Atlantis, The Palm And Atlantis Aquaventure Retain The Prestigious Earthcheck Silver Certification For Fourth Year Running
EarthCheck’s rigorous review process is a testament to Atlantis Dubai’s commitment to sustainability.
Atlantis Dubai is proud to announce that Atlantis, The Palm and Atlantis Aquaventure have each retained EarthCheck Silver Certification following a rigorous audit of operational sustainability practices. This is the fourth year that both applications have maintained the Silver certified status. This year, the teams expect to attain the EarthCheck Gold Certification, an achievement following five years of EarthCheck reporting. In addition, following its opening in February 2023, Atlantis The Royal will apply for EarthCheck Silver Certification for the first time this year.
EarthCheck is recognised as the world's leading scientific benchmarking, certification, and business advisory group focused on travel and tourism. It helps businesses, communities, and governments to evaluate their environmental footprint, improve sustainability and ultimately enhance business performance. Atlantis, The Palm and Atlantis Aquaventure’s incredible achievements are reflective of Atlantis Dubai’s unwavering commitment to implementing policies in keeping with the world's highest ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) standards.
Atlantis Dubai’s significant initiatives include an on-site water bottling plant, food waste reduction technology in all buffet restaurants, 2,178 roof-top solar panels, and a contribution of more than $250,000 into local and international marine conservation since 2021. These practices, implemented at scale, all work toward positioning Atlantis Dubai amongst a select, global group of sustainable tourism operators that are certified to EarthCheck’s Company Standard.
Tim Kelly, President of Atlantis Global said: “Sustainability is a high priority of Atlantis Dubai and to retain our certified status in this field is something that we take very seriously. We are incredibly proud to maintain EarthCheck Silver Certification for the fourth year, and we look forward to attaining Gold status this year. This accomplishment reflects our consistent dedication to both environmental and social sustainability practices and our commitment to do business in ways that are good for both people and the planet”.
The EarthCheck certification process is driven by a dedicated Green Committee, which work tirelessly to report high volumes of data backed with supporting evidence. The Green Committee has representatives from high-impact business units across Atlantis Dubai in order to drive maximum change.
Atlantis, The Palm and Atlantis Aquaventure were required to report data for the year 2022 on waste management, energy and water conservation strategies, and CSR contributions, amongst others. With exponential improvements over the years, some of the notable achievements as commended by EarthCheck include:
- Atlantis, The Palm reduced waste to landfill by 53.9% in 2022 compared to 2021 – this was a result of recycling more than half a ton of cardboard, glass, paper, and plastic in 2022.
- 72,000L of used cooking oil was recycled into biofuel.
- 100 percent of office paper used at Atlantis, The Palm and Atlantis Aquaventure come from FSC certified sources.
- On average, more than 80 percent of cleaning products are biodegradable.
- Irrigation systems for landscaping use a manual moisture measuring system to determine the need for watering, which allows better control of water use.
- Atlantis Aquaventure received a five-star rating and recognition as a regional leader for waste recycling practices.
- Atlantis Aquaventure is a Certified Autism Centre, the first in the Middle East and as such is equipped to provide an inclusive experience for people with autism and varying sensory needs.
- All marine animal experiences are underpinned by research to determine the educational value of the experiences and guest learnings through pre and post experience surveys. These surveys look into knowledge gained, conservation awareness and likelihood to be inspired to take action.
- Atlantis, The Palm’s on-site water bottling plant which produces 800L of bottled water per hour has eliminated 2,020,908 single use plastic bottles over a 12-month period.
- From June 2022 to June 2023, with the installation of Winnow Technology, an AI enabled food waste tracking software, Atlantis, The Palm has eliminated on average 40% of food waste from buffets.
- All restaurant menus across Atlantis, The Palm consist of a minimum of five dishes where the main ingredient is locally sourced, organic and/or certified sustainable.
Atlantis Dubai is consistently striving to become a more efficient, effective, and responsible organisation. EarthCheck’s rigorous process for certification is a testament to the destination’s commitment to accountability while ensuring continuous improvement of operations toward environmental and social sustainability.
