Focus on Marbella: a sustainable Smart City
Marbella is well-known for its beautiful beaches, glitz and glamour, luxury living and first-rate amenities. The “capital of chic” came in second in the European Best Destination awards in 2022 and was recognised as the “most exclusive and prestigious destination in Europe”. Not surprisingly, Marbella is a hugely popular destination choice for tourists and has seen its fair share of mass tourism over the decades.
But in recent years, Marbella city has increasingly shown its commitment to sustainability and respect for the environment and, in line with its 2022 Strategic Plan, continues to implement measures to achieve a greener future, including using renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, introducing low-emission zones, and promoting local organic produce and eco-tourism. Marbella is the first city in Andalucía and third in the world to have been awarded the title of Smart Tourist Destination by the Institute of Spanish Tourism Quality (ICTE). Promoted by SEGITTUR, the State Department of Tourism, as part of their Smart Destinations project, this is an international initiative aimed at implementing a new model of governance and co-responsibility in tourism. The Costa del Sol’s zero-carbon initiative awards certificates to companies in Andalucía that show their commitment to reducing emissions and take part in reforestation schemes.
Other measures implemented in Marbella include upgrading public lighting to LEDs, improved recycling management, more efficient energy use, air pollution controls, creation of a new network of cycle lanes and urban greening. Many of Marbella’s shops and boutiques are doing their part by replacing single-use plastics with reusable bags, selling more eco-friendly products and donating to causes to preserve the environment.
Spain has always been renowned for its gastronomy and initiatives to preserve traditional methods of agriculture are high on the agenda. There is no shortage of shops, restaurants and local farmer’s markets in Marbella which sell freshly sourced, local and seasonal foods.
Marbella actively promotes sustainable forms of getting around, especially through pedal power, and has a total of cycling routes to explore. The city has recently started rolling out its smart bicycle parking spaces, which include lockers for cyclists’ belongings and chargers, and an app to reserve spaces. The comprehensive urban bus network is free of charge for residents. For those with electric cars, there are 19 charging stations in Marbella and 373 in Malaga province.
Sustainable luxury living is also a rising trend in Marbella, with companies responding to client demand for a more eco-conscious lifestyle, architecture, and locally sourced sustainable materials.
Marbella Mountain Resorts – our commitment to sustainability
As a company, Marbella Mountain Resorts is always looking at greener ways of working.
- Our staff are being trained on how to use resources more efficiently and how to reduce their own carbon footprint. The operational teams are trained to turn off the lights and electrical devices that are not being used by customers.
- Our cleaning teams use ecological and biodegradable cleaning products. We group the work shifts so that several workers can use the same transport.
- Our Chefs use zero KM products designing menus according to seasonal products, local gastronomy and local wines.
- We have changed the small jars of amenities for large refillable jars.We ask our clients to keep the towels for the maximum number of days possible.
- We have installed a water-bottle filling station in the office as well as recycling bins, and our office is kitted out with sustainable furnishings and reusable or biodegradable materials.
- We opt for almost a 100% paperless processes and promote a hybrid model of working, with two days on remote.
- We make use of smart technology to lower our energy consumption, such as rooms sensors and thermostats with occupancy sensors and encourage the use energy-saving lighting & solar panels.
- Irrigation of the property’s gardens is reduced during the summer season.We ask our owners to switch all light bulbs on the property to energy efficient bulbs and automate nighttime lighting schedules.We ask our owners to change the use of chlorine for salt in the pools.
- We encourage our employees to apply these principles in their private lives.