Chillon becomes the first castle to reach Level III – leading in the Swisstainable programme
This week, Chillon Castle has been awarded Level III – leading as part of Switzerland’s sustainability programme, Swisstainable.
We’re the first listed Swiss castle that is open to the public to do so!
The Swisstainable programme works to encourage the tourism industry to be more sustainable and to guide visitors looking to travel more sustainably.
By joining their ranks, the Foundation is continuing its existing commitment, plus closely monitoring trends within our sector, all in the name of continuous improvement.
In 2019, the ‘divico’ grape variety was introduced in the castle vineyard – a variety that is more resistant to fungal diseases, reducing the amount of treatment required.. © Kenoa – Marie Contreras
Shared responsibility, joint effort
This recognition highlights the hard work our various departments put in every single day – from mediation, shops, ticketing and administration to custodianship, management, and marketing and communications. It also forms part of our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy, which has been in place for several years.
We are particularly proud of this achievement, given the constraints of preserving a heritage building, which place a considerable limit on the measures we can take.
Our highlights include:
- Implementing a transport scheme for our team, encouraging them to opt for public transport, active travel and car-sharing
- Opting for renewable energy
- Introducing a responsible procurement policy for our castle shops, most notably including a range of certified local ‘Vaud Certifié d’Ici’ products
- Introducing a recycling plan for waste produced by our visitors and castle teams
- Offering healthier, more sustainable products in our cafeteria vending machines
- Taking a sensible approach to managing our grapevines, with the option to introduce strictly organic treatments in our green spaces if necessary
- Being considerate of wildlife, most notably installing bat boxes
- Favouring recycled or FSC paper for our printed materials
The castle teams deep in thought about a potential car-sharing scheme. © FCC
The Foundation took a meticulous, cross-cutting approach to create a measurable action plan. Following this, it commissioned an external audit, which culminated in the EcoEntreprise ‘Excellence’ Certificate. This status rewards very high performance in the fields of Sustainable Development and Corporate Social Responsibility (based on ISO 26000).
This is a significant step, which gives further food for thought on how we can:
- Reduce the negative impacts of our work here at the monument
- Boost positive contributions to our heritage, local area, our visitors and future generations
- Steer tourism practices towards a more sustainable model
This recognition is testament to our desire for continuous improvement, and to be part of a nationwide movement committed to sustainable development.