To learn more about Atlantis Dubai’s commitment to do business in ways that are good for both people and planet, please visit: www.atlantis.com/atlasproject.
About Atlantis Atlas Project
Atlantis Atlas Project is Atlantis Dubai’s commitment to do business in ways that are good for both people and planet, by focusing on Responsible Operations, Conservation & Animal Welfare, Education & Awareness, and Corporate Social Responsibility. Atlantis Atlas Project endeavours to be a leader in responsible tourism, ensuring that Atlantis Dubai stands above the rest, whilst providing guest experiences that are more extraordinary than ever. The destination provides immersive experiences and opportunities for guests to learn about the local environment both in and outside of the resort. From inspiring young explorers and families to learn about marine conservation through educational programmes to offering 100+ locally and responsibly sourced dishes across restaurants and cafes around the resort, guests are actively encouraged to participate in Atlantis Atlas Project. Atlantis Dubai is also dedicated to supporting the local community and contributes 1 USD from every marine animal experience to projects which make measured impacts on conservation, education and society. Atlantis Dubai has been awarded EarthCheck Silver Certification for the past four years, recognising its contributions to social and environmental sustainability and accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the internationally-recognised gold standard for animal welfare and care.
About Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai
Located at the centre of the crescent of The Palm in Dubai, Atlantis, The Palm is the first entertainment resort destination in the region. Opened in September 2008, the unique ocean-themed resort features a variety of marine and entertainment attractions, as well as 22 hectares of waterpark amusement at Atlantis Aquaventure, all within a 46-hectare site. It is home to one of the biggest waterparks in the world and one of the largest open-air marine habitats, with more than 65,000 marine animals in lagoons and displays including The Lost Chambers Aquarium, a maze of underwater corridors and passageways providing a journey through ancient Atlantis. Aquaventure Waterpark features 23.5 million litres of fresh water used to power 105 thrilling waterslides and attractions, including several world record-breaking slides, and two river rides featuring tidal waves and pools, water rapids and white-water chargers. Dolphin Bay, the unparalleled dolphin conservation and education habitat, and Sea Lion Point were created to provide guests with a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn more about some of nature’s most friendly mammals. The resort boasts an impressive collection of luxury boutiques and shops as well as extensive meeting and convention facilities. Atlantis, The Palm is also known as the culinary destination in the region where guests can take their pick from a collection of 35 world-renowned restaurants including the one Michelin star rated Hakkasan and Ossiano, as well as celebrity chef outposts Bread Street Kitchen & Bar by Gordon Ramsay and Nobu. Atlantis is also home to a buzzing nightlife scene with entertainment destination Wavehouse offering something for everyone, while WHITE Beach is the perfect place to unwind with a drink as the sun slips into the Arabian Sea.
About Atlantis Aquaventure
Following an expansion in March 2021, the Middle East’s number one waterpark is now even bigger, a third bigger in fact, making Atlantis, The Palm’s waterpark one of the largest in the world. With the addition of the brand-new Trident Tower, Splashers Lagoon and Splashers Cove, Aquaventure is now home to over 28 additional rides and attractions, bringing the total number to over 105 slides, rides and attractions across the 22.5-hectare park. With several record-breaking slides and firsts in the region, thrill-seekers can enjoy Odyssey of Terror; the world’s tallest waterslide with a Double TornadoWAVE®, Shockwave; the longest family rafting water coaster in the world, Medusa's Lair; the first dueling PIPElineBLAST® Water Coaster slide in the region and Immortal Falls; the first Cliff jumping in the region. Guests can also enjoy 1km of private beach, motorised and non-motorised watersports and 26 marine experiences including Dolphin Bay, Sea Lion point and the shark lagoon. Atlantis Aquaventure also comprises one of the largest open-air marine habitats in the world, with more than 65,000 marine animals in lagoons and displays including The Lost Chambers Aquarium, a maze of underwater corridors and passageways providing a journey through ancient Atlantis. Voted the number one waterpark in Dubai and the Middle East and the second best in the world by TripAdvisor, it is a leader in aquatic theme parks.