Xel-Ha Blog

Xel-Ha, designated among Mexico’s Natural Wonder in 2007, became the first company in Quintana Roo to clearly and voluntarily share its social and environmental contributions, within the context of the 10 principles for the United Nations’ Global Compact, and based on the international standards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).

Entitled “Thirteen Years of Sustainability”, Xel-Ha commenced the publication of its Social and Environmental Balance for 2007, document that describes the most relevant actions taken since 1995, to guarantee the preservation of the environment in which the company operates, the social development within its area of influence, its own financial viability, and the rescue and conservation of resources the use and enjoyment of future generations.

The publication’s exhibition was held during the Environmental Culture Week programmed by the Caribbean University, where Xel-Ha’s CEO, Elizabeth Lugo Monjarras, gave a dissertation concerning the natural park’s accomplishments regarding the safeguarding of its sustainability, as well as those oriented towards corporate social responsibility.

Xel-Ha’s Social Balance is divided into three chapters: Society, Environment, and Company-Academy Binomial. Underneath the Society heading, the main subject regarded social labour undertaken in Chemuyil, a small population formerly plagued with social issues and now a model community, clean, with a virtually inexistent crime rate, and an high rate of community participation regarding local dilemmas.

Xel-Ha has invested financial, material and human resources into the edification and operation of the La Ceiba Library, which hosts an monthly average of a thousand visitors, and is currently the location of the Technology Training Centre; as well as investments for the secondary school classrooms, the municipal delegation, the Raul Lugo Chavez multi-purpose ball court, the Community Plaza, the Xel-Ha Family Park, the multi-purpose palapa, sponsoring of the residences’ facade painting, remodelling the Samuel Mukul Baseball Field, as well as the care-taking of children’s playground and wooded areas.

The social agenda also includes educational labour for the alphabetization of Chemuyil residents, aiding the completion of primary and secondary school, conferences on social issues such as alcoholisms, family violence, child abuse, as well as paint and art workshops, and courses raising awareness for water, the Queen conch, and sea turtles. Additionally, a day care centre was sponsored in Tulum, catering to the needs of working mothers.

Regarding its employees, Xel-Ha applies the Gender Equity Model that guarantees fairness in opportunities for women and men, Professional College Certification, which allows university certification to endorse labour competence, scholarships for employees’ children, the elimination of educational disadvantages, health programs, sports sponsorship and the preservation of local traditional culture, and communication through the internal Sayab Ka’an Magazine.

Regarding the environmental heading, the Social and Environmental Balance addresses the application and the results of management plans, tourist load capacity studies, reforestation, fish monitoring, as well as the regulation of biodegradable sunblocks, environmental education programs, training of teachers regarding the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, eco-tours for visitors, the Mayan Bee ceremony, integral management of solid waste, compost production, integral water management, the use of solar heaters to avoid the use of fossil fuels, the elimination of printed maps, the battery recycling program, environmental management program, and the protection and preservation of local sea turtle species.

Additionally, the Company-Academy Binomial refers to the relevant support that Xel-Ha has provided the Quintana Roo Hydrogeological Studies project, which included specialists from the UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico), and the Yucatan Centre of Scientific Investigations. Also worthy of mentioning is the operational and financial support directed to the Protection and Preservation of the Queen Conch program, through the Centre of Investigation and Advances Studies (CINVESTAV-IPN).

The company guarantees permanent employment to almost 600 collaborators, has achieved the ESR (Socially Responsible Company, by its initials in Spanish) acknowledgement, during 7 years in a row, and its policy on human development have given Xel-Ha standing amongst the top 100 Best Places to Work in Mexico, the 100 Best Places to Work in Latin America, and one of the 20 Best Places to Work for Women, according to the Great Place To Work Institute.

The Social and Environmental Balance of Xel-Ha can be publicly accessed through the Natural Wonder’s webpage (www.xelha.com), and on the UN’s New York-based website (www.unglobalcompact.org).

This entry was posted on Monday, August 25th, 2008 at 5:33 pm and is filed under News feature. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.