Choni Fernandez Veciana is the director of central services and sustainability at PortAventura, the first carbon neutral theme park in the world. PortAventura is a resort in Spain, very close to Barcelona, comprising six hotels, one convention centre, and three parks. It also has ancillary services such as three golf courses and a beach club.
Speaking at greenloop 2022, Fernandez Veciana spoke about PortAventura’s industry-leading sustainability strategy, outlining the next steps in decarbonisation for one of the most sustainable theme parks & resorts in the world, and explaining how and why PortAventura is adopting Science Based Targets.
“We are located in an area with water scarcity,” she explains. “The history of PortAventura is linked to the history of sustainability. Since the beginning, we had to design our park with environmental criteria in mind.”
Sustainability at PortAventura World
PortAventura World became the first carbon neutral theme park in 2020. It launched its strategy to minimise its environmental footprint with the opening of Colorado Creek, its first zero-emissions hotel. Further initiatives included solar energy, plastic elimination, and electric vehicles.
In November 2020, the company announced that 100 per cent of the electricity consumed in the PortAventura World resort the previous year had come from renewable energy sources, without CO2 emissions.
“We have really focused on natural resources in our resort, and in the development of all the new sites in our Masterplan – hotels, the convention centre and so on,” says Fernandez Veciana.
“We started thinking about a sustainable future at the beginning. Since 2008, PortAventura has adhered to the United Nations Global Compact, an ethical commitment to integrate into their operations and strategy its 10 Principles on Human Rights, Labour, Environment and Anti-Corruption, adding an ethical social dimension to our environmental undertaking.”
A history of sustainability at PortAventura
PortAventura is one of the largest employers in the province of Tarragona. It has developed a strong network of relationships with local social organisations through the PortAventura Foundation.
“The PortAventura Foundation was set up in 2010 with the aim of consolidating the social action that PortAventura had been involved in since its early days, which has been very important in its impact on our community,” says Fernandez Veciana. “Additionally, we have developed many more initiatives linked to governance, such as the portal screening for suppliers, and so on.”
In essence, she says:
“For the first ten years, we were focused on the environmental part. From 2008 onwards, we concentrated on the social side, and for the last period, we have worked intensively in governance. We have a clear strategic focus and are aligned with sustainable development goals. But from this point, the key axis for the company is around climate change and water.”
Offsetting and social initiatives
The company has been calculating its footprint since 2008:
“In 2019, we went one step further,” she adds. “We have been offsetting scope one and two emissions with a conservation project in Guatemala that is also very aligned with our biodiversity axis. The economic equivalent of the resort’s carbon footprint goes towards the protection and conservation of one of the most important migration corridors on the planet.”
A 54,000-hectare forest area on the coast of Guatemala, the project is based in a natural habitat for 10% of known bird species in the world.
“On top of that, we always try to complement our environmental initiatives with social ones. In this case, we are helping girls and women to access healthcare and education.”
In addition, PortAventura Dreams offers the chance for severely ill children and their families to enjoy the holiday of a lifetime at the resort.
PortAventura World Resort is operationally carbon neutral by design, constantly reducing and offsetting Scope 1 (direct greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions that occur from sources controlled or owned by an organization) and Scope 2 (indirect GHG emissions associated with the purchase of electricity, steam, heat, or cooling) GHG emissions.
Building on this, it is continuing to reduce emissions (now including Scope 3) based on the Science Based Targets initiative. It will offset any remaining emissions through the acquisition of carbon verified credits that are then used in the Guatemalan Coast’s Conservation Project, to which the resort has pledged a commitment.
Reducing emissions
Fernandez Veciana explains the process from inception forward:
“Coming back to this history of our footprint emissions, initially, we focused on the operational emissions, Scope 1 and 2.”
According to the Carbon Trust, Scope 1 covers direct emissions from owned or controlled sources. scope 2 covers indirect emissions from the generation of purchased electricity, steam, heating and cooling consumed by the reporting company. Meanwhile, Scope 3 includes all other indirect emissions that occur in a company’s value chain.
