• download file
  • download file

Tropicalia

Tropicalia

Tropicalia is a sustainable luxury master-planned community created by Cisneros Real Estate, offering sophisticated architecture in a  site of diverse natural beauty in northeast Dominican Republic. Comprising residential and resort developments and a Tom Doak golf course, Tropicalia merges smart design with natural landscape, creating a sense of harmony between time and space. The project embodies the philanthropic and cultural values of the Cisneros Family, and is uniquely positioned to be a model for sustainable luxury in the Caribbean and the world.

Four Seasons Tropicalia

Located on a half-mile stretch of beachfront in Costa Esmeralda, the Four Seasons Dominican Republic at Tropicalia (FST) is a luxury resort experience with a hotel and residential offering designed by Brazilian architect Isay Weinfeld. Amenities feature specialty restaurants, a world-class spa, meeting and event spaces, a kids’ club, and fitness center. 

The Project boasts a tropical modern design, seamlessly combining indoor and outdoor living while incorporating natural elements like wood, stone, and verdure. Efforts for the redesigned program focused on creating safe and tech-savvy multi-generational spaces that allow for living, working, and playing.

Management and Governance Mechanisms

ENVIRONMENTAL & SOCIAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Tropicalia’s Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) consists of plans, policies and procedures that set key performance indicators and guide the project's environmental and social performance. The ESMS prompts us to analyze issues in key topic areas such as stakeholder engagement; the environment; health and safety of workers; contractor management; supply chain management; and grievance mechanisms, among other issue areas.

The general scope of the ESMS encompasses Four Seasons Dominican Republic at Tropicalia, the Tropicalia master-planned development and Fundación Tropicalia when appropriate; which also coincides with the reporting boundaries of this sustainability report.

The ESMS and supporting documents are reviewed periodically and support Tropicalia’s ongoing materiality assessment.

Environmental & Social Management System

In an effort to ensure we report and measure material topics to Tropicalia, we rely on our Environmental and Social Management System, which prompts us to analyze issues in sustainable destination and stakeholder management, community development, biodiversity and other key topic areas.

LABOR AND HUMAN RIGHTS

Our commitment to the protection of human and labor rights prevails as a fundamental element for creating a healthy workplace. Our policies mitigate the risk of engaging in child labor, and allow us to advocate for gender equality and equal opportunity employement, as well as individual freedom of association.

More than 40% of our current workforce are women; all employees are remunerated based on experience and position. We also hire and train local residents, of which 57% come from rural regions. Finally all Miches-based operations deploy local community engagement and development programs with the support of Fundación Tropicalia.

During 2020, we implemented a remote-work schedule followed by a gradual and staggered return to work policy; rolled out COVID-19 safety protocols and scheduled bimonthly video conferencing with all our staff to make sure we stayed connected. Like many others, we unfortunately had to make difficult decisions and downsized our workforce by 20%. By the end of 2020, we had a total of 21 employees from affiliated entities working for Tropicalia in the Dominican Republic, with a turnover rate of 12.5% given these workforce reductions.

Labor and Human Rights

In 2010, we committed to the United Nations Global Compact’s universal principles on human rights, labor, the environment and anti-corruption. Our commitment to the protection of human and labor rights prevails as a fundamental element for creating a healthy workplace.

SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE

Tropicalia’s Sustainability Committee is a cross-functional team that meets annually to discuss strategy, report progress, and define goals for the upcoming year. Our committee is the highest governing body for reviewing environmental and social issues impacting our business and sector. The Committee plays an advisory role and guarantees the financial and human capital necessary for implementing Tropicalia’s sustainability programs.

The diversity of our Committee members (60% female, 40% male) brings strength to this corporate governance body. Members include senior-level Cisneros executives, and we convene external advisors depending on the particular topic and area of expertise needed.

In 2020, the Committee met in February and again in December in company of an external advisor, covering essential topics on social and environmental performance; committee members were also introduced to the ESMS and reviewed the impact of the pandemic on our industry and our community.

Sustainability Committee

Tropicalia’s Sustainability Committee is a cross-functional team that meets annually to discuss strategy, report progress and define goals for the upcoming year. Our committee is the highest governing body for reviewing environmental and social issues for Tropicalia. The diversity of our Committee members brings strength to this corporate governance body.

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PLAN

Prior to the commencement of early works and site clearance in January 2020, and in line with the project’s Stakeholder Engagement Plan, we convened community representatives from local government, NGOs, and businesses, to present our construction partner - BCRD - and introduce their on-site staff and community liaison. BCRD shared details surrounding key issue areas, which were of particular relevance to community stakeholders, including their: i) environmental, health and safety standards; ii) employment and supply chain opportunities; and iii) external grievance mechanisms to channel environmental or social concerns. In total, 28 community members participated in this first encounter.

STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

By way of active stakeholder engagement, Tropicalia builds trust with the local community by initiating public consultation processes and disclosures regarding project impacts. Through a transparent and timely supply of information we give and receive critical information that allows for fluid communication with the people most impacted by our activities.

Download our Management and Governance Mechanisms

KEY COMMITMENTS TO SUSTAINABILITY

SOUND BUSINESS

At Tropicalia, the first quarter of 2020 kicked-off with early work construction of Four Seasons Tropicalia. Up through March 19, 2020, we:

  • Partially mobilized the Bouygues Construcciones Republica Dominicana (BCRD) team and set-up onsite operations and local offices. BCRD supervised four subcontractors, 34 workers and personnel, and carried out approximately 20 training workshops in: Ethics and compliance; environmental management; and quality, and worker health and safety.  
  • Organized, alongside BCRD,our first stakeholder engagement meeting with local authorities to share project details, discuss local contracting opportunities, road safety, and community grievance mechanisms. 
  • Initiated site clearance activities and respected our tree transplantation plan. 

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we reluctantly halted construction and financing efforts with the IFC and IDB Invest. By the end of the year, we modified our previous design, optimizing the project for a post-pandemic traveler and prepared our business plan to head into 2021 with full gusto.  

The challenges posed by the global pandemic tested our business and proved that our sustainability strategy is the best line of defense when navigating social, environmental and economic externalities.

THOUGHTFUL ARCHITECTURE

Our new program prioritizes the concept of work, play and live in single family settings, and contemplates : i) multigenerational use and longer term stays on property for both hotel guests and residential owners alike; ii) increased demand for reliable connectivity and the ability to work remotely; iii) increased prioritization for biosafety, social distancing, outdoor space, and guaranteed access to essential services and medical assistance. With these key aspects in mind, the modified program for Four Seasons Tropicalia: 

  • Increased the amount of free-standing and socially distanced residential products that can be used for periods longer than previously anticipated. 
  • Incorporates state-of-the-art connectivity technology consistent with evolving consumer demand for adequate remote working spaces.
  • Continued LEED certification priority, as an essential commitment to responsible real estate development.

We leveraged 2020 to reflect upon our project concept and propose modifications to the design to fully tailor to the demands of future travelers and the second home-owner.

ENVIRONMENTAL BALANCE

In 2020, we:

  • Continued supporting the incorporation of the El Seibo-Miches Hotel and Restaurant Association (PROMICHES) to foment sustainable destination management through collective action. 
  • Transplanted 67 Sabal causiarum (Palma cana) and 19 Roystonea hispaniolana (Palma real), for a total of 88 trees. These trees stabilized in August 2020, with roughly a 50% survival turnout due to the strong winds brought about by Tropical Storm Isaias. 
  • Submitted Tropicalia’s 14th and 15th Environmental Compliance Reports (ICA) and Four Seasons Tropicalia’s first and second ICAs to the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.  
  • Continued implementing maintenance and clean-up efforts of the Costa Esmeralda beachfront, as well as our recycling efforts on site.
  •  

Tropicalia protects and conserves the natural environment and relies on its biodiversity and environmental management plans, as well as its participation in PROMICHES to pursue sustainable site development and destination management.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

In 2020, Fundación Tropicalia:

  • Impacted the lives of 3,323 people (66% female, 34% male), by successfully implementing six programs in education, biosafety and agriculture. 
  • Locally sourced and distributed 1,350 hygiene kits, which included antibacterial soap, face masks, and educational informative flyers on COVID-19.  
  • Created COVID-19 prevention and safety outreach campaigns on Fundación Tropicalia’s social media channels.
  • Launched Soy niña, soy importante (SNSI) in a Box, in lieu of celebrating the annual summer camp, effectively delivering 1,550 boxes to the homes of 310 girls.

The community development efforts undertaken by Fundación Tropicalia (FT) since 2008, are a key component of Tropicalia’s goal in building local capacity and expanding economic opportunities while preserving the region’s natural and cultural heritage.

Download our Key Commitments to Sustainability

WE RECOMMEND READING

More
Websites
Downloads
Facebook

TropicaliaRD

FundacionTropicalia

1 of 1
Twitter

TropicaliaRD

 

FundTropicalia

1 of 1
Instagram

Tropicaliard

 

fundaciontropicalia

1 of 1

Tropicalia Sustainability Report 2020 © All rights reserved Tropicalia República Dominicana