LVR Declares a Climate Emergency
LVR Climate Emergency Declaration
Legacy Vacation Resorts provides vacation experiences for families and friends to create unique moments and lasting memories in a manner that respects the environment, employees, and community. Our company boasts eight locations across Florida, New Jersey, Colorado, and Nevada, delivering a variety of options for travelers of all ages. With a core passion for sustainability and using the power of our business as a force for good, we strive to use our standing as a Certified B Corporation® to inspire and educate the hospitality industry on how to attain sustainable economic development.
With the ever-growing threat from climate change, our business and industry are at risk and so are our employees, customers, community, and nature.
Our Employees depend on us for financial stability, dignity, & support. If we lack resilience, they suffer.
Our Guests place trust in us to fulfill their expectations. They want to enjoy their time with us, without worrying how the next hurricane, wildfire, heatwave, or flood will affect their vacation.
Our Community is dependent on the financial benefits and cultural connections made through tourism.
Nature lacks a voice to protect itself, yet humanity’s survival and happiness are dependent upon it.
We are hearing from our travelers that they want sustainable and responsible travel options and they expect businesses to lead by example and by activism. This is echoed in global surveys and studies.
Our company didn’t always place such a high level of importance on the environment, but over the past few years, the scientific facts and our actual experiences have shown us that if we do not act, the consequences will be severe.
Our efforts started small:
• Electric vehicle charging at all resorts to minimize vacation footprints
• Nationwide recycling programs
• Buying from Certified B Corps and local companies to minimize carbon emissions
• Energy-efficient upgrades such as LED lighting, programmable thermostats, etc.
• Co-founded Florida for Good to promote responsible business with free resources to solve for climate change, restore a healthier environment, reduce inequality, alleviate poverty, build stronger communities, and create high quality jobs with dignity and purpose.
In 2019 we intensified efforts:
• B Corp Certified in March of 2019, adding a legal commitment to transparency and positive impact
• Joined 1% For the Planet by committing 1% of gross rental revenue to environmental charities
• Became an official partner of Conscious Capitalism International
• Offset 100% of the carbon footprint from each guest’s stay booked directly through the resort
• Eliminated of the vast majority of single-use plastics
• Obtained 100% renewable electricity in our Brigantine Beach Resort
• Joined the B Corp Climate Collective
When 2019 finished, we were celebrating our achievement of becoming the first US multi-state resort hospitality Certified B Corp amidst a travel and tourism industry that was the strongest it had ever been. We were excited to use the credibility from our B Corp Certification to grow the sustainable and regenerative travel industry, by providing a positive impact to our community, employees, customers, and environment every time someone traveled with us.
Like the rest of the world, we did not foresee the cascading crises of the COVID pandemic that would bring travel to a halt. Our industry suffered its worst performance in recorded history. Some of our fellow hospitality companies did not survive the year. Others did but only after abandoning values and commitments to their employees, suppliers, community and environment. We were also concerned that we would need to resort to cost-cutting measures that would make our company unrecognizable. But unlike traditional travel companies, we were one of almost 4,000 Certified B Corps that obligated themselves to consider all of their stakeholders when making decisions. It was decided that we would maintain our commitments and some we would even accelerate.
Last year in 2020 we:
• Committed to being Net-Zero by 2030 – We joined 800+ B Corps committing to be carbon neutral 20 years ahead of the Paris Agreement and then went one step further and accomplished it in 2020. We won’t be fully satisfied until we can accomplish this solely with renewable energy
• Set Science-Based Targets and committed to reduce scope 1 and scope 2 GHG emissions 50% by 2030 – in alignment with Business Ambition for 1.5°C
• Eliminated single-use plastics
- Installed shampoo & soap dispensers in all units
- Provided guests with reusable water bottles at all resorts
- Started replacing plastic room keys with sustainable key cards
• Began publicly reporting our progress
• Added an opt-in Environmental Fee for travelers
• Implemented a plan to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2030
• Provided guest and employee education on our efforts & how they can participate
• Officially declared a climate emergency by joining the Tourism Declares Network, a global community of 200+ travel organizations, companies, and professionals who have declared a climate emergency and come together to plan a better future for tourism.
You may wonder, why are we making this declaration and implementing such change across our resorts? Well, travel is magical! It breaks down cultural differences, connects us to life, cultivates connections with family and friends, and creates unique experiences and memories. This is something that we must preserve, but we still have more work to do.
We are committed to transforming our company and influencing our industry into one that is transparent, accountable, and uses travel as a force for good. Thank you for trusting us to do this and for holding us and companies like us accountable for our promises. It is the only way we will achieve a shared and durable prosperity for all.