A first for Rotorua

Rainbow Springs Nature Park and Kiwi Encounter has achieved the prestigious Green Globe Benchmarked status under the global Green Globe Benchmarking programme and becomes the first visitor attraction in Rotorua to do so. The Green Globe programme recognises the operation has taken the first step to improve their business or community’s environmental, social and economic performance.

In achieving Bronze Benchmarked status, Rainbow Springs has committed to benchmarking its energy and water consumption, total waste production, community commitment, paper, cleaning products and pesticide usage; along with implementing an integrated environmental and social policy.

In particular it has achieved Best Practice results in energy consumption, waste recycling and vehicle management. These measures will ensure efficient practices, significant cost savings and secure a sustainable future for Rainbow Springs Nature Park.

“Sustainability is very important to the wider Rainbow Springs team, there is an active sustainable business committee who meet regularly, set goals and achieve results, and then report back to the wider team and management. Staff have also attended Sustainable Living courses in their own time and brought back ideas and initiatives to implement into the Rainbow Springs programme,” says General Manager Stewart Brown.

Green Globe is a worldwide benchmarking, certification and improvement system assisting the international travel and tourism industry to attain sustainability. Green Globe provides a certification system that responds directly to the major environmental problems facing the planet, including the greenhouse effect, over-use of freshwater resources and the destruction of biodiversity.

Rick Brown, Business Development Manager of Green Globe New Zealand and the Pacific Islands says, “I am delighted that Rainbow Springs has achieved Bronze Benchmarked status. They are a prime example of being committed to environmentally sustainable tourism. They have demonstrated (through a variety of initiatives) that businesses and employees can make a difference by reducing their environmental impact. The commitment Rainbow Springs have shown by participating in the Green Globe programme set an example for other businesses to follow.”

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