WAKING THE SLEEPING GIANT

An exploration of ways in which ecological responsibility can be combined with commercial profitability.

Debut author Kheel, the director of the Center for Sustainability think tank, had only just finished graduate school—he earned a master’s from Cornell University in environmental management—when he was given an opportunity to work for Grupo Puntacana, a consortia of tourism-related businesses, including hotels and golf courses, which had been co-founded by his great-uncle.To his surprise, the group was way ahead of the curve when it came to its ecological obligations, taking seriously its imprint on the environment “long before it was in vogue,” even though it was struggling financially. In clear, accessible language, Kheel recounts his own attempts to combine maximum profitability with maximum environmental responsibility using a strategic approach of “sustainable development.” Applied to tourism, this translates into a quest to “attract visitors to new destinations without degrading the natural and cultural assets that drew them there in the first place.” The author discusses his experience in great detail, using concrete examples to illustrate the need for rigorous analysis and ceaseless innovation; for instance, he notes how Grupo Puntacana uses recycled, treated water and specialized grass seed to make golf-course maintenance more efficient and built its own recycling plant. Also, he makes the argument that although environmentalists are often suspicious of big business, today’s companies enjoy “unprecedented power and reach,” endowing them with a unique position with which to effect lasting change. Kheel’s reflection is certainly a familiar one; there’s no shortage of literature today on how business can minimize its impact on nature. However, this is an engaging, edifying work shorn of any naïve idealism, as the author appreciates the challenges while also conceding the unceasing need for profits. He also admits that his book isn’t an easily reproducible “blueprint,” particularly given its highly specific tourism focus. Still, he provides an edifying overview of how an “eco-efficient” business can cut costs, increase profits, and assume the role of caretaker of the environment.

A thoughtful and pragmatic consideration of an increasingly important topic.