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Sophia Lykke Blends Her Talents to Keep Club Med’s Happy to Care Program on Track

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Names: Sophia Lykke
Title: Public Relations & CSR Manager
Company: Club Med North America & Caribbean
Years in Current Position: 7 months
Years with Club Med: Almost 7 years
Primary Responsibility: “For me, every week is different, depending on the project. Last week I was in the Dominican Republic looking at possible partnerships. On days working in Miami, I am fortunate to work with all our teams. There is not a typical day, but I am never working alone. I coordinate the collaborations between our teams internally.”
Organization’s most significant accomplishment in global corporate responsibility
: “There are many things we can cite but our company is truly a pioneer. Club Med is one of the first hospitality companies to have its own foundation. We have been committed to ours more than 40 years already.”
Organization’s most significant challenge moving forward in global corporate responsibility: “There is a growing call to reduce carbon emissions.”

Sophia Lykke

MIAMI—Unlike many CSR managers in the lodging industry, Sophia Lykke brings some unique skills to the table—public relations experience that helps her be the storyteller and spokesperson for the Club Med brand, and seven years of on-property operational experience. Today, as Public Relations & CSR Manager, Lykke leads Club Med’s Happy to Care CSR charter.

Says the company in a presentation it put together for Happy to Care: “For more than 60 years, the development of Club Med has been based on values and practices which reflect what we know today as sustainable development: building resorts that blend in harmoniously in exceptional sites, allowing people to rejuvenate through contact with nature, being vigilant with energy and water savings, promoting renewable energy sources, controlling the water treatment and recycling techniques, but also engaging in local solidarity, and giving major importance to the development and fulfilment of its employees, etc.”

“CSR is part of our corporate DNA,” Lykke says.

Responsible for Eight Resorts

As Public Relations & CSR Manager, Lykke is responsible for eight resorts in North America and the Caribbean. In Asia and Europe there are other sustainability leaders.

Since 2007, environmental data have been drawn from the Tech Care reporting tool which covers all Group villages. This tool enables the consolidation of quantitative data (water, energy, waste, GHG emissions, etc.), as well as the collection of qualitative contextual information on equipment, practices, and so forth.

At each of Club Med’s properties, Lykke says teams are always looking for ways to improve. “It could be something as simple as where we are buying our food products from,” she says.

Club Med Punta Cana

At Club Med Punta Cana (Dominican Republic), two large solar fields installed in 2019 provide 23 percent of the resort’s energy. Chillers have also been upgraded at the resort. At Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda (Dominican Republic), solar is planned for this year.

To reduce water waste, Club Med teams are constantly on the hunt for leaks. “They can be a major source of water waste,” Lykke says. All wastewater is treated and, in most cases, recycled. Ninety percent of resorts have water flow reducers and 47 percent have drip irrigation.

Bye Bye to Plastics

In the area of waste reduction Club Med has made substantial progress but it was slowed by the pandemic. In 2019 the company started its “Bye Bye to Plastics” program. Items such as plastic cups and cutlery were included in the first phase. In the second phase the focus was on guestrooms with amenities replaced with non-plastic versions. In the next phase, which Lykke says she is currently working on, plastic bottles will begin to be eliminated. At Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda, the property has its own water bottling station. Club Med’s Quebec property has water filling stations. “Different locations have different solutions,” Lykke says. Two properties—Club Med Québec Charlevoix and Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda—are plastic free.

At Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda, the property has its own water bottling station.

As a buffet specialist for over 60 years, Club Med has always sought to limit the amount of food thrown away. Today, it has managed to limit food waste to 101g per meal (3.5 ounces) and per person thanks to more than 60 years of experience in generous and judicious buffets: a significant performance for one of the least avoidable waste generators.

When asked if Club Med has any specific goals regarding energy, water, and waste, Lykke says, “Worldwide, it is something we are still defining.” Club Med has over 20 resorts in France, both in the mountains and in other regions. “Our resorts in France are subject to the ‘Décret tertiaire’, a French law mandating the reduction of energy emissions from French businesses by 2050,” Lykke adds. “That said, we are looking for opportunities to reduce emissions in all of our properties.”

Club Med is involved in many activities in support of its local communities. “One of them I am excited about is a green farmers program,” Lykke says. “We have successes in Senegal, Brazil, and Seychelles. At Club Med Michès Playa Esmeralda, we are beginning to identify and support local farmers to partner with them in agroecology.”

Giving Farmers Access to New Markets

Since 2008, Club Med, in partnership with AGRISUD, has promoted local extensive agriculture and agroecology near several of its resorts. This partnership aims to support very small farms to develop them in a viable and sustainable way nearby Club Med sites. Hundreds of producers are trained to apply the principles of environmentally friendly agriculture and benefit from support and training in the management of their production. Producers can access new markets, such as Club Med, and look to the future with greater confidence.

Club Med Foundation

Since 1978, the Club Med Foundation has mobilized Club Med’s teams and resources for the benefit of solidarity projects near its resorts and offices. The Foundation is committed to support vulnerable children and protect the environment. Its priorities are to provide greater access to education and recreation for all and to preserve biodiversity.

Certification is also important to Club Med. All its resorts in the United States and Caribbean are Green Globe certified. Club Med has also utilized BREEAM construction standards and participates in ATR (Acting for Responsible Tourism) certification.

When asked what she most enjoys about her work, Lykke says, “I enjoy knowing our company is taking these steps to make a positive impact. I also enjoy when an idea comes to life—finding a way to remove plastics from our resorts, for example. Along the way, I get to collaborate with so many different people in our company.”

Glenn Hasek can be reached at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.

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