Our Sustainability Statement
Our Mission
We continuously strive for excellence, through being a responsible and ethical independent market leader with a trusted reputation, whilst supporting our local community and circular economy.
We are B Corp Certified
Achieving B Corp certification is a validation and public recognition of our unwavering commitment to sustainable and responsible business practices. This prestigious certification reflects our dedication to meeting high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. From our perspective, being B Corp certified means that Cornish Gems has undergone a comprehensive evaluation of our impact on employees, customers, the community, and the environment, and we have been found to meet the stringent criteria set by the B Corp certification process.
Our Ethos
As an independently owned local company Cornish Gems recognises the importance of meaningful environmental responsibility and we are committed as a business to operate as sustainably and responsibly as we can. We are also working with stakeholders across the county to create a Better Business Community Initiative which will support a more regenerative tourism industry in Cornwall.
Additionally, we are Real Living Wage accredited and are supporting an endeavour to make this a reality for employees Cornwall-wide.
Our Impact
At Cornish Gems we are mindful that the tourism industry within which we operate has an impact on our planet. Our policies and efforts to reduce our impact helped us achieve B-Corp status in January 2024.
We are undergoing multiple data collection projects across all aspects of the business to better understand our impact and how we can improve it. In line with the integrity that we are known for we intend to be fully transparent throughout our journey to net zero.
We pledge to continually review our business and operations and work towards reducing our impact on Cornwall and the planet in every way that we can.
Our Community
As a passionately local and independent company, Cornish Gems is embedded within the communities of Cornwall.
As such we endeavour to support charities and Trusts that provide vital services to the people and landscapes of our community.
We strive to provide quality, secure jobs for our Cornish Gems team with progression pathways.
We contribute to Cornwall’s circular economy by championing local producers, makers and businesses.
We are a part of Cornwall’s vibrant and unique community and we appreciate and value that.
Our 2024 commitments
Proudly independent, we curate memorable holiday experiences in Cornwall, with the wellbeing of our communities and planet at our hearts.
We commit to continue paying all employees the Real Living Wage and working towards a Real Living Wage Cornwall.
We commit to employing 90% of our staff from the local area.
We commit to the local community by supporting Truro Food Bank and the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Charity this year.
We commit to eliminating single-use plastic in our office.
We commit to our Net Zero plan with a 4.2 % reduction in annual emissions.
We commit to diversifying our portfolio across Cornwall to reduce the negative impacts on ‘hotspots’ of over tourism and implementing a cap of 55 properties in the St Ives / Carbis Bay area and 28 in the Padstow area.
We commit to not adding any residential properties with a market value of less than £400,000 to our portfolio- mindful of the impact on affordable housing for the local community.
We commit to expanding our Eco-Conscious collection by 25%.
We commit to improve diversity and inclusivity within our supply chain, community, customer base and marketing.
We commit to working to improve our B Corp score of 97, sharing information and support with other organisations and working towards being a regenerative tourist business.
Better Business Act:
Cornish Gems supports the Better Business Act calling for legislation to put people and planet accountability for businesses on an equal footing with profit.
Tree Planting:
Through our various tree planting initiatives with a non-profit organisation, Tree Nation, including staff rewards, owner gifts and as a welcome gift option for our guests we have now planted more than 1300 trees in 26 countries around the world. We can equate this to neutralising approximately 6800 car journeys from across the UK into Cornwall. Our goal was to plant 750 trees by the end of 2022 so we are thrilled to exceed this!
Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism:
We are proud to be signatories of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism. Having operated in
Cornwall for 16 years, we have evolved from being a business that focuses on luxury accommodation to one
that is purpose driven. This means that we are embedded in the community and focused on a triple bottom line
approach to business and that we are intent on protecting Cornwall and our planet, whilst continuing to provide
award-winning holidays to our guests and exemplary management services to our owners.
