Universal Beach Hotels: Report shows measurable steps towards a greener Mallorca

Universal Beach Hotels: Report shows measurable steps towards a greener Mallorca

More local sourcing, lower consumption – and beach cleanups on site

Early in the morning, when fishing nets still hang over walls in Portocolom and the smell of fresh catch drifts through the alleys, you notice: the island lives not only from tourism but from nature and the people who work here. This is exactly where the Universal Beach Hotels group focuses its efforts. The newly published 2025 sustainability report documents figures that are recognizable in everyday life at first glance: quieter heating units, the first solar modules on roofs, and fewer buckets of water carried by staff.

Concrete values are clear: CO2 emissions per overnight stay fell at comparable properties from 7.32 to 6.86 kilograms CO2 equivalent – that is a 6.2 percent reduction. Scaled to the group's business volume, this corresponds to savings of around 320 tonnes of CO2 per year. Measures responsible for this include energy-efficient renovations, improved building envelopes, replacement of heating systems and new photovoltaic installations.

Water consumption figures also show movement: overall the group used about four million liters less water between 2024 and 2025, and consumption per overnight stay decreased by almost eleven percent. Such savings on Mallorca are not just statistics but noticeable for local communities; concerns about fluctuating water levels and pressure on resources are discussed in Water scarcity in Mallorca: Why hotels must now take responsibility.

Another detail concerns the circular economy: 9,240 liters of waste oil from hotel operations were collected and processed into biodiesel. According to the report, this resulted in an avoidance of about 20.27 tonnes of CO2. Also mentioned is the intensified cooperation with suppliers from the Balearics. Spending on regionally sourced products rose by more than 24 percent within a year and made up around 7.05 percent of total purchasing volume in 2025. For small producers in the Tramuntana or the south, this means real demand instead of one-off orders.

The group invests not only in technology but also in nature conservation on its doorstep, responding to threats such as warming seas and vanishing seagrass described in Sea off Mallorca: When the Underwater Meadow Disappears. Universal Beach Hotels supports projects to restore Posidonia meadows and algae banks, for example through participation in MedGardens of the Cleanwave Foundation in Cala Reina, near Sant Elm and in Portocolom. Such seagrass meadows are vital for Mallorca: they bind CO2, stabilize sand and provide habitat for fish stocks, as explained in Posidonia on the Beach: Why the Brown 'Leaves' Aren't Trash.

On site, employees and guests organized joint coastal and underwater cleanups, most recently on the beach by the Universal Beach Hotel Marqués in Colònia de Sant Jordi, which relates to concerns covered in Can you still safely swim in the sea around Mallorca? A look at water quality in 2025.

Managing director Yannik Erhart points out in the report that sustainability for the family business is not a PR stunt but a long-term commitment. That sounds plausible on the island: those who walk along the promenade in Colònia de Sant Jordi in the low season often meet the same faces – craftsmen, fishermen, small traders. When hotels strengthen these local cycles, money stays longer on the island and seasonal employment patterns are somewhat smoothed.

What remains to be done? The figures show progress but also room for improvement. More photovoltaics, more consistent thermal insulation and larger shares of regional products would have an effect. Practically, this means for locals and guests: take part in beach actions, pay attention to seasonal products when shopping, or insist on sustainable providers for excursions. This turns the balance from statistics into everyday practice.

In the end, it is a small network of decisions that protects Mallorca: the solar array on the hotel roof, capturing rainwater in the backyard, the orderly collection of waste oil. Together these steps form a story you can hear on a quiet morning in Sant Elm or while clearing the bay in front of Colònia de Sant Jordi – the sound of the sea, voices on the beach, and the certainty that goals turn into real work.