“These emissions make 90% of the total. In terms of Scope 3, we only had figures from very few emission sources, for instance, waste management. We lacked a complete overview. Through the years, we have been able to reduce emissions from Scope 1 and 2 by 76%. Here, quick wins are possible, because Scope 2 is really linked to the source of your electricity.
“In a country where you are able to utilise renewable energy, Scope 1 and 2 can be reduced quite easily, where you focus on targeting direct Scope 1 emissions, which is what we did. At the same time, we were incorporating an increasing number of resources to calculate the complete footprint.”
Signposting sustainability at PortAventura World
This enabled a clearer picture and signposted the way forward. She says:
“Focused on a new scenario with a new strategy, we developed a new materiality matrix, together with a consultant company. Energy transition and climate change become a key focus, and [we need] a robust approach regarding managing emissions over the long haul.
“It may not be easy, but it is possible for companies to fix these targets, limiting the global warming to well below two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, or even to limit the warming of our planet to 1.5, in alignment with the Paris Agreement.”
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is a collaboration between the not-for-profit CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). It supports organisations in setting science-based emissions reduction targets in line with containing global warming to no more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. It’s a question of setting goals rooted in science-based targets to mitigate the worst effects of climate change.
“We are preparing a process where, first, you need to commit. You need to work on the reduction targets of your emissions. You need to submit your targets to SBTi, and outline how you are going to meet them. They then need to approve your process for this reduction, and at that point you can announce your target, reporting on how your strategy is going over the following years.”
Submitting SBTi targets
PortAventura World is currently preparing its submission.
“Each company needs to review the period in which these goals should be achieved and to take a base year. In our case, because of the pandemic, 2020 and 2021 are not useful for this purpose. They look really good in terms of emissions, especially, but this is because we were closed for much of the time.”
Accordingly:
“We have taken 2019 as our base year. From here, we have two targets. For Scope 1 and Scope 2, our goal is to be below 1.5 degrees. Our Science Based Targets are aligned with this pathway. That means that we need an average annual reduction of 4.2% in emissions. In the case of scope three, we have to choose a softer way to decrease our emissions, because of the difficulty in moving our supply chain.
“Here, our target is to go below two degrees. That means that we need an average annual reduction of 2.5%.”
Sustainability at PortAventura: Scope 1, 2 and 3
“In Scope 1, the main issues are fossil fuel for our cars and our refrigeration equipment’s fluorinated gases. This requires an intensive investment plan to change the machinery and equipment.”
In scope three, there are two main emission sources:
“The first is our supply chain. We manage around 1000 suppliers, with the consequent emissions produced. Second, there are our clients. PortAventura has more than 5 million visitors per season, from the 2019 figures. The means by which they arrive is the source of this quantity of emissions.”
There are, she contends three matters, then, to address:
“In terms of upstream missions concerning the whole supply chain, some things will improve without our intervention. If you have suppliers such as Coke, for example, in Spain they have announced they will be carbon neutral by 2040. This means they are going to commit to an emissions reduction that is good for the whole supply chain calculation.”
However, she adds:
“We don’t, unfortunately, have too many Coca-Colas in our supply chain. So, we need to change our supply chain, and consider how we can best re-engineer it. Some companies that are leaders in sustainable supply chains evaluate suppliers using a scoring system.”
Choni Fernandez VecianaWe are going to rank our vendors, and reward those with a commitment to emissions reduction
“At PortAventura, to achieve the decrease we plan, we need to look at the sustainability and emissions reduction strategy of our vendors. We are going to rank our vendors, and reward those with a commitment to emissions reduction.”
Rewarding a commitment to the environment
There are numerous ways to reward companies for their commitment to the environment:
“We can provide public recognition, or enlarge our contracts with the ones who have the highest score. I think it’s time to change our mentality as operators. We need to stop thinking only in terms of cost, but to think in terms of environmental costs, too.
