Nature sits at the very core of The Datai Langkawi’s DNA – it is an integral part of who we are and what makes us unique as a nature resort in Langkawi. The wonderful natural setting and the environmental features – the sea, mangroves and ancient virgin rainforest – provide the very foundations for our offering of nature-related experiences combined with holistic and well-being programmes.

The Datai Pledge signifies our responsibility to conserve and strengthen nature’s increasingly fragile resources and to reduce the negative impact of our footprint on the environment. It has developed into a robust programme of initiatives with the single-minded objective of creating a sustainable environment for the future. The Datai Pledge not only benefits the living creatures who share this spectacular island with us but also enriches the lives of our guests, team members and the local community through meaningful participation.

The Datai Pledge comprises a series of sustainability initiatives relating to our business operations, the land, sea, and youth. These four elements correspond to the four pillars of our programme: Pure for the Future, Wildlife for the Future, Fish for the Future; and Youth for the Future, respectively.

Conceptualised by Irshad Mobarak, a passionate advocate for the conservation of Langkawi’s fragile ecosystems, The Datai Pledge was developed and realised by our resort team selected across all aspects of our operations. It is thanks to their unwavering passion, dedication and perseverance that the ambitious precepts of The Datai Pledge became a reality. To create a meaningful programme that would bring about maximum positive impact, we engaged thought leaders and innovators in their field of sustainability. We also partnered with local NGOs who are undertaking important conservation and sustainability research projects and developed bespoke activities to achieve the objectives of each pillar.

To integrate conservation and sustainability into the business operations, company ethos and guest experience of The Datai Langkawi and future properties, in order to protect and help regenerate the rich biodiversity and enable the local community to thrive. We aim to do this through developing a robust programme in conjunction with our local NGO and social enterprise partners.

© Eric Martin

To be an active instigator for sustainable change and regenerative travel through:

- Protection and conservation of both terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
- Implementing effective conservation programmes based on scientific research and established data.
- Empowering the local community to become passionate guardians of their own surroundings through co-creating purpose-driven education programmes, and promoting sustainable livelihoods and enterprises.
- Aiding and amplifying the work of NGOs and social enterprises who share our vision to achieve our collective goals.
- Collaborating with like-minded partners to fully utilise our combined expertise and communicate our programme.
- Instilling a culture of shared and continuous learning amongst all stakeholders.

In September 2020, The Datai Pledge was established as a Private Trust with the following objectives:

Guests:
- To actively seek guests’ participation in sustainability initiatives and leverage this as part of the overall guest experience.
- To introduce innovative sustainability practices through integrating the hotel’s business operations with nature conservation.

Community:
- To help fund relevant Malaysian, and particularly Langkawi-based NGOs and social enterprises in their work to promote sustainability and conservation.
- To inspire and assist the local community in preserving the unique biodiversity of the island, through the promotion of sustainable practices as a source of income and a way of life.

Environment and Wildlife:
- To strengthen the natural beauty and unique environment of Datai Bay and Langkawi through the conservation and regeneration of fauna and flora and their habitats.

Industry:
- To pioneer specific sustainable and ecotourism activities in the luxury hotel industry.
- To demonstrate a commitment to sustainability, conservation and ecotourism using the ecosystems at the resort as a platform for research, training and collaboration.

Funding is required to plan, implement, monitor, evaluate, continuously optimise, and further develop the programme, as well as to create activities with our NGO and social enterprise partners and new guest activities related to sustainability learning and experience.

Considerable investment has been made to set up the initiatives through the following – creation of an in-house bottling plant and production of custom-made recyclable glass bottles; construction of the Coral Nursery; construction of the Recycling Storage Centre, Organic Wealth Centre and The Lab; creation and cultivation of The Garden, construction of the Wetland Filtration System, the Worm and Hot Composting Farms; machinery to crush glass, plastic and chip wood; the Asher, an ingenious invention from Malaysia, to burn non-recyclable items and turn them into ash that can be used to condition soil in The Garden; the food compactor to macerate food waste; and finally, the practice of upcycling non-recyclable in-room items.

The Datai Langkawi is the chief contributor to the funding of The Datai Pledge. Other contributions come from guest donations, private donors, and corporations as well as the various methods below:

- Activities for guests, where 20% of all activity charges contribute to The Datai Pledge. Highlighted activities specially created for The Datai Pledge include MareCet’s dolphin research trip, exploring Gunung Raya in search of hornbills with Gaia, and attending sustainability workshops by local artisans
- Adoptions of a tree, coral, hornbill nesting box, dolphin or wildlife corridor. Participants will be given a certificate and updates
- Merchandise includes products created by our pillar partner NGOs and a specially developed range for The Datai Pledge with local artisans, including recycled candles and hand-blown recycled glass figurines. In addition, 10% of all items sold at The Lab and The Boutique will go towards The Datai Pledge
- Daily contribution of MYR 40 is added to the invoices of The Datai Langkawi’s guests. This small optional supplementary contribution is used to fund The Datai Pledge’s operating expenses and also donated to all pillar partner NGOs and social enterprises to fund their research, conservation and sustainability efforts

The Datai Langkawi has been awarded the following certifications due to The Datai Pledge initiatives:

EarthCheck ECO Certification (Silver): 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024
The Datai Langkawi is the first and only organisation in the world to be awarded the EarthCheck ECO Certification (Silver) 2019 for terrestrial (land-based) tourism projects. It was re-certified with the coveted recognition again in 2021 and in 2023, emphasizing its continued adherence to rigorous sustainability protocols and standards in all its business operations.