The Glasgow Declaration
Single-Use Plastic:
We have campaigned for an end to cheap polystyrene bodyboards in Cornwall, removed plastic toiletry bottles from our properties and produced a Coastal Activity Book for our kids packs that raises awareness about single use plastics and coastal responsibility. We only re-use received packaging for our Gems Shop and don’t purchase any.
Reducing Waste:
We have been working towards reducing the amount of holiday generated waste that is destined for landfill. To that end, we now have nearly 40% of our properties working with a local contractor, CTC that sends zero waste to landfill.
Carbon Footprint:
We have measured our corporate carbon footprint including Scopes 1, 2 and operational 3. The total Scope 2+
footprint is 77.12 tCO2e with the largest contributor being business travel i.e. our fleet of vans. Our scope 2+
intensity is 0.019 (kgCO2e/£). We intend to use this knowledge to strategise and implement policies to reduce the
carbon footprint as well as minimising and mitigating our emissions, water use and waste with a reduction target
of 5%.
Carbon Reduction Report
Digital Carbon Footprint:
We are collecting data and rolling out strategies with the aim of reducing our digital carbon footprint. These
include email and data storage policies as well as reducing the size of our emails by minimising the signature
images.
We are assessing the impact of our website and working towards a reduction of carbon emissions.
Our Properties:
We are proud to launch our ‘Eco-Conscious Collection’ showcasing our properties endeavouring to reduce their carbon footprint, reduce waste and be as sustainable as possible. Please ask for a detailed breakdown of the sustainable qualities and facilities that any of our Eco-Conscious Gems possess.
Responsible Guest Tips:
We ask our guests to be environmentally mindful during their holiday. Please consider: walking or using public transport, saying no to single-use plastics, remembering to turn off lights, appliances and taps when not in use, buy local produce and products and finally please #leaveonlyyourfootprints
Our Welcome Gift:
We have addressed food waste issues associated with Welcome Gifts by offering guests choices. We are working with Cornish Food Box to enable guests to choose the items in their welcome gift. This reduces waste associated with unwanted products in Welcome Gifts and crucially supports local businesses, suppliers, producers and Cornish jobs. Guests can select to plant trees or support Cornwall Heritage Trust as their welcome gift.
Charitable Support:
Since starting in 2018 Cornish Gems' Charity of the Year initiative has raised over £17,500 for worthy causes
including the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, Cornwall Air Ambulance, the RNLI and Surfers Against Sewage. We
were thrilled to raise a total of £5345 in 2022 for Young Minds: their mission is to make sure that all young
people get the best possible mental health support.
This year we are supporting and raising awareness and money for the Love Where You Are initiative offering
financial support to climate and nature friendly projects across Cornwall.
Circular & Local Economy:
Our welcome gifts, bookable extra treats and Gems Shop promote locally, sustainably produced products. We promote products such as the Circular & Co cup created from used coffee cups and fully recyclable at the end of its life As well as reducing food miles and emissions, the policy of buying locally in Cornwall is an investment in the community. This assists in job creation and giving small businesses the support to flourish. In fact, 53% of our significant supplier procurement expenditure occurs within Cornwall, including 25% to Cornish Food Box which directly supports local growers and producers.
Equality & Diversity:
Cornish Gems is a company committed to positive change. Together we continue to build an inclusive culture for our team, our suppliers, our owners and our guests. We encourage and celebrate diverse voices and believe our entrepreneurial spirit is fueled by this.
Accessibility:
We provide accessibility information on each property page, if you need further details please contact our
Travel Advisors.
Access Cornwall
Reducing Vehicle Emissions:
We operate a cycle to work scheme assisting employees
with a bike purchase. We organise travel routes to
eliminate unnecessary journeys and prioritise train travel
for business travel.
Working with our owners we are proud to announce we
now have electric car chargers at more than 10% of our
properties.
Let's work together
If, like us, sustainability is a driving force for your organisation, we’d love to connect. Get in touch with us below and let’s go for a coffee.
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