Environmental Sustainability Governance and Other Sustainability Standards at Selected Private Lodgings in National Parks

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Society and businesses are battling to find models to address their environmental footprints and improve business sustainability. One of the merging and growing approaches to environmental sustainability is Environment Sustainability and Governance (ESG). The usage and adoption of ESG in the tourism industry and its efficacy are poorly understood. This study examined ESG adoption and efficacy in private game lodges in Kruger National Park, South Africa. The study’s principal objective was to explore the initiatives undertaken by private lodges to address their ESG commitments and identify the challenges faced in that regard. Using key informant interviews with lodge management and owners (n-10) and field observations, the study found varying levels of ESG adoption. One of the key drivers of lodge sustainability is to address climate change and ensure compliance and resource efficiency to ensure tourist satisfaction. Amongst other things, lodges are invested in ensuring that water and energy savings and efficiency are at the core of sustainability. Some of the challenges lodges face in ensuring sustainability are the cost of capital investment in some of the technologies for sustainability and the attitudes of tourism role players. The study recommends further research on how tourists' and employees' knowledge and behaviour shape sustainability in private game lodges. tourism climate change sustainability lodges ESG SDG Figures Figure 1 Introduction Tourism is one of the most significant contributors to the global economy (Haini et al., 2024 ; Liu et al., 2023 ; Thommandru et al., 2023 ). Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism industry was one of the fastest-growing economic sectors, contributing significantly to the socioeconomic development of many states (Pang & Wee, 2024 ; Ranasinghe et al., 2020 ). Evidence suggests that even post-COVID-19, the tourism sector’s recovery rate has rapidly outpaced many other industries (Lama & Rai, 2021 ), owing to the sector's resilience. The tourism and hospitality industries have addressed several challenges since the COVID-19 pandemic (Ndhlovu & Dube, 2023 ). These challenges range from fuel war, conflict, unrest, fuel shortage, pollution and climate change, to mention a few (Magnano San Lio et al., 2023 ; Stoddart et al., 2023 ). The tourism sector has proven resilient and is on the path to growth in many sectors and sub-sectors (Abolhasani Komle et al., 2024 ; Ghanem & Ghaley, 2024 ; Moradipour et al., 2023 ). Some tourism sectors have surpassed the pre-pandemic period and are witnessing strong growth in certain markets (Korstanje, 2024 ). The tourism sector is credited with creating numerous jobs, attracting investment, generating foreign exchange, and contributing to local and global gross domestic product (GDP) (Bartelet et al., 2024 ; Dwyer, 2023 ; Thommandru et al., 2023 ). Many state response strategies highlight tourism as a tool that can be used to achieve all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (Kim et al., 2024 ; Marco-Gardoqui et al., 2024 ; Singh et al., 2024 ). The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), which is a United Nations (UN), declared tourism as a key to achieving all the 17 SDGs and its 169 targets (Dube, 2020 ). Tourism is a source of funding for most protected areas, allowing this sector to conserve endangered resources. To that end, tourism promotes the protection of natural resources, which forms the foundation of most nature-based tourism. However, despite the sector’s positive impact, the tourism industry has been accused of causing several social and environmental challenges. The tourism industry contributes immensely to environmental pollution, which has caused ocean challenges (Gössling et al., 2018 ; Kurniawan et al., 2023 ; Yu et al., 2024 ). The tourism industry value chain produces a significant amount of plastic (Jiale & Quoquab, 2023 ), most of which has not been properly disposed of for some time. Consequently, these plastics often enter rivers and oceans, threatening marine life (Gholizadeh et al., 2024 ). Restaurants, for example, use and produce many plastic straws (Kemper et al., 2024 ) that pollute and threaten the marine life. The influx of large numbers of tourists has resulted in mass tourism in some destinations, causing many challenges for host communities (Arlt, 2023 ). In some European countries, anti-tourism sentiments exist because of overpopulation caused by tourism in certain areas (Chamizo-Nieto et al., 2023 ; Williams, 2003 ). The influx of tourists to countries such as Spain is a case in point (Chamizo-Nieto et al., 2023 ; Fichter & Román, 2022 ). In some areas, concerns have been raised over the rise in Airbnb, leading to host communities suffering in some destinations (Negi and Tripathi, 2022 ; Stylidis and Terzidou, 2023 ). The establishment of Airbnb accommodations has caused immense pressure, pushing up rentals and adversely affecting host communities (Cheung & Yiu, 2023 ; Lee & Kim, 2023 ; Seiler et al., 2024 ). In such communities, tourism has been loathed for causing financial suffering for host communities. However, tourism has also been blamed for significantly contributing to greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) that cause climate change (Park & Daniels, 2023 ; Peeters et al., 2024 ). The tourism industry is blamed for contributing approximately 8% of GHG emissions, which cause climate change (Gao & Zhang, 2021 ). For example, the aviation industry has been accused of contributing more than 2% to global GHG emissions. Similarly, the hotel and hospitality industries face several environmental challenges, as they contribute significantly to carbon emissions through the demand for heating, which results in considerable amounts of carbon emissions (Dube & Nhamo, 2021 ; Xu & Dan, 2023 ). The hotel industry is equally blamed for being water-intensive, raising fears of adding pressure to water shortages (Dube, 2022 ) due to climate change and a growing global population. Consequently, the COVID-19 pandemic rallied naysayers, and academics have pushed for a more sustainable approach to tourism (Dwyer 2023 ). This has led to a growing call for tourism degrowth research. Tourism degrowth was anchored by pushing the sector to adopt sustainable practices. Various models have been proposed to address sustainability issues in the business fraternity (Butcher, 2023 ). The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and Environmental Sustainability Governance (ESG) frameworks are the latest attempts to address the economic, social, and environmental challenges imposed by businesses (Delgado-Ceballos et al., 2023 ; Efthymiou et al., 2023 ; Singh et al., 2024 ; Wang et al., 2024 ). The tourism industry is one such sector that requires a robust sustainability framework that is responsive to the sector’s environmental footprint. Most tourists have been pushing for tourism entities to be more proactive in solving the socioeconomic and environmental challenges they face (Herman et al. 2024 ). The emergence of terms such as responsible tourism, ecotourism, and sustainable tourism has anchored the promotion of a more