Rafayel’s Corporate Philosophy: Living at Peace With Nature

Converting slogans into reality.

The principle of sustainable development is frequently discussed in corporate boardrooms but, whilst expressions of commitment to “sustainability” are liberally scattered in myriad reports and websites, the practical application of this concept is rarely realised. As our environmental clock ticks ever louder, corporations, governments and all members of society, will have to convert trendy slogans and fashionable catch-phrases into reality.

Successful sustainability is necessarily reliant upon the adoption of green technologies. At Hotel Rafayel we believe that actions speak louder than words and, as part of our commitment to the practical application of sustainability concepts (“turning slogans into reality”), we have implemented cutting-edge green technology to dramatically reduce the carbon footprint of our guests.

The world is in the midst of an energy revolution of seismic proportions, on a scale arguably not seen since the Industrial Revolution. As traditional energy-inefficient processes are confined to the technological scrap heap, we at Hotel Rafayel are proud to be at the vanguard of change. Our decision to ban incandescent and florescent light bulbs, becoming the world’s first LED-only hotel, is just one of the ways in which we are trying to lead by example and set a new standard for hoteliers.

The transition to a green future will not be painless but if the world is to move toward a low-carbon future, it is essential and inevitable that green technologies provide new opportunities for economic growth and success. The adoption of these technologies will provide humanity with its best (perhaps only) hope of successfully combating climate change and other environmental calamities.

The rapid industrialisation and development of countries such as India and China makes the necessity of speedy change all the more compelling. Green technologies will not only enable these demographically young populations to enjoy a higher standard of living and protect their natural resources, but will also provide them with jobs, as renewable energy holds much larger employment potential than conventional power generation. For example, it is estimated that a coal-based power plant provides employment to seven persons per megawatt of capacity, while a solar plant would provide 23 jobs per megawatt of installed capacity. Overall, therefore, the demographic pressure that is likely to develop worldwide should push governments and businesses toward embracing the rapid development of green technologies.

We must all play our part in working towards a green future. For more information on this subject we recommend the writings of Rajendra Kumar Pachauri, Director General of The Energy and Resources Institute and chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (the IPCC was joint recipient, with Al Gore, of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize). http://blog.rkpachauri.org/