.
                                                                                                                                                                                                              installed water recycling plants at Palmwag Lodge, and at Etosha King Nehale. Our water usage was lower, as lodges closed or were put on skeleton staff, but this interrupted our efficiency monitoring.

                Our target for the efficient use of energy is to reduce average daily consumption to 4kWh per person per day by 2022.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  We aim to have fully functioning water recycling plants installed at all lodges by 2021. Our water usage target for 2021 is 200 litres per person per day.
                When the lodges were closed in March due to the lockdown, we set out to cut down on all unnecessary energy usage.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  With the decrease in occupancies at the lodges, water consumption was somewhat reduced. However, water was still required for operational usage such as maintenance of gardens, water
                Despite limited occupancy on the properties, key appliances still needed to run, unfavourably skewing our energy efficiency measures.                                                             recycling plants and for on-site employees, negatively impacting our efficiency measures.

                                                                       Energy                                                      2018           2019           2020                                                                                                    Water                                                       2018            2019          2020

                               Energy usage                            Total energy usage (kWh)                                  4 131 981     2 977 700     2 491 604                                                            Water usage                            Total consumption (m )                                     313 674       360 539         341 593
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          3
                               20kWh                                   Efficiency (energy usage per person per day)                  16              11*           20                                                          901 litres                                Efficiency (litres per person per day)                       340            309             901
                                                                       *  Restated.
                            per person per day                         After converting all but one lodge to solar in 2020, roughly 46% of energy used                                                                        per person per day

                                 2019: 12kWh                           at our lodges came from solar by the end of the year.                                                                                         2019: 309 litres per person per day                 Water recycled: 75% of all water used by employees and guests.
                                                                       2019: 36%                                                                                                                                                                                         2019: 65%



                  Solar power drives environmental sustainability and cost savings                                                 2020 production                                                              3.
                  Three years ago, Namib Desert Lodge was Gondwana’s only lodge with solar power.                                  1 987MWh                                                                         Responsible waste management
                  In 2018 we entered into a partnership with SolarSaver, a Southern African solar power                            2019: 576MWh                                                               We promote and monitor responsible consumption, waste                Waste sent to landfill                           We partner with BEE Biofuel
                  installation group, to install solar plants across the remainder of our lodges. The                                                                                                         management and recycling at all of our properties. In this way,                                                  Manufacturing Namibia to recycle all
                  operating principle is that the solar energy we buy from SolarSaver needs to be at a                                                                                                        we give back to nature what belongs to her. We aim to recycle,               35%                                    used cooking oil from our lodges.
                  better rate than that of NamPower, our electricity utility. Through this initiative we have                                Cost savings                                                     repurpose or biodegrade all of our waste, and send none of it to
                                                                                                                                                          1
                  reduced our environmental impact and energy cost.                                                                          N$935 583                                                        a landfill.                                                                  2019: 35%
                  Our aim was to have solar power plants installed at all of Gondwana’s lodges by 2020,                                                                                                       We use as few non-recyclable materials and single-use plastics
                  to have 50% of energy used at our lodges from solar by 2021, increasing to 80% by                                          2019: N$329 121                                                  as possible. We aim to use no plastic bottles or take-away (food)                                               We aim to reduce the amount of waste
                  2023. To date, the only lodge that does not have a solar plant is Zambezi Mubala Camp.                                                                                                      packaging by 2021. We reduce plastic bottles by installing filter-                                                 we send to landfill to zero by 2021.
                  ○  18 lodges have solar power plants: Three owned by Gondwana, and 15 run by           SOLAR                                   Oil saved                                                    water dispensers at some lodges. Our souvenir shops also sell                Recycled
                    SolarSaver                                                                          ENERGY                                   1 194 barrels                                                reusable bottles and Silistraws.
                  ○  Six solar installations in 2020 (2019: 12)                                      PRODUCTION                                  2019: 346 barrels                                            Each lodge has a waste management facility to sort and store            449 litres                             Reducing single-use plastic
                                                                                                                                                                                                              waste for transportation to the nearest recycling depot. We                                                       ○ No mini foil or plastic butter portions
                                                                                                                                                                                                              partner with Rent-A-Drum to dispose of waste responsibly. It           of used cooking oil
                                                                                                                                             CO  saved                                                        recycled 28 124kg of our lodges’ waste in 2020. The bulk of this                                                  ○ Paper straws at all lodges
                     Cost savings from solar  (N$)                                                                                              2                                                             recycled waste is used to generate fuel.                                 2019: 1 510 litres
                                                1
                                                                                                                                             2 047 tonnes                                                                                                                                                                       ○ Lunch packs use eco-friendly packaging and wax
                          329 121              935 583                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          paper wrapping
                                                                                                                                             2019: 593 tonnes 2                                               In 2020, we partnered with Oiltech to recycle used engine oil from
                                                                                                                                                                                                              our lodges, and it recycled 1 100 litres.                                                                         ○ Glass coffee jars and stainless steel plungers
                     0      300    600    900   1 200  1 500                                                                                                                                                                                                                       1 100 litres
                                                                                                                                   Trees saved                                                                                                                                                                                  instead of coffee sachets
                       2019        2020                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               of used engine oil                        ○ Guests are provided with stainless steel sugar
                                                                                                                                   5 464                                                                                                                                                                                        canisters. Considering the potential to spread
                                                                                                                                   2019: 1 584 trees 2                                                                                                                                                                          Covid-19, we issue one canister to each family
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                or group travelling together.
            1    Money we would have paid to NamPower for the same use of electricity for the 15 lodges run by SolarSaver.
            2   Restated.
      64    VALUE CREATION REPORT 2020                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            GONDWANA COLLECTION NAMIBIA          65
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