March 2025: Gili Lankanfushi Maldives the pioneer of sustainable, barefoot luxury in the Maldives, has been awarded Gold Certification by EarthCheck, the world’s leading scientific benchmarking, certification and advisory group for sustainable travel and tourism.
The prestigious certification recognises properties which have demonstrated a lasting commitment to sustainability, meeting key EarthCheck benchmarks across energy, water and paper use, carbon emissions, waste, chemicals and community and employee impact. Gili Lankanfushi is one of just three resorts in the Maldives that have earned the accolade.
“We are extremely proud to have achieved Gold Certification by EarthCheck in recognition of our ongoing commitment to sustainability here at Gili Lankanfushi,” commented the Resort Manager, Rodrigo Buanafina. “Gili is passionate about preserving the natural beauty and ecosystems of this natural paradise, which is why we are so committed to reducing our environmental impact. Our numerous sustainability initiatives, including our Eco Centre and world-famous Coral Lines project – which our guests love to get involved in – are at the heart of what we do, to ensure the wonder of The Maldives can be enjoyed for many more generations to come.’
The gold certification follows the resort’s silver certification in 2017 and bronze certification in 2015, a testament to Gili Lankanfushi’s enduring commitment to building and strengthening its sustainability practices for over more than a decade.
The certification comes at a pivotal time in Gili Lankanfushi’s sustainability journey, with the resort recently unveiling a state-of-the-art Eco-Centre. A complete renovation of the island’s previous structure, the centre comprises extensive recycling and composting facilities alongside a ‘Gili Veshi’ Marine Biology Shack.
The recent addition of the Eco-Centre includes a food composter that digests food and garden waste, in turn generating the compost the resort uses to fertilise its Organic Garden, where a selection of herbs, spice and lettuce are grown and used for dishes in Executive Chef Harinath Govindaraj’s popular plant-based menu. There is also a glass-crushing machine, which creates construction materials from glass waste, while a compacting machine compresses tin and aluminum that is later recycled. Guests can participate in these efforts via a variety of local handicraft workshops, creating special souvenirs they can treasure long after they return home.
Sustainability at Gili Lankanfushi
Sustainability is at the heart of Gili Lankanfushi’s vision, with an emphasis on preserving the natural environment, protecting the fragile marine ecosystem and leaving only footprints behind. Conservation is taken seriously by the island’s dedicated marine biology team who monitor the health and biodiversity of the surrounding coral reef ecosystems, measuring light intensity and sea surface temperature, identifying and tracking manta ray and turtle populations, removing invasive Crown of Thorns starfish, and educating guests about the underwater world through lectures and guided snorkelling trips.
Gili Lankanfushi’s Coral Lines project provides a nursery environment for new corals to grow, bolstering the house reef and monitoring health and survival types across coral genotypes. Guests have the opportunity to participate in the famed conservation project, where they learn about coral reef restoration and rehabilitation, visit the nursing coral on ropes and can even adopt a coral.
All buildings are constructed using sustainably sourced plantation teak, palm wood and bamboo in addition to recycled telegraph poles. All rooms provide organic toiletries in refillable earthenware containers, to minimise plastic use and wastage, while the island’s dedicated desalinisation plant is used to provide glass bottles of still and sparkling water for all guests.
Further sustainability initiatives include:
- Protection and replenishment of sea grasses, known as the ‘lungs of the sea’.
- Working hand-in-hand with the Manta Trust to protect Manta Rays, and the Olive Ridley Project to rescue injured sea turtles.
- Reduced plastic usage whenever possible with recycling initiatives to rid the oceans of single-use plastics from neighbouring islands.
- All fish caught using sustainable methods and purchased from local islands.
- Sustainable Living Training for all staff.
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About Gili Lankfanfushi, Maldives
This award-winning eco-resort comprises 45 sumptuous overwater villas, including seven Crusoe Residences and The Private Reserve, one of the most exclusive and largest overwater villas in the world. Following the 2019 refurbishment, gazing out at the crystal-clear blue waters of the Indian Ocean from this private island has never been so luxurious. All categories of villas and residences come with a dedicated Mr/s Friday butler service, catering for your every need. Rustic eco-design, unparalleled service, stunning natural surroundings and a laid-back luxury ‘no news, no shoes’ philosophy have guests returning for more of this sustainable paradise. Gili Lankanfushi has a hard-to-rival location: an unspoiled island in a large lagoon in the North Malé atoll, which is a 20-minute speedboat ride from Malé. This iconic Maldivian island is perfectly suited for couples, families, solo travellers and groups who are bound to “arrive as guests, leave as friends and return as family,” per the Gili philosophy.
For more information, please visit www.gililankanfushi.com
