Australia’s first conservation-based luxury resort, Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa, has become the first hotel in the world to achieve carbon neutral certification from an internationally accredited greenhouse gas certification scheme.

carboNZeroCertTM certification was issued within three months of the opening of Emirates' $125 million resort.

carboNZero certification indicates that greenhouse gas emissions associated with Wolgan Valley’s operations have been independently measured and verified in accordance with international standards.

Sustainability initiatives at the resort include large-scale environmental rehabilitation programmes, removal of cattle from the property and the protection of existing remnant vegetation areas.

To date, over 175,000 indigenous trees have been planted in wildlife corridors and along creek banks on site. The overall footprint of the resort was already relatively low due to the application of green building principles in its design and construction, including the use of solar power and heat recovery.

The resort will buy a small quantity of carbon credits to achieve carbon neutrality for the first year or two of operation.

"As we implement further emissions reduction programmes on site, and as re-vegetation areas continue to grow, Wolgan Valley is likely to become completely carbon neutral. This will occur when newly planted trees mature sufficiently to absorb more carbon dioxide, as well as through continual operational improvements," says Tony Williams, senior vice president, Resorts & Projects, Emirates Hotels & Resorts.

Wolgan Valley’s greenhouse gas emissions and carbon neutral certification will be assessed and reviewed annually.