Villa in the Vineyard Declares a Climate Emergency
It’s a no-brainer for us to declare a climate emergency. Our ethos for running Villa in the Vineyard since 2018 has been to be the most sustainable vacation rental in the unspoilt Marche region of Italy. I’m Nikki Mattei and I run the Villa with my husband Roberto. I have worked in sustainability for about 15 years and following an ethical lifestyle is in my DNA.
I have been talking to people (or anyone who would listen!) about the damage we are doing to our world for over 15 years, starting with my work as a breast health educator when I talked to women about prevention. I covered subjects such as the importance of organic agriculture, walking instead of jumping in the car and avoiding plastic (not only a byproduct of petroleum and harmful for marine life but it also releases hormone disrupting chemicals linked to breast cancer risk). A lot of people in those days thought I was a mad tree hugger but now we are all seeing the effects of climate change and the mess we have made of our beautiful world. In subsequent years, I have worked with campaigning organisations such as
Fashion Revolution and organic brands such as
Greenscents. This has enabled me to continue contributing to the education of consumers about the need for systemic change and a greater respect for our environment and every person and creature who lives on our planet.
SINCE WRITING THIS BLOG, I HAVE PUBLISHED OUR CLIMATE ACTION PLAN AS OUR COMMITMENT TO TOURISM DECLARES A CLIMATE EMERGENCY.
YOU CAN READ IT HERE
I found myself in responsible tourism when Roberto (an Irish national with Maltese and Italian roots) and I bought Villa in the Vineyard in the Marche region of central Italy. Our plan was to move from the UK and build our own eco house but when we saw the Villa it ticked all our boxes. The only thing was that it was bigger than we wanted as it was split into two apartments. The ground floor one was being used as a vacation rental. So we decided to go for it and launch our eco escape founded on respect for the land and the local culture of this undiscovered area.
The house was built 12 years ago using most of the materials from the original farmhouse including the stone, roof tiles and beams. It was designed to be of the highest environmental standards with thick walls insulated with wood chip; photovoltaic panels for electricity (now backed up by a renewables-only energy supplier); solar for hot water backed up by an energy efficient gas boiler; chlorine-free swimming pool run with copper ionization which requires less time for the pump to be running and avoids the corrosive and skin irritant properties of chlorine. Other aspects have been adopted for the benefit of guests, the local community and ecosystem. We have an organic kitchen garden maintained by Roberto who ran a horticultural business in the UK; the villa is set in 7.5 hectares of land which is run by the Vitali family up the road, following sustainable agricultural methods to manage the vines; only certified organic cleaning products and guest toiletries are used/provided and we use refills for both; we buy supplies from local or Italian companies and we work with a local accountant, plumber, electrician etc to make sure that we are contributing financially to the local economy. We always recommend local restaurants and independent shops too. We are proud to have a Gold Award from Green Tourism - you can read more about our green credentials here
I have always believed that offering consumers the most sustainable options is never a compromise on the experience. In my view, it actually enhances it. Isn’t using organic toiletries a luxury for our guests? Isn’t having underfloor cooling from our heat exchange pump rather than noisy, energy intensive air conditioning a blissful amenity?
We are lucky to live in a relatively unspoilt part of Italy where biodiversity is still abundant – we see snakes, ghekkos, rare birds, bees, butterflies, porcupines, wild boar and even wolves in the mountains. However, that it is no reason to be complacent. The local farmers here are definitely experiencing the effects of climate change such as more erratic seasons, extreme rain or drought and spring hailstones which often destroy all the fruit in this agricultural area.
We are only one small vacation rental so you could say that our impact is very small but change has always started with a small number of people making a change which can quickly accelerate into lots of people making a small change which creates an exponentially larger impact.
We only have 10 years to save our precious planet from catastrophic changes. Who wouldn’t want to be involved in being part of such an historical effort?
Our Declaration
This is what we have committed to:
1. Develop a ‘Climate Action Plan’
Adopted by your executive board* within 12 months of your initial declaration, or sooner if possible.
2. Share your commitment and progress publicly
Share your initial public declaration, your ‘Climate Action Plan’, and update on progress against your targets each year.
3. Cut carbon emissions
Accept current IPCC advice stating the need to cut global carbon emissions to 55% below 2017 levels by 2030 to keep the planet within 1.5 degrees of warming. Ensure your ‘Climate Action Plan’ represents actions designed to achieve this as a minimum, through delivering transparent, measurable and increasing reductions in the total carbon emissions per trip arising from your operations and the travel services sold by you.*
4. Work together
Encourage suppliers and partners to make the same declaration; share best practice amongst peers; and actively participate in the Tourism Declares community.
5. Advocate for change
Recognise the need for system change across the industry to accelerate a just transition towards carbon-free tourism.
* Not everyone working in tourism has a company board or sells products.
To find out about more about Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency, click here
