One Planet Living and Singita: celebrating an eight-year journey
As Singita makes the switch to using a tourism-specific framework, we look back at eight years of One Planet Living success
Ben Gill
One Planet Living Consultant
I support Bioregional’s work with our international One Planet Living communities, helping them to set and achieve world-leading targets to achieve One Planet Living
I have been working in the environmental sector for nearly 20 years, covering the fields of waste management, renewable energy and sustainable urban planning and development.
At Bioregional I played a key role in developing the One Planet Living framework as a flexible tool that can be used to drive systemic change through an organisation and an industry. I've used the framework with some of the world’s most ambitious sustainable tourism projects. These include Les Villages Nature Paris on the outskirts of Paris with its geothermally heated Aqualagoon and regenerative landscape, and Singita’s ambitious conservation and sustainable tourism projects in east and southern Africa.
I am a Chartered Environmentalist and member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment.
Before Bioregional
I worked on a carbon management programme in Greece and was engaged as a consultant to UN Environment on corporate sustainability reporting. I previously worked with a rapping robot in primary schools, ran an off-grid centre in Spain, volunteered in Senegal and worked as an engineer in efficient school design.
When I'm not at work
I enjoy anything that gets me outside and ideally into the mountains, like cycling, hiking, growing veggies. I’m currently trying to improve my bird-watching and listening.
How Singita has put its staff first during Covid
Covid has had a devastating social and economic impact, particularly on travel and tourism. One Planet Living® Manager Ben Gill explores how Singita has endeavoured to look after its staff and communities in these unprecedented times
"A whole community coming together means you can make a real difference" - Auto Mthenjane from Singita
As Singita celebrates four years of using One Planet Living, we caught up with Auto Mthenjane who is championing sustainability in his community, as well as at work
