Our Climate Change Commitment

In May 2020, La Résidence signed up to Tourism Declares, an initiative that supports tourism businesses, organizations and individuals in declaring a climate emergency and taking purposeful action to reduce their carbon emissions as per the advice from The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to cut global carbon emissions to 55% below 2017 levels by 2030.

In signing the Climate Emergency Declaration, we made these five commitments.

Develop a 'Climate Emergency Plan'
Share our commitment to progress publicly
Cut our carbon emissions in line with IPCC advice
Work with others in the travel industry
Advocate for change throughout the travel industry

Our Achievements So Far

We all know tourism is a major contributor to global carbon emissions. While transforming our little bed and breakfast won't stop the ice caps from melting single-handedly, we feel a moral duty to do our part.

Of course, we also recognise that any changes we make must still align with what our guests expect from a top-quality stay. Listening to what you want from a memorable holiday remains a priority for us, and we believe we’ve made solid strides towards becoming more environmentally sustainable.

By the end of 2023, we’ve already made the following improvements:

Switched to renewable electricity to power the B&B.
Replaced most halogen bulbs with energy-saving LEDs.
Moved to an online guestbook, ditching paper folders.
Verified our website host uses 100% renewable energy.
Swapped single-use toiletries for vegan, refillable options, certified cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny.
Revamped our breakfast offerings—meat-free, locally sourced where possible—minimising food miles and supporting local producers.
Replaced plastic water bottles in guest rooms with filtered water.
Upgraded guest room supplies from plastic milk and coffee sachets to ground coffee, cafetières, and fresh milk in flasks.
Installed dual-flush toilets, cutting down on water use.
Built a worm farm to compost raw food waste and waved goodbye to artificial fertilisers in our garden.
Switched to reusable or compostable lunch boxes and cutlery.
Changed over to eco-friendly, cruelty-free cleaning products.
Thanks to a French government grant, replaced our oil boiler and immersion heaters with air-to-water heat pumps and thermodynamic water heaters.
Lowered the washing temperature of guest bedding to 40 degrees, reducing energy consumption.
Started tracking our water and energy usage as well as the waste we recycle and discard to assess how well these changes are working—and to guide further improvements.

But we’re not stopping there. We have big plans for the next 18 months, and while some will be easier to implement than others, here’s what’s on the horizon:

Air drying bedding to reduce reliance on tumble dryers (it’ll still be ironed for hygiene, don’t worry!).
Upgrading more guest showers to water-saving models.
Introducing more drought-tolerant plants in the garden, including a new herb and vegetable patch.
Continuing to upgrade electrical appliances to more energy-efficient versions.
Sourcing as much food and drink locally as possible, buying in bulk to cut down on packaging waste and unnecessary car trips.
Involving guests in our climate action plan—sharing our progress, gathering feedback, and welcoming fresh ideas.
Enhancing our guestbook with information on the local flora and fauna, because who doesn’t love learning a little about nature on holiday?

On the energy front, our old oil boiler alone emitted around 3,800 kilograms of CO2, with electricity adding 61 kilograms. With our new heat pumps and water heaters, we're aiming to reduce that down to just 200 kilograms of CO2—a staggering reduction of 3,661 kilograms. That’s a huge step forward!

As for waste, when we began tracking in March 2023, 52% of our waste was general, 24% was recyclable, and 24% was garden waste. We're setting ourselves an ambitious target for this year: 25% general waste, 75% recycling, and 0% garden waste.

Water consumption has been another focus. In July 2020, we and our guests were using an average of 213 litres per person daily. By June 2023, we’d reduced that to 161 litres per person. Our goal? To bring it down to 142 litres per person by 2025—a third less than when we started.

There will undoubtedly be more changes to come, and we hope our guests will continue to inspire us with their own sustainability ideas. We’ll be encouraging everyone to share their thoughts on our plans, and we’re keen to incorporate as many new suggestions as possible.

Your Fun Guide to Being a Responsible Visitor

So, you're here! Welcome to Saint Antonin Noble Val, where we’re all about saving the planet and having a great time. You know the drill—save the whales, hug some trees—but we’ve got a few more tips to help you enjoy this beautiful place while keeping it beautiful for generations to come. And don’t worry, this isn’t about turning you into an eco-warrior—unless you want to be one.

Give your car a holiday too

We get it—getting here might have taken a bit of fuel, but now that you're settled in, why not ditch the car keys and explore on foot or two wheels? This village is packed with charm: artisan shops, cozy cafés, bustling markets, and for the thrill-seekers, there's rock climbing, canoeing, and even paintball (because sometimes you just need to splatter someone in eco-friendly colours). Stretch those legs, breathe the fresh air, and maybe even work off that extra croissant

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle... repeat after us

Let’s avoid turning Saint Antonin into a plastic wonderland. Say no to that extra plastic bag or wrapped-up-within-an-inch-of-its-life snack. We’ve got filtered water here (because we’re fancy like that), so refill your bottles and keep it green. And when it comes to your waste, don’t just dump it anywhere—sort it like the responsible adult you (occasionally!) are. Leave things like batteries, glass bottles, and cans neatly next to the bin in your room, and we’ll handle the recycling while you sip your morning coffee.

Respect Nature... or the squirrel will have words with you

Mother Nature’s watching, so no littering, no fire-starting (please, we like our trees upright and unburnt), and keep to the paths when you’re out exploring. If you’re picnicking, think of it like camping—take nothing but photos, leave nothing but... well, preferably nothing. You don’t want a cute red squirrel to shake its head at you in disappointment, do you?

Shop Local—because you're fancy like that

Forget the mass-produced junk. You're in Saint Antonin now, where the food is tastier, the drinks are stronger, and the crafts are, well, actually crafted by local hands. Check out the markets and buy something unique to remind you of this trip—like a pain aux raisin that smells so good it practically whispers “eat me now.”

Water is Precious (and so are you, but mainly the water)

It’s hot in the summer, which means water restrictions are a thing. Our showers are low-flow, but your water-saving game can be next-level with a few pro moves: take shorter showers, turn off the tap while brushing those pearly whites, and go easy on the toilet flushes (we’ve got that fancy dual-flush situation going on, so use it wisely!).

Be an Energy Ninja

Lights off, windows and shutters shut when its hot and open at night when its cooler, and only boil the water you need for your tea or coffee—because no one likes wasted energy or that awkward moment when your radiator’s fighting a cold draft you left open. Sneaky but effective, right?

Green Tourism—because saving the planet is kind of cool

If you see that Green Tourism symbol, give those businesses a high-five (or at least your money). They’re doing their part to reduce their carbon footprint, and by supporting them, you’re basically saving the world. Oh, and by the way, La Résidence is rocking a Silver Green Tourism Award, and we’re gunning for gold next year, so help us get there—because, yes, Lisa is that competitive.

Now go out there, have fun, and be the eco-hero Saint Antonin didn’t know it needed—but totally deserves!