just, equitable, and responsible tourism industry (Mabibibi et al., 2021 ). Given the costly environmental footprint of the hospitality industry and the growing calls for sustainability within the tourism and hospitality industry, there is a growing demand for the sector to be fully responsible for sustainability issues. Evidence shows that tourism enterprises that are more responsive to environmental concerns, called green hotels, are growing in popularity as green consumerism becomes more prevalent (Qubbaj et al., 2023 ; Tan, 2022 ). Consequently, the hospitality sector is under intense pressure to demonstrate its continuous commitment to sustainability to appeal to tourists, hospitality business shareholders, and other stakeholders who demand environmental accountability (Dube, 2021 ). The ESG framework in the context of SDGs has been used recently as a blueprint for sustainable business practice (Neri, 2021 ; Requicha Ferreira, 2022 ); however, it is not clear if and how the tourism hospitality industry, in the form of hotels, has adopted this new approach to foster and drive environmental accountability despite its growing usage in other sectors of the economy. This study emerged from this recognition and the need to respond to this critical research gap. The study findings can assist enterprises that are lagging in taking the necessary corrective steps as the world edges towards the lapse of the SDGs in 2030. Stumpf et al. (016, argue that the shortage of ESG studies in the tourism sectorhas adversely impactedn the adoption of sustainability within industry sectors. The tourism sector suffers from a lack of ESG and green skills, which militates against advances in sustainability (Srivastava et al., 2023 ). This study is equally crucial, as it has the potential to inform policy and practice in the protected areas of South Africa and beyond. Sustainability scholars support the call for such studies (Shereni and Rogerson, 2023 ). Therefore, this study examines the adoption of ESG and other sustainability frameworks in private lodgings in Kruger National Park. Research Methodology This study adopted a qualitative research approach that involved studying single research study unit areas in the form of game lodges and hotels in the Kruger National Park. This was done in light of the dictates of the case study approach. A qualitative research approach is an approach “that explores phenomena or social realities as they are experienced with a focus on their expressions, attitudes, cultures, beliefs, ideas, and intentions’ (Lahiri, 2023 :1). The qualitative research approach is critical in that it assists in understanding humanistic or idealistic perspectives and finds resonance and high usage in the social sciences (Planing, 2014 ). The qualitative research approach is compatible with several theories, such as ethnography, narrative analysis and case studies, to mention but a few. This study examined various cases of different lodges and hotels in the Kruger National Park. The case study research approach was preferred for this study because it allowed for an in-depth analysis and understanding of the phenomena under study. Case studies are lauded for their versatility, as they can be used in various fields and offer numerous advantages. Its holistic nature allows for a comprehensive understanding of subjects within real-life contexts (Stake & Visse, 2023 ). Case studies also allow researchers to answer how and why questions, providing them with an opportunity to delve deeper into the subject matter (Brown, 2023 ). In business studies, case studies are renowned for allowing a window into contextual realities and the transition from theory to reality. This allows students to master complex managerial situations (Elstub and Pomatto 2022 ). Sheng ( 2023 ) is adamant that the case study research approach offers in-depth insights which allow for workable managerial solutions to business challenges, making it a powerful tool that can be utilised in problem-solving and academic investigations. Therefore, a case study research approach was found to be ideal for this study. Data were collected through semi-structured key informant interviews with 10 respondents and a target sample size of 12 lodges or hotels. Ordinarily, a sample size of between 4 and 20 respondents is considered adequate for key informant interviews to reach data saturation through careful selection of respondents(Crouch & McKenzie, 2006 ; Muellmann et al., 2021 ). The semi-structured interviews were designed to allow respondents to provide a narrative of their ESG initiatives as naturally as possible. The interviews were conducted with lodge managers or sustainability managers at the highest management level using an interview guide that had 10 questions designed to last between 30 minutes and an hour. The questions ranged from how the company considered social, environmental, and economic issues within its business. Questions regarding the initiatives taken by various game lodges and hotels appealing to various ESG frameworks using the United Nations World Tourism Organisation draft framework for tourism. The Framework identifies and proposes various aspects that the tourism has to be evaluated such as water savings, energy savings, biodiversity conservation initiatives, societal intervention initiatives on gender equity, and how companies were assisting host communities in meeting various ESG challenges, were identified and probed. In addition to key informant interviews, the study relied on field observations of some of the activities and interventions undertaken as part of triangulation to validate some of the narratives regarding what lodges and hotels are doing to address ESG issues in their space. The observations were informed by the research questions and sub-research questions regarding what to look for in the data. This included inspecting and observing installed water-saving technology, installed renewable energy technology, evidence of recycling initiatives, and observation and auditing of documents for various ESG initiatives to ascertain and validate interview data. The use of field observations in research is supported across various fields of research as an indispensable tool that assists in providing rich contextual data that enhances the depth and breadth of understanding of the subject matter (Santos et al., 2016 ). This approach is critical for aiding the collection of primary data, which provides insights that cannot be obtained using other research methods (Hunt, 2022 ). The data collection followed strict ethical consideration with the study having received ethics clearance from UNISA School of Business Leadership Research Ethics Review Committee. The research received ethical clearance number 2024_SBL_MBL_052_FA_4556. Research participation was through informed consent and anonymity was ensured through aggregate reporting and none collection of personal data. Research permission was obtained from South African National Parks. This study used a qualitative data analysis approach. The first step in the data analysis was to organise the data according to how it was collected. The next step was to transcribe the data and convert the audio files into a formatted document to allow for content and thematic analysis using MAXQDA 24. The software allows seamless uploading, transcription, and