Choni Fernandez VecianaIt’s time to change our mentality as operators. We need to stop thinking only in terms of cost, but to think in terms of environmental costs, too
“Unilever is planning to introduce an initiative that allows you to assess how many litres of C02 you are wearing. When you buy a garment, you will know not only the cost but how much you are damaging – or not damaging – the environment, according to the product’s emissions in terms of production and transportation. I think that mentality is something that, step by step, we need to implement in our business. It’s time for us to move on this, so we can reduce Scope 3 emissions.”
Electric car charging points
Addressing the issue of emissions emanating from the clients’ transport, she says;
“The more electric cars our country has, the greater decline in our emissions. This means ensuring there are facilities for charging electric cars.
“In addition, to move a step closer to achieving our goals, we have reached an agreement with RENFE, the Spanish National Railway Network (Red Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Españoles), in order to prepare a package so our clients can come to PortAventura by train, which is something that has a clear focus on sustainability.”
“Obviously, depending on where your resort is located, the possibilities will vary. But promoting public transport as a way that makes it an advantageous way for clients to arrive and leave should lead to a significant decrease in emissions. Here, aeroplane companies are playing an important role. They are becoming increasingly sustainable using a new fuel based on recycled material.”
Sustainability in transport for PortAventura
To encourage people to use the train or public transport, PortAventura has created a promotional package. This covers both transportation and the ticket at a reduced price.
“We are also trying to attract visitors from the Barcelona area, which is a big potential market,” Fernandez Veciana says:
“Our business director general manager is now developing a partnership with companies who use aeroplanes where the reduction of emissions is the main consideration. We also have free recharging points for those who come with electric cars.”
Negotiating a partnership similar to the one with RENFE with different companies will have a major impact on emissions.
She comments:
“We need to have a commitment to equity, not only because companies who are already there are boasting profitability. Investor confidence drives innovation, reducing the regulatory uncertainty that threatens brand reputation.”
Renewable electricity
In 2019, 100% of the electricity consumed in the PortAventura World resort came from renewable energy sources.
“We are now answering the question of why,” she says. “We can talk with different stakeholders and say, ‘That is our clear path. That is where we want to arrive.’
“We need to give a clear message to all stakeholders, not only employees, not only investors, but also the community, and our clients: This is what we are doing. These are the initiatives with which we are aligned. This is the reason. We are aligned with the planet’s problems.”
Choni Fernandez VecianaWe need to give a clear message to all stakeholders, not only employees, not only investors, but also the community, and our clients: This is what we are doing. These are the initiatives with which we are aligned. This is the reason. We are aligned with the planet’s problems
Fernandez Veciana adds:
“We also now have a clear picture of exactly how much we need to reduce. It is also very important that we reduce in relative terms. As the business grows, it is important to ensure that emissions do not.
“The essential difference, I would say, between the perspective we had in 2019 and our current one is that the target is now our focus. We know the steps we need to take over the next ten years.”
Rising to the challenge
Aligning itself with Science Based Targets and tackling Scope 3 emissions is an ambitious step. This reaches beyond elements that can be directly influenced and addresses the behaviours of suppliers and guests.
“That is the key,” Fernandez Veciana points out:
“Scope 1 and 2 have never been a problem. The challenge lies in the fact that our business is very intensive in suppliers, because we are, effectively, a city. We buy many things from many sources, in many product categories. We are also very intensive in the number of clients we receive; big results, obviously, move many people. So that is the challenge, from our point of view.
PortAventura’s sustainability journey continues
In terms of the next leg of its sustainability journey, PortAventura World is now in the last phase of the administrative process to get the necessary licence to start building one of the largest photovoltaic (solar) plants in Europe. This will likely be operational by the end of this year. This will supply electricity to the whole resort, preventing the emission of 4,000 tons of CO2 per year into the atmosphere. That is the equivalent of the CO2 absorbed by 930,000 trees.
“It has taken us nearly ten years of step-by-step moving forward,” says Fernandez Veciana. “What is most important is that we are reducing our impact year by year. It’s about nurturing this mentality of continuously improving our footprint, and our environmental behaviour. Society, too, is moving forward.
“When we first started asking our suppliers about their emissions in 2010, some of them had no idea what we were talking about. We have an opportunity to teach about being part of the movement through our supply chains.”
