Rotana Corporate Sustainability Report 2017

Rotana Corporate Sustainability Report 2017 80 A seafood survey is sent to all hotels to identify and gradually substitute/ remove 8 critically endangered seafood species from our FandB offerings (in 2016 around 5.5 tonnes were purchased). Shark fin is not used in any FandB recipe group-wide. 637 on-site audits of FandB suppliers have been conducted in UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, KSA, Leba- non and Oman for compliance with quality and safety standards. 31 suppliers were rejected and removed from our approved suppliers list for non-compliance with our requirements. Local Supply 42% of products governed by corporate agreements or corporate price understanding are manufactured or packaged locally in the UAE (i.e. bottled water, mattresses and linens, dairy products…) The remainder of the 58% of suppliers provide us with varieties of food and beverage items form from Europe, Australia and the Middle East. USD 520 million was paid in 2016 and 2017 to our suppliers and contactors in the countries where we operate, contributing to boost their countries’ local economy. This includes the significant locations in which we operate such as the GCC region. Given the nature of our business and our desire to maintain high standards, a significant portion of our impact lies in the products that we purchase. Where possible, we aim to procure from local and sustainable sources so that we are empowering local communities, preserving ecological diversity within the natural environment, and reducing our indirect carbon and water footprints. To achieve these aims, we developed and issued a Code of Responsible Procurement detailing Rotana’s expectations regarding the minimum responsible and sustainable business conduct of supply chain partners. This helps to mitigate supply chain risks within our sphere of influence. The code is integrated within our purchasing policy and elements of this code are included as part of our purchasing Request for Proposals (RFPs) and in procurement contracts in all operations across the hotels. Rotana also acts to support the wellbeing of supplier communities through ethically sourced products. We have signed a corporate agreement with Lavazza coffee, Rainforest Alliance Certified™; grown and harvested on farms, forests, and businesses that meet rigorous environmental and social standards. While it was an initial challenge to procure Fairtrade certified tea due to a general lack of certified products in the market, we hope to launch these lines of teas in 2018. We have introduced the Dilmah Tea sourced from certified sustainable sources. We refer to certified as those receiving certification from recognised standards such as Rainforest Alliance certified and other certifications accepted by local counterparts. Several general items used in large quantities in our hotels were replaced with eco-friendly items, made of recycled materials and biodegradable plastic (Centro brand packaging, Rotana bags, laundry plastic covers, and Rotana gift paper wrapping). Responsible Supply Chain The Lavazza coffee we use is Rainforest Alliance Certified™; grown and harvested on farms, forests, and businesses that meet rigorous environmental and social standards. Dilmah Tea we purchase is sourced from certified sustainable sources. 100% of A4 papers used in our UAE hotels are totally made from recycled materials (81% of group A4 consumption). Certified sustainable papers will be gradually used in all hotels outside the UAE. Ecolab cleaning products used in our operations are manufactured sustainably and many products are eco labelled and biodegradable. 95% of rooms mini bar items packaging can be recycled (glass jars, cans, plastic...).