downloading of data in various formats such as Word. Subsequently, the researcher read the manuscripts of the transcribed data in-depth to ensure accuracy. During this process, initial thoughts on potential themes and codes were initiated. This also allowed the researcher to conduct a data-cleaning process in preparation for the analysis. The coding process was then started using MAXQDA software, with the description of codes informed by various ESG and sustainability themes. Various colour schemes were used in the tagging process to allow the visualisation of various thematic issues. The Autocode tool was also used for the quick analysis of data using ESG, sustainability, and thematic issues. With the research questions in mind, sustainability reports, company reports, and other project reports were extensively read to identify materials that answered specific research questions to assist in answering the principal research questions and other sub-questions. Results and Discussions UNWTO Tourism ESG Draft Framework in Context The study found that more than a dozen private lodges operate in the park. The study found that even though accommodation enterprises are conscious of the concept of ESG, they are not yet being reported specifically as ESG. However, there are various reporting frameworks, and some companies use the SDG framework, given that the tourism sector has not yet developed and approved a sector-specific framework. Nonetheless, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) produced a draft framework which was used to analyse the results and categorise efforts by private game lodges in the Kruger National Park. Therefore, the analysis of the results will follow the prescripts of the draft tourism framework, and the reports will look at the three broad categories under the environmental, social, and governance categories. The results will be reported in their category specifics, where the challenges and opportunities will be covered in their own sections. Environment This section covers the environmental aspects of the tourism ESG draft framework, which is related to climate change and energy resources, water, circular economy, waste management, and biodiversity issues. This section and its subsections will be devoted to highlight the efforts that cover these aspects. Climate change and energy resources Given the increased concern over the carbon risk of tourism operations, accommodation establishments are making strides in addressing energy efficiency issues through various approaches. Amongst other things, lodges are rolling out an energy efficiency system that relies on an LED system. All lodging indicated that their lighting utilised an LED lighting system. Integrating LED lights in safari lodge accommodation establishments offers numerous benefits, including ensuring that these hotels achieve energy efficiency (Menegaki & Agiomirgianakis, 2019 ). LED lights consume far less energy, up to 70% (Chan et al., 2017 ), than conventional lighting, which assists in reducing the carbon footprint from lodges, which causes greenhouse gas emissions responsible for climate change. One of the lodges indicated that their “…LED lighting system was 75% more efficient.” LED lights also allow lodges to make aesthetic enhancements, which is appealing to customers, particularly those who are eco-conscious and form the bulk of visitors to national parks. LED lights have been found to have a longer life (Adhikari et al., 2023 ) in terms of durability, which translates to additional cost savings, apart from energy cost reductions. The lodges are located in an ecologically sensitive area dominated by wildlife, and there is a greater need to ensure that light pollution is minimised. LED assist in minimising light pollution, which ensures minimal light and results in less wildlife disturbance. The lodge establishments also reported that as part of dealing with the issues of carbon emissions, they were opting to make use of gas as a critical component in their daily cooking in the kitchens, and some lodges indicated that to ensure energy efficiency, their geyser system had been migrated to gas-powered geysers. In addition, some lodges indicated that, given that they were located in a very hot region, they had developed an automated system that was timed to ensure that air conditioners were switched to precool rooms before tourists arrived for their afternoon check-ins. This ensures that organisations save electricity while ensuring a positive experience for tourists. One lodge manager indicated that there was a deliberate effort to conduct load management, where high energy-demanding appliances were used during off-peak times to reduce the cost of electricity. Lodges also had initiatives in place to shut off air conditioners and other electric appliances in spaces that are not used. Among other things, the lodges purchased high-energy efficiency appliances. Smart thermostats and timers were used to automate device operations to reduce energy waste. To augment the above efforts, lodges encouraged the air-drying of linen wherever possible to ensure energy savings and conducted regular audits and reviews to identify ways of optimising energy. Given that the lodges are located in a protected area, they have made a lot of effort to ensure that they construct the lodges using locally sourced thatched material to cut back on carbon footprint, but critically build into the local environment, such as trees, to ensure that there is minimal destruction of trees during construction and that the trees assist in thermal regulation of temperature in the hot region of Skukuza. Buildings enmeshed in trees provide adequate shade, cooling down temperatures, and creating a refreshing tourist ambience. The lodges are also investing in the diversification of various renewable energy technologies to ensure energy sustainability from a supply side perspective, including the purchase of generators as part of a backup supply system. It is equally important to invest in renewable energy sources, such as solar technology. Solar technology assists hotels in reducing their reliance on Eskom-generated electricity, which is largely coal-based and generated electricity. This has resulted in a good energy mix with most lodging, indicating ambitions to transition to renewables in the form of solar energy. One lodge manager indicated that “… we have seen a drastic decline of our energy consumption from Eskom electricity due to our reliance on solar energy.” Solar energy is a part of climate change mitigation. Lodges indicated that to ensure maximum harvesting of solar energy, the panels were cleaned weekly. Water and Waste Management Efforts Private lodges in the Kruger National Park (KNP) are equally involved in various efforts to save water. Water scarcity has been identified as a threat to the KNP due to climate change and increased water demand from tourists (Dube & Nhamo, 2020 ). For some lodges, SANParks supplies water, which monitors water use and prescribes limits. If the limits are exceeded, the park issues warnings that act as an incentive or deterrent for lodges to save water. Several lodges have greywater recycling infrastructure to ensure that wastewater is reused, which minimises the water footprint of the lodges in the park. This helps manage critically scarce water