Keeping everything sustainable: Six Senses development in Portugal
Being a UNESCO World Heritage Site means all of the region’s stakeholders fulfil their duty to safeguard its 3,500 plant species. At Six Senses Douro Valley, we are deeply committed to this responsibility and have pledged to maintain our natural environment, as well as conserve and restore the property’s magnificent forest and historical gardens. Our entire team is dedicated to reducing any adverse effects and promoting positive results across our operations, from sourcing local cuisine to minimizing energy consumption and effectively managing waste. With this in mind, we want to raise awareness and motivate others to be the change they want to see. Therefore, we warmly invite you to visit our Earth Lab, where you can get involved with some of our sustainability initiatives, and gain closer insights into the projects supported by our Sustainability Fund.
Environmental Responsibility
Together with our hosts, we are firmly committed to reducing our carbon footprint and improving the ecological value of activities associated with our resort and spa operations.
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Donkey Conservation
APEGA, Associação para o Estudo e Proteção do Gado Asinino, is an environmental NGO that works to conserve and care for the Miranda donkey, an indigenous breed to our area of Portugal. Twenty years ago the breed was threatened with extinction but thanks to the efforts and hard work of APEGA, today there are around 1,500 animals across the country. AEPGA keeps three centers – CVBM, CAB and CALP — and the team travel all over the country to support other donkey breeders. In 2023, they visited 45 municipalities, and our support helps with health check-ups, emergency rescues, and the well-being of donkeys under the organizations care.
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River and Ecosystem
By adopting a 1,640-foot (500-meter) stretch of the river bank we became its guardians, commiting to monitor and create suitable conditions for the existing fauna and flora.
This is a citizen-science based project that allows everyone to contribute to the monitoring of streams across the Iberian Peninsula, while raising awareness for important topics regarding nature preservation. As part of this project, 90 kg of trash was removed from the environment with the help of our hosts and volunteers.
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Community Forest
The Forest Restoration Project is a true labor of love and commitment. We take great pride and pleasure in nursing this island of trees amongst the vineyards, making it a home for fungi, insects, mammals, and birds, and a place that we can all enjoy, by promoting soil fertility.
In 2022, and together with Associação Bioliving, we started an inventory of the existing fauna and flora, which will enable us to make even better decisions to preserve this important ecosystem. So far, 538 species have been identified and in 2023, 322 people attended awareness raising and citizen science activities in our forest.
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Stray Animals
We partner with three organizations working to improve the lives of mistreated or abandoned cats and dogs who also help manage the social and environmental implications of stray animals. Through GPAR (Grupo de Proteção de Animais da Régua) and ASPA (Associação de Salvamento e Proteção Animal) we support the work of volunteers to provide care for stray animals including medical treatments and sterilization to manage stray populations. In collaboration with Santuário Animal Vida Boa, we support work that focuses on raising awareness amongst young people about being a responsible pet owner and best-practice animal welfare, as well as supporting their animal sanctuary. Together, we aim to reduce stray animal populations, whilst improving the quality of life both for those rescued and those still on the street, as well as supporting the communities they live amongst.
Social Responsibility
The hotel's Sustainability Fund supports projects that promote the well-being and health of the community, local education, and inclusivity across the region. Our ‘Families at Risk’ project encompasses multiple areas of social inclusivity and improves opportunities for both young people and the elderly. Through this project we support multiple organizations addressing the following topics.
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Inclusivity in sport and recreation
We support Os Afonsinhos Futsal School, a unique initiative that intertwines educational values with athletic pursuits and inclusivity. Originating from Resende, the squad offers a beacon of opportunity for disadvantaged youths, fostering their involvement in sports while simultaneously promoting academic growth and personal development. In 2023, we helped improve their gym facilities, purchased sports shoes for disadvantaged young people, and sourced new computers for the study room, supporting 48 children in total.
In partnership with O Baguinho, we funded the renovation of a playground in Peso da Régua, making it a safer and more suitable space for outdoor activities, in addition to a multifunctional indoor area for educational activities.
We supported Associação Voluntária de Lamego, a table tennis club, to facilitate members to participate free of charge, in addition to providing equipment promoting sustainability including a water station to reduce the use of plastic bottles. In 2023, the club focused on the integration of female players and those with disabilities. 120 people benefitted from our support in 2023.
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Supporting equal access to education
The Bagos D’Ouro Association, founded in 2010, focuses on the education of economically underprivileged children and youth in the Douro region. The organization works with vulnerable communities, fostering the development of children and youth to identify their academic potential and capacity for progress, and so far has supported over 200 children. In the 2022/23 school year, we provided school materials and participated in the ‘Take Action’ program, arranging medical appointments to opticians and dentists for the children.
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Healthcare & supporting the elderly
We support Centro Parroquial de Cambres, a home for the elderly. In 2023 we supported the renovation of sanitary facilities, replaced thermal insulation in the kitchen, and installed new windows to improve the building’s insulation. 104 individuals benefitted from improved infrastructure at the center in 2023.
We also support Casa do Povo de Godim through contribution to medical, hygiene, and food supplies which enables the organization to continue to support elderly people in the region. 70 individuals benefitted from this project in 2023.
In partnership with A200, we supported the creation of a multifunctional room with the purchase of sensory stimulation equipment aimed to promote cognitive stimulation for the elderly and people with motor and cognitive disabilities. This is the first facility of its kind in the municipality of Paseo da Régua and it has so far benefitted 407 people.
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Housing and food security
We support Just a Change, an organization that rehabilitates homes in need. Without basic infrastructure such as windows, hot water or electricity, families in poverty are unable to improve their living conditions. Through our support, one additional family had their house renovated in 2023.
The objective of Refood is to reduce food waste by collecting and distributing surplus food to people in need. In 2023, we funded the purchase of equipment to enable efficient food collection and delivery, saving on fuel and transportation costs, and enabling the organization to help more people by expanding their donations to additional families. In 2023, 567 people benefitted from this project.
