THE Sustainable Brands Kuala Lumpur Conference 2022 (SB’22KL) continues today with keynote speeches and lectures from industry experts worldwide. The conference theme is 'Build Back Better: Learning from Our Past in Designing a More Sustainable Future,' suggesting that the conversations taking place during the conference will be centred on living in a more symbiotic relationship with the environment.
A highlight of yesterday’s conference was a lecture by Dr Jemilah Mahmood, in which she stressed the need for major players to take responsibility and called for urgent collective action. Today’s conference featured sessions on subjects such as indigenous cultures, systemic design thinking, and ways to make sustainability a core feature of business models.
One such example is the Batu-Batu Resort, located in Pulau Tengah; an off-grid island in Mersing District, Johor. Cher Chua-Lassalvy, the managing director and co-owner spoke about the mission and objectives of the resort, as well as their responsibility in shouldering environmental conservation as the root of their business.
“We hear so much about the damage of tourism. Many of us think of tourism [as something] that needs managing [and] that is disruptive. Our vision is to be a leader in regenerative tourism, providing restorative thought-provoking retreats, and showcasing authentic Malaysian hospitality, whilst creating positive impacts on local biodiversity and communities.”
“It's a lofty, lofty vision, but I guess that's what visions are supposed to be.”
She went on to admit that sustainability and a regenerative model was not a dream she could achieve in the beginning. “Back then our goals were to finish the building within budget to open and run a profitable business and basically be able to pay back some of the loans we had taken.” She adds, “we were so close to nature that we started thinking in a different way. And so we started doing things, we put things in place like sewage treatment facilities.”
Throughout her speech, she reiterated that this could only work due to the small steps they had taken along the way, and the success of their efforts are paying off 10 years later since they first opened their doors. “It's taken us a lot of time, but because we've had this impetus of seeing what happens when we don't do things. We've made an effort, but it's been very little steps over 10 years.”
“[The effects are] very immediate for us on an island. For people living in an urban environment, it’s actually happening too, but maybe you can't see it so clearly. But being on an island, I think is like being on a microcosm of the planet.”
To support the delicate ecosystem surrounding the resort, Ms Chua-Lassalvy founded the Tengah Island Conservation. Together with a team of onsite marine biologists and environmental scientists, they run conservation programmes to empower the community around the area and protect the rich biodiversity of the island.
To learn more about Tengah Island resort, visit: https://www.batubatu.com.my – The Vibes, June 22, 2022
