NMH joins the SEMSI
New Mauritius Hotels Ltd (NMH) will be included in the Stock Exchange of Mauritius Sustainability Index (SEMSI), effective Tuesday 20 February 2024. The official presentation of the Listing Certificate took place on 19 February at Trou aux Biches Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa, in the presence of the management of both the Stock Exchange of Mauritius (SEM) and NMH. This listing acknowledges the Group’s strong commitment to sustainable development.
The SEMSI was launched by the SEM in September 2015 to assess the sustainability approach of listed companies based on a set of environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria aligned with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines. Applicant companies are independently audited against 165 criteria and must achieve an average score of 60% to be eligible for listing. NMH joins the SEMSI with a remarkable score.
“It is an honour and a source of pride for NMH to join the SEMSI with a solid score. Our listing on this index is a concrete demonstration of our commitment and meaningful action. I would like to thank and congratulate all our Artisans for their continued efforts and strong involvement. Together, we are determined to progress further, in line with the 52 commitments of our Environmental and Social Charter. Sustainable development is not an option; it is the duty of every company as a corporate citizen,” says the NMH CEO, Stéphane Poupinel de Valencé. “We are pleased to note that the actions taken by companies in Mauritius to promote sustainable development practices have been recognised by the SEM. The SEMSI provides an additional guarantee of the eco-friendly commitment of Mauritius as a tourist destination and enhances the credibility of Mauritian companies in terms of sustainability.”
Inclusion in the SEMSI recognises the commitment of NMH to sustainable development practices since the 1990s with the launch of Fondation Espoir Développement Beachcomber (FED). The Foundation will soon be celebrating its 25th anniversary and was the first of its kind to be set up by a private sector company in Mauritius to combat exclusion. To date, seven social integration programmes targeting children, the youth, women and people with disabilities are in place.
This approach has been consolidated with the implementation of eco-friendly initiatives and technical processes across the Beachcomber Collection of Hotels, including the installation of wastewater treatment plants, desalination units, photovoltaic panels, rainwater harvesting, the elimination of single-use plastic and strict waste management.
NMH took another important step in 2015 by committing to certification by EarthCheck, a global programme of environmental and social certification developed specifically for the tourism industry. This process enables the Group to structure its objectives, define its pillars of action and measure the progress achieved. In 2023, NMH became the first Mauritian hotel group to receive the prestigious EarthCheck Gold certification for three of its properties: Paradis Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa, Dinarobin Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa and Beachcomber House. This year, NMH is targeting EarthCheck Gold certification for its 8 hotels and Head Office in Mauritius.
The SEM CEO, Sunil Benimadhu commended NMH's inclusion in the SEMSI and congratulated the Group. “I extend my heartfelt congratulations to New Mauritius Hotels Limited for wholeheartedly embracing sustainability as a fundamental pillar of its growth strategy. It is with great pleasure that we acknowledge the Company's inclusion in the SEM’s Sustainability Index (SEMSI) as of 20 February 2024,” he says. “When the SEM introduced SEMSI nine years ago, our primary goal was to contribute to positioning Mauritius as a sustainable island and highlight the sustainability trailblazers within our listed issuers. We are delighted to witness the widespread support from many of our prominent listed companies, resulting in SEMSI now boasting a market capitalisation of Rs 205.3 billion. With the addition of New Mauritius Hotels Limited to the SEMSI, a sum of Rs 6.3 billion will further enrich the Index, showcasing the collective commitment of our listed issuers to a brighter and more sustainable future for Mauritius.”
NMH is the 18th company to be listed on the SEMSI.