resources. Lodges also indicated that given the water scarcity they often experience, staff is trained to be on alert for water leaks, which are mandatorily supposed to be reported as soon as they are detected to avoid water loss. Guests are also encouraged to take shorter showers and reuse their linen as an option as part of the water demand management strategy. Where water is needed and used for irrigation, the recommendation is that this be done late in the evening to reduce evaporation and maximise effective moisture. Drip irrigation and planting of drought-resistant plants can reduce water use. When washing cars, lodges use pressure hoses or buckets to reduce the amount of water used. The lodges indicated that adopting low-flow showerheads is one of the measures to ensure water efficiency and savings in the long run. One manager reported that “..at some point, we removed the large showerheads we had in our bathrooms to ensure we did not compromise customer experience..” They also reported that tourists were encouraged to use showers instead of water-intensive bathtubs. The hotel industry is known for producing significant waste material throughout its life cycle (Dube et al., 2020 ). This waste can end up in the environment as either land or water pollution or both. The lodges adopt a wide array of waste management practices, including, among others, separating waste at the point of source, and some lodges have put in place infrastructure such as water bottling as a means of reducing plastic waste, where water is refilled at the lodges in stainless steel or glass bottles which are recyclable. The lodges indicated that they made equal efforts to engage suppliers to replace plastic with other alternatives to avoid single-use plastic in their operations. Reusable materials are used to minimise waste across operations and the value chain. In some respects, biodegradable materials are used in lodges to ensure that minimal waste production ends up in landfills. Environmentally friendly biodegradable waste is used in toilets and bathrooms with environmental considerations. Biodiversity Considerations by Lodges in Kruger National Parks Private lodges adopt various ways of ensuring the protection of biodiversity, which forms the core foundation of tourism products, besides ensuring that proper environmental impact assessments are conducted for every project to minimise environmental harm. Some lodges indicated that they have projects aimed at protecting endangered wildlife species, either through anti-poaching activities or by investing money in projects that assist in the conservation and preservation of such species. This is critical for areas such as the Kruger National Park, where poaching (Eikelboom & Prins, 2024 ) and climate change threaten several wildlife species. One of the lodges had a beekeeping project aimed at ensuring the protection of bee species. The bee population has been in decline over the years, and their protection is critical to ensuring a continued balanced ecosystem, given the role of bees in the ecosystem. On the other hand, some establishments put a lot of emphasis on environmental education for their guests to empower them to become better environmental stewards and ensure that the environment is protected. Some lodges had conservation projects in their host communities. Supply Chain and Local Procurement Most lodges indicated that as part of their strategy to respond to sustainability initiatives, they worked closely with neighbouring communities to source some of the products and services as part of their sustainability initiatives. Some of the products that were sourced locally included vegetable supplies. Lodges indicated that in some setups, they had formed relationships with local suppliers capable of producing organic vegetables, ensuring environmental protection, and producing healthy diets for their guests. In addition, most lodges equally utilised furniture produced by local suppliers (Fig. 1 ). Most importantly, most establishments had a curio shop selling local merchandise to tourists. This offers tourists an opportunity to source sustainably produced souvenirs, particularly international tourists, who form the bulk of the market for these largely five-star lodge enterprises. This initiative has been found to be effective in creating local economic opportunities and supporting local business enterprises for the local population (Dube, 2021 ). In addition, this ensures that lodges can reduce their carbon emissions. Governance Workforce The lodges indicated that apart from contributing to excellent tourism experiences, they were also involved in entities that could provide much-needed employment for the local population groups, with the bulk of their employees coming from the local communities surrounding the park. One establishment indicated that we have “… 178 employees, and most of them are from the local community, and as a company, we do abide by employment equity requirements although we are struggling to meet our targets on disability.” In many respects, the enterprise adheres to local employment standards and contributes to addressing the challenges of unemployment faced by the communities surrounding the park. Two managers who participated in the interviews indicated that they came from communities surrounding the national park. In addition, the other lodges have programs that recruit graduates into lodges, where graduates are exposed to on-the-job training and are paid stipends in preparation for the job market in the tourism industry. One establishment indicated that it had 86 graduate students from the local community who were training in various skills in the tourism sector, such as cooking and other hospitality duties. All lodges indicated that they were addressing gender equity through their employment equity targets. Community engagement with private lodges and tourists In the quest to ensure that lodges appeal to local needs, the enterprises that participated in the research noted that they have mechanisms to work with local communities through community liaison officers who bridge tourism business entities and communities. Community liaison officers are crucial in providing the interface between tourism entities and society and identifying key intervention projects that can prop up relations between the two. Some projects identified include school sponsorship projects, women empowerment programs, and preschool projects, where lodges sponsor financial and other critical resources to support educational activities. Given the shortcomings of government funding, such intervention projects are crucial in ensuring the delivery of quality education in these rural entities, which are vulnerable to poverty and inequality. One lodge sustainability manager indicated, "… last year alone; we distributed several sanitary pads to schools, which assisted in ensuring dignity and sanitary wellbeing of female students..” The local communities also benefit immensely from the local procurement program, which seeks to source the bulk of lodge supplies within 50 km of the park, sustaining business and creating a ripple effect whenever such goods and services are available. One lodge indicated that, as part of this initiative, waste generated by lodges was processed by local companies that recycled and repurposed waste. Some