Integrated resort Marina Bay Sands (MBS) and the World Wide Fund for Nature in Singapore (WWF) yesterday announced a partnership that will raise the benchmark for sustainable sourcing in Asia’s hospitality industry.
Measurable and achievable goals have been developed through the partnership to improve responsible procurement and transform its supply chain within the integrated resort.
A first of such collaboration for WWF-Singapore, four aquaculture farms in Malaysia will be supported under the programme.
These farms will also improve their aquaculture practices, which will support marine environments and provide secure livelihoods for communities across Langkawi, Penang, Perak and Selangor. At least three out of four farms will be ready to enter full assessment for ASC certification by 2020.
By that same year, MBS aims to have half of its total seafood volume obtained from sources that meet international standards of sustainable fishing and farming.
According to the State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture and WWF report (2016) on sustainable seafood in Singapore, three out of four common seafood species are unsustainable.
Asia consumes two-thirds of the global fish catch, with Singapore’s per capita seafood consumption of 22 kilograms exceeding the global average of 20 kilograms. Overfishing to meet such demands is now the single biggest threat to oceans.
“The world is facing a situation where we are overconsuming, therefore leading to overfishing. At the same time, the scale of commercial farming has grown exponentially. Marina Bay Sands procures seafood in the millions of kilograms each year. Given its sheer volume, the move to sustainability has the potential to benefit marine ecosystems and local communities in this region. Its investment in current and future supply chains through sustainable aquaculture raises the bar for how other large-scale businesses should be sourcing,” said Elaine Tan, Chief Executive Officer, WWF-Singapore.
Already, those looking to have red garoupa or blue fin tuna – both of which are on the World Wide Fund for Nature's (WWF) avoid list – will no longer find them on the menus at the nine restaurants run by MBS, as well as its hotel menu and catering at events held in MBS.
MBS currently procures 100 percent of its salmon, tilapia, prawns, mussels, lobsters and oysters from sustainable sources, and will continue working with WWF to update its menus and review demand for resource-intensive seafood products to further improve responsible sourcing.
The WWF collaboration adds another layer to Marina Bay Sands’ global sustainability strategy – Sands ECO360°, which drives the stewardship of responsible business in the areas of green buildings, environmentally responsible operations, green meetings and sustainability education and outreach.
“Increasingly, delegates at events and members of corporations, along with their board of directors and stakeholders have a strong focus and great accountability on the environment. By making these choices easily available, it will enable them to make good choices. The better we get at providing green meetings to our guests, the more it will benefit the supply chain,” said Ian Wilson, Senior Vice President, Hotel Operations, Marina Bay Sands.
MBS is progressively increasing the responsible sourcing of its seafood by volume from Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certified sources (well-managed, traceable and transparent sources not considered to be overexploited). By 2018, the IR aims to have 70 per cent of its Top 10 priority seafood species procured from MSC- and ASC-certified sources: a target that it hopes to increase to 100 percent by 2020. In the same year, it aims to have 50 per cent of all seafood by volume sourced responsibly, amounting to an estimated 2 million kilograms of responsible seafood.
Building on its status as an ISO 20121 certified venue, MBS is working with WWF to further strengthen its existing Sands ECO360⁰ MICE programme over the next year.
An updated version of its “It’s Easy Meeting Green” package – where Marina Bay Sands will donate SGD1 per delegate to support the aquaculture farms in Malaysia.
In 2018, Marina Bay Sands will also launch a new Responsible Harvest Menu serving sustainable seafood options, made in collaboration with WWF. By 2020, the IR aims to host at least 300 green events that adopt sustainable packages and offerings supported by WWF.
To further engage and educate its guests and clients on sustainability, Marina Bay Sands is collaborating with WWF to design and execute tactical initiatives and campaigns around responsible seafood and environmental conservation.
Marina Bay Sands’ commitment to responsible seafood first began in 2014 when it removed and stopped serving shark fin at all restaurants owned and operated by the IR, as well as at business events hosted at Sands Expo and Convention Centre.
Marina Bay Sands is also a member of the Responsible Seafood Group by WWF, an industry initiative to increase the adoption of sustainable seafood in Singapore. With 85 percent of global fishing grounds fished up to or above their limits, WWF ensures resilient oceans and protects seafood stocks through sustainable seafood consumption and setting industry standards for sourcing practices.
Hotels in Singapore and Sydney make it to the top 10 spots in an annual list compiled by cloud-based enterprise event management company, Cvent.(read more)
Venues with sustainability credentials and practices already in place not only ease the reporting process of an event’s impact and save costs, it can also enhance a brand’s reputation and commitment to sustainability efforts.(read more)
Singapore - The ninth and biggest ITB Asia trade show yet kicked off at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands, on October 19, 2016, with record high pre-matched appointments, new partnerships and a comprehensive content lineup.(read more)
Singapore – Nu Skin Japan brought 250 of its regional sales leaders for a well-deserved travel incentive to Singapore(read more)
Singapore – A new Helsinki-based “hotel without bedrooms” event venue concept has made its way into Singapore. Here’s a sneak peek inside Huone Events Hotel before its February 23 opening and why it is bound to disrupt the local meetings industry.(read more)
You might be doing it wrongly if you have been offering product details that fail to go beyond venue spaces and capabilities. (read more)
Direct from IMEX America 2016 in Las Vegas –Timo Kiuru, CEO of The Unthinkable, started the knowledge session with a statement, “Welcome to the death of event experiential marketing.” Kiuru, recognised by Connect Corporate Magazine as...(read more)
Singapore – Set to open in the second quarter of 2017, the 222-room Sofitel Singapore City Centre has announced the appointment of Freddy See as Director of Sales & Marketing. (read more)
Singapore – HotelAsia, one of Food&HotelAsia’s pioneer specialised trade shows will feature an impressive host of brands, showcase new equipment and technology and unveil a Singapore Pavilion for the first time. (read more)
Singapore – October is set to be the busiest business events month as Marina Bay Sands welcomes the highest number of major events in a single month since its opening in 2010.(read more)
Isn’t it time to realise that the world will end if this industry does not support the media that works for them!(read more)
Join our mailing list
Share your thoughts