EarthCheck science and products were developed by the Australian government's Sustainable Tourism Co-operative Research Centre (STCRC) and built on the Agenda 21 principles for Sustainable Development endorsed at the United Nations Earth Summit in 1992.

ASEAN Green Hotel Standard Certification: 2020-2022 & 2022-2024
This is the standard developed by the 10 ASEAN country members for hotel operators based on their green hotel operations. The ASEAN Green Hotel Standard fosters sustainable tourism through the adoption of environmentally friendly practices and energy conservation: compiling, adapting and creating the tools and training to engage in ASEAN Green Hotel practices. At the heart of this Standard is that hotels should aspire to protect and sustain their natural and cultural resources, while ensuring tourism meets its potential as a tool for conservation and positive community impact.

Malaysia Green Hotel Certification: 2019-2022 & 2023-2026
Awarded by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia in recognition of sustainability efforts in the hospitality industry. The criteria for the award are: use of green products, human resource development, solid waste management, energy efficiency, water efficiency and quality, air management and quality, noise pollution control, waste treatment and management, toxic and chemical substance disposal, as well as community collaborations.

GBAC (Global Biorisk Advisory Council) STAR Facility: 2024
This performance-based accreditation certifies hotels and resorts for their hygiene, cleaning, disinfection and mitigation protocols and procedures, as well as waste management, sustainability and continuous improvement, amongst others.

We are grateful to our donors and supporters for their assistance, contribution and advice:

Department of Fisheries Malaysia, Dato’ Haji Munir bin Haji Mohd Nawi (former Director General), Puan Noor Hasmayana Yahaya (Head of Fisheries Resources Management), Tuan Haji Abdul Halim bin Marzuki (Director of Department of Fisheries Kedah), Azahar bin Ahmad (Head of Fisheries, District of Langkawi); Fisheries Research Institute: Daud Awang (Head of Marine Research Station Pulau Layang-Layang), Mohamad Saupi Ismail (Research Officer), Izarena Md Repin (Fisheries Officer, Marine Park and Marine Protection Management Divison), Azlan Mohd Nor (Head of Ecosystem Conservation and Biodiversity Division), Shahrul Ngah (Fisheries Officer), Mohamad Zazmi Mohd Ali (Fisheries Officer), Azahar bin Ahmad (Head of Fisheries, District of Langkawi); Dorken Reef: Mohd Yussoff Arrifin (Coordinator), Dr Muhammad Hamizan Yussoff (Marine Ecologist), Suhaimi Salleh (Photographer), Tg Husin Th Kadir (Photographer), En Khairul Aswat (Photographer); University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM): Dr Wee Hin Boo (Coral Reef Ecologist); Universiti Teknologi Mara Perlis (UiTM): Jamil Tajam (Senior Lecturer, Sustainable Marine Technology); Fisheries Research Institute: Mohamad Saupi Ismail (Director, National Marine Park Research Centre), Hj Zainuddin Illias (Coral Reef Ecologist); fishing community from Kubang Badak, Teluk Ewa, Kilim, Pantai Pasir Hitam and Teluk Yu; Alvin Chelliah (Chief Programme Officer at Reef Check Malaysia); Turtle Conservation Society (TCS); Affefah Amanee Ahamed (Langkawi District Forestry Officer), Kedah Forestry Department, Qistina Azman Shakireen, Mohd Syukur Sabarudin, Izzat Mohd and Panjang Tan, University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Dr Teh Su Thye, Green Peace Foundation Malaysia, Ben Galea (Universiti Sains Malaysia doctorate), Allen Jeyarajasingam (author and ornithologist), Rimbun Dahan Turtle Hatchery: Fadhil Ariffin (Operational Manager), Fuze Ecoteer: Hidayah Halid (Perhentian Marine Research Station Manager), Nicole Lim, Siva Prakash and Izzatul Najwa Radzwan (former Pillar Leaders), Jonathan Chandrasakaran (former Marine Biologist, The Datai Langkawi), Aysha Zamuel (Eco-Schools Programme Coordinator, Green Growth Asia Foundation), Cikgu Suzana and teacher Gurpreet (Sekolah Kebangsaan Temonyong, Langkawi); Pak Long (artisan and beekeeper), Harith Ridzuan (The Green Factory), Skaii de Vega (Kanshalife), Gaia, Sahabat Alam Langkawi (former Pillar Partner), Choo Beng Teong (artist), Dr Yap Jo Leen (Langur Project Penang) and Dr Shamsul Khamis (Senior Lecturer, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia).

We are also grateful to S.C. Shekar, Sanjitpaal Singh, Tom Reynolds, William Watt, MareCet, Green Growth Asia Foundation, Department of Fisheries, Dorken Reef and Fisheries Research Institute for complimentary use of their photographs.

A special thanks also go out to the guests (who contributed from 25,810 room nights stay) to The Datai Pledge in 2023.

You continue to inspire us in our work.