of the tissue paper was produced from waste generated by lodges and resold to the lodges. Some lodges have facilities for tourists who visit their lodges to interact with host communities. The lodges have paid for tours to local communities where tourists spend a day and identify intervention projects. Part of what emerged was that tourists are crucial in assisting communities with some of the challenges they face. One lodge manager noted, "… in recent weeks, we have experienced a storm that destroyed schools and homes; one of the tourists is assisting with rebuilding destroyed infrastructure in our local community.” Governance of Private Lodges The lodges believe that they have relevant request governance structures that are responsive and accountable to the manner in which they conduct their businesses ethically and sustainably. Lodges indicated that part of the accountability process is to monitor their activities, assess the impact on the environment, tourists, and employees, and take remedial steps to ensure sustainability. Part of this effort is reflected in having sustainability champions who monitor and report on sustainability initiatives conducted by lodges. Having dedicated environmental and sustainability officers assists in consolidating these efforts and reflects the lodges' desire to ensure sustainability. Lodges indicated that they have baselines for resource use, such as electricity and water, with the aim of continuous improvement and ensuring excellence in tourism. To this extent, lodges produce various reports based on timely monitoring and reporting of their sustainability efforts. Enterprises also report on critical legislative requirements, such as employment equity. Most importantly, the lodges indicated that they had to report on their operations to the South African National Parks (SANParks), which oversees the park's sustainability. Some reports are prepared monthly, while others are prepared annually. Challenges in ensuring Sustainability in KNP Private lodges The lodges reported various challenges they face in meeting their sustainability aspirations, which are diverse and varied. One of the challenges that emerged was that it is not always easy to respond positively to the sustainability call and simultaneously meet some of the tourist’s requirements. Some tourists are not interested in participating in efforts to ensure that sustainability initiatives are achieved. In addition to tourists' buy-in challenges, the research participants also noted that they experienced buy-in challenges from employees. This requires continuous motivation, training, and other interventions to ensure that enterprises achieve the desired results. This requires time and resources. Lodges indicated that although they want to go full force on their sustainability journey, the cost of achieving sustainability can be prohibitive in many respects, which acts as a challenge. Capital financing costs require substantial amounts of money, which are not always available. As such, they must travel the sustainability route step by step using a phased approach to reach their goal. In some instances, even if finances are available, lodges noted that the technology is not always available on the market, and they sometimes face compatibility issues. One lodge manager noted that due to load shedding, some of our technology often required resetting, which posed several challenges to the staff. In some instances, the challenges were with technology that requires the internet to operate, and given the area's remote location, internet and WIFI connectivity are not always reliable. Extreme weather events attributed to climate change have also been identified as a critical challenge facing establishments. During the time of fieldwork, one enterprise noted that due to an extreme wind storm, they experienced severe damage to infrastructure, which also destroyed some solar panels with an estimated cost of R250,000, having been lost in less than an hour. They noted that not only was infrastructure lost, but also very old trees, some of which were more than 100 years old. Such trees have been reported to provide critical shade and regulate temperature in camp areas. Camps that were established a long time ago also face challenges of costly retrofits, which, in some instances, are reportedly beyond their reach. Conclusions This study sought to examine the sustainability initiatives adopted by private lodges in the Kruger National Park. In this regard, the study found that enterprises have several initiatives aimed at addressing issues of water, energy, and waste management and other critical aspects relevant to the SDGs, such as education and biodiversity conservation. Energy security and other efforts are addressed by lodges principally from a climate change and cost-saving perspective. `Achieving sustainability has its share of challenges that must be discussed by lodges, which range from stakeholder buy-in, the cost of capital financing, prohibitive costs of retrofits, and the slow pace of technological transfer. Such challenges must be addressed to allow for greater movement in addressing the challenges faced by lodges. The threat of climate change requires a solution, as it threatens sustainability. A coordinated approach can go a long way in addressing some of the challenges faced by lodges in this regard. Declarations Author Contribution Kaitano Dube wrote the main manuscript text including conceptualisation, while Adeola Oluwatoyin Osundiran supervised and edited the emanuscript including quality assurance. Funding Declaration: No Funding was received for this research to declare Availability of Data and Materials: Data will be made available upon request in line with the ethics approval regulations. Ethics, Consent to Participate, and Consent to Publish declarations: The protocol was approved by UNISA School of Business Leadership Research Ethics Review Committee. The research received ethical clearance number 2024_SBL_MBL_052_FA_4556. 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Ocean and coastal tourism: National or regional culture on culinary selection of inbound tourists. Ocean Coastal Manage. 2024;249:106981. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2023.106981 . Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviews received at journal 15 May, 2026 Reviews received at journal 13 May, 2026 Reviews received at journal 05 May, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 25 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 22 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 21 Apr, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 20 Apr, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 20 Apr, 2026 Editor invited by journal 10 Apr, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 31 Mar, 2026 First submitted to journal 30 Mar, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism industry was one of the fastest-growing economic sectors, contributing significantly to the socioeconomic development of many states (Pang \u0026amp; Wee, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR48\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Ranasinghe et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR53\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). Evidence suggests that even post-COVID-19, the tourism sector\u0026rsquo;s recovery rate has rapidly outpaced many other industries (Lama \u0026amp; Rai, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e), owing to the sector's resilience. The tourism and hospitality industries have addressed several challenges since the COVID-19 pandemic (Ndhlovu \u0026amp; Dube, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR45\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). These challenges range from fuel war, conflict, unrest, fuel shortage, pollution and climate change, to mention a few (Magnano San Lio et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Stoddart et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR63\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). The tourism sector has proven resilient and is on the path to growth in many sectors and sub-sectors (Abolhasani Komle et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Ghanem \u0026amp; Ghaley, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Moradipour et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR43\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Some tourism sectors have surpassed the pre-pandemic period and are witnessing strong growth in certain markets (Korstanje, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe tourism sector is credited with creating numerous jobs, attracting investment, generating foreign exchange, and contributing to local and global gross domestic product (GDP) (Bartelet et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Dwyer, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Thommandru et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR67\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Many state response strategies highlight tourism as a tool that can be used to achieve all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (Kim et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Marco-Gardoqui et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR41\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Singh et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR60\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), which is a United Nations (UN), declared tourism as a key to achieving all the 17 SDGs and its 169 targets (Dube, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). Tourism is a source of funding for most protected areas, allowing this sector to conserve endangered resources. To that end, tourism promotes the protection of natural resources, which forms the foundation of most nature-based tourism.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHowever, despite the sector\u0026rsquo;s positive impact, the tourism industry has been accused of causing several social and environmental challenges. The tourism industry contributes immensely to environmental pollution, which has caused ocean challenges (G\u0026ouml;ssling et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; Kurniawan et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Yu et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR71\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). The tourism industry value chain produces a significant amount of plastic (Jiale \u0026amp; Quoquab, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e), most of which has not been properly disposed of for some time. Consequently, these plastics often enter rivers and oceans, threatening marine life (Gholizadeh et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). Restaurants, for example, use and produce many plastic straws (Kemper et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e) that pollute and threaten the marine life.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe influx of large numbers of tourists has resulted in mass tourism in some destinations, causing many challenges for host communities (Arlt, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). In some European countries, anti-tourism sentiments exist because of overpopulation caused by tourism in certain areas (Chamizo-Nieto et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Williams, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR69\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2003\u003c/span\u003e). The influx of tourists to countries such as Spain is a case in point (Chamizo-Nieto et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Fichter \u0026amp; Rom\u0026aacute;n, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn some areas, concerns have been raised over the rise in Airbnb, leading to host communities suffering in some destinations (Negi and Tripathi, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR46\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Stylidis and Terzidou, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR65\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). The establishment of Airbnb accommodations has caused immense pressure, pushing up rentals and adversely affecting host communities (Cheung \u0026amp; Yiu, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Lee \u0026amp; Kim, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Seiler et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR57\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). In such communities, tourism has been loathed for causing financial suffering for host communities.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHowever, tourism has also been blamed for significantly contributing to greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) that cause climate change (Park \u0026amp; Daniels, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR49\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Peeters et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR50\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). The tourism industry is blamed for contributing approximately 8% of GHG emissions, which cause climate change (Gao \u0026amp; Zhang, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). For example, the aviation industry has been accused of contributing more than 2% to global GHG emissions. Similarly, the hotel and hospitality industries face several environmental challenges, as they contribute significantly to carbon emissions through the demand for heating, which results in considerable amounts of carbon emissions (Dube \u0026amp; Nhamo, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Xu \u0026amp; Dan, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR70\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). The hotel industry is equally blamed for being water-intensive, raising fears of adding pressure to water shortages (Dube, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e) due to climate change and a growing global population.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eConsequently, the COVID-19 pandemic rallied naysayers, and academics have pushed for a more sustainable approach to tourism (Dwyer \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). This has led to a growing call for tourism degrowth research. Tourism degrowth was anchored by pushing the sector to adopt sustainable practices. Various models have been proposed to address sustainability issues in the business fraternity (Butcher, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and Environmental Sustainability Governance (ESG) frameworks are the latest attempts to address the economic, social, and environmental challenges imposed by businesses (Delgado-Ceballos et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Efthymiou et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Singh et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR60\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Wang et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR68\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). The tourism industry is one such sector that requires a robust sustainability framework that is responsive to the sector\u0026rsquo;s environmental footprint. Most tourists have been pushing for tourism entities to be more proactive in solving the socioeconomic and environmental challenges they face (Herman et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe emergence of terms such as responsible tourism, ecotourism, and sustainable tourism has anchored the promotion of a more just, equitable, and responsible tourism industry (Mabibibi et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). Given the costly environmental footprint of the hospitality industry and the growing calls for sustainability within the tourism and hospitality industry, there is a growing demand for the sector to be fully responsible for sustainability issues. Evidence shows that tourism enterprises that are more responsive to environmental concerns, called green hotels, are growing in popularity as green consumerism becomes more prevalent (Qubbaj et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR52\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Tan, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR66\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Consequently, the hospitality sector is under intense pressure to demonstrate its continuous commitment to sustainability to appeal to tourists, hospitality business shareholders, and other stakeholders who demand environmental accountability (Dube, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe ESG framework in the context of SDGs has been used recently as a blueprint for sustainable business practice (Neri, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR47\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Requicha Ferreira, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR54\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e); however, it is not clear if and how the tourism hospitality industry, in the form of hotels, has adopted this new approach to foster and drive environmental accountability despite its growing usage in other sectors of the economy. This study emerged from this recognition and the need to respond to this critical research gap. The study findings can assist enterprises that are lagging in taking the necessary corrective steps as the world edges towards the lapse of the SDGs in 2030. Stumpf et al. (016, argue that the shortage of ESG studies in the tourism sectorhas adversely impactedn the adoption of sustainability within industry sectors. The tourism sector suffers from a lack of ESG and green skills, which militates against advances in sustainability (Srivastava et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR61\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). This study is equally crucial, as it has the potential to inform policy and practice in the protected areas of South Africa and beyond. Sustainability scholars support the call for such studies (Shereni and Rogerson, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR59\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTherefore, this study examines the adoption of ESG and other sustainability frameworks in private lodgings in Kruger National Park.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Research Methodology","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study adopted a qualitative research approach that involved studying single research study unit areas in the form of game lodges and hotels in the Kruger National Park. This was done in light of the dictates of the case study approach. A qualitative research approach is an approach “that explores phenomena or social realities as they are experienced with a focus on their expressions, attitudes, cultures, beliefs, ideas, and intentions’ (Lahiri, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e:1). The qualitative research approach is critical in that it assists in understanding humanistic or idealistic perspectives and finds resonance and high usage in the social sciences (Planing, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe qualitative research approach is compatible with several theories, such as ethnography, narrative analysis and case studies, to mention but a few. This study examined various cases of different lodges and hotels in the Kruger National Park. The case study research approach was preferred for this study because it allowed for an in-depth analysis and understanding of the phenomena under study. Case studies are lauded for their versatility, as they can be used in various fields and offer numerous advantages. Its holistic nature allows for a comprehensive understanding of subjects within real-life contexts (Stake \u0026amp; Visse, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCase studies also allow researchers to answer how and why questions, providing them with an opportunity to delve deeper into the subject matter (Brown, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). In business studies, case studies are renowned for allowing a window into contextual realities and the transition from theory to reality. This allows students to master complex managerial situations (Elstub and Pomatto \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Sheng (\u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e) is adamant that the case study research approach offers in-depth insights which allow for workable managerial solutions to business challenges, making it a powerful tool that can be utilised in problem-solving and academic investigations. Therefore, a case study research approach was found to be ideal for this study.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eData were collected through semi-structured key informant interviews with 10 respondents and a target sample size of 12 lodges or hotels. Ordinarily, a sample size of between 4 and 20 respondents is considered adequate for key informant interviews to reach data saturation through careful selection of respondents(Crouch \u0026amp; McKenzie, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e; Muellmann et al., \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). The semi-structured interviews were designed to allow respondents to provide a narrative of their ESG initiatives as naturally as possible.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe interviews were conducted with lodge managers or sustainability managers at the highest management level using an interview guide that had 10 questions designed to last between 30 minutes and an hour. The questions ranged from how the company considered social, environmental, and economic issues within its business. Questions regarding the initiatives taken by various game lodges and hotels appealing to various ESG frameworks using the United Nations World Tourism Organisation draft framework for tourism. The Framework identifies and proposes various aspects that the tourism has to be evaluated such as water savings, energy savings, biodiversity conservation initiatives, societal intervention initiatives on gender equity, and how companies were assisting host communities in meeting various ESG challenges, were identified and probed.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn addition to key informant interviews, the study relied on field observations of some of the activities and interventions undertaken as part of triangulation to validate some of the narratives regarding what lodges and hotels are doing to address ESG issues in their space. The observations were informed by the research questions and sub-research questions regarding what to look for in the data. This included inspecting and observing installed water-saving technology, installed renewable energy technology, evidence of recycling initiatives, and observation and auditing of documents for various ESG initiatives to ascertain and validate interview data. The use of field observations in research is supported across various fields of research as an indispensable tool that assists in providing rich contextual data that enhances the depth and breadth of understanding of the subject matter (Santos et al., \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e). This approach is critical for aiding the collection of primary data, which provides insights that cannot be obtained using other research methods (Hunt, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe data collection followed strict ethical consideration with the study having received ethics clearance from UNISA School of Business Leadership Research Ethics Review Committee. The research received ethical clearance number 2024_SBL_MBL_052_FA_4556. Research participation was through informed consent and anonymity was ensured through aggregate reporting and none collection of personal data. Research permission was obtained from South African National Parks.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study used a qualitative data analysis approach. The first step in the data analysis was to organise the data according to how it was collected. The next step was to transcribe the data and convert the audio files into a formatted document to allow for content and thematic analysis using MAXQDA 24. The software allows seamless uploading, transcription, and downloading of data in various formats such as Word. Subsequently, the researcher read the manuscripts of the transcribed data in-depth to ensure accuracy. During this process, initial thoughts on potential themes and codes were initiated. This also allowed the researcher to conduct a data-cleaning process in preparation for the analysis.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe coding process was then started using MAXQDA software, with the description of codes informed by various ESG and sustainability themes. Various colour schemes were used in the tagging process to allow the visualisation of various thematic issues. The Autocode tool was also used for the quick analysis of data using ESG, sustainability, and thematic issues.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWith the research questions in mind, sustainability reports, company reports, and other project reports were extensively read to identify materials that answered specific research questions to assist in answering the principal research questions and other sub-questions.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\n\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n "},{"header":"Results and Discussions","content":"\u003ch2\u003eUNWTO Tourism ESG Draft Framework in Context\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe study found that more than a dozen private lodges operate in the park. The study found that even though accommodation enterprises are conscious of the concept of ESG, they are not yet being reported specifically as ESG. However, there are various reporting frameworks, and some companies use the SDG framework, given that the tourism sector has not yet developed and approved a sector-specific framework. Nonetheless, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) produced a draft framework which was used to analyse the results and categorise efforts by private game lodges in the Kruger National Park. Therefore, the analysis of the results will follow the prescripts of the draft tourism framework, and the reports will look at the three broad categories under the environmental, social, and governance categories. The results will be reported in their category specifics, where the challenges and opportunities will be covered in their own sections.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eEnvironment\u003c/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis section covers the environmental aspects of the tourism ESG draft framework, which is related to climate change and energy resources, water, circular economy, waste management, and biodiversity issues. This section and its subsections will be devoted to highlight the efforts that cover these aspects.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eClimate change and energy resources\u003c/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eGiven the increased concern over the carbon risk of tourism operations, accommodation establishments are making strides in addressing energy efficiency issues through various approaches. Amongst other things, lodges are rolling out an energy efficiency system that relies on an LED system. All lodging indicated that their lighting utilised an LED lighting system. Integrating LED lights in safari lodge accommodation establishments offers numerous benefits, including ensuring that these hotels achieve energy efficiency (Menegaki \u0026amp; Agiomirgianakis, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e). LED lights consume far less energy, up to 70% (Chan et al., \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e), than conventional lighting, which assists in reducing the carbon footprint from lodges, which causes greenhouse gas emissions responsible for climate change. One of the lodges indicated that their “…LED lighting system was 75% more efficient.”\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLED lights also allow lodges to make aesthetic enhancements, which is appealing to customers, particularly those who are eco-conscious and form the bulk of visitors to national parks. LED lights have been found to have a longer life (Adhikari et al., \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e) in terms of durability, which translates to additional cost savings, apart from energy cost reductions. The lodges are located in an ecologically sensitive area dominated by wildlife, and there is a greater need to ensure that light pollution is minimised. LED assist in minimising light pollution, which ensures minimal light and results in less wildlife disturbance.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe lodge establishments also reported that as part of dealing with the issues of carbon emissions, they were opting to make use of gas as a critical component in their daily cooking in the kitchens, and some lodges indicated that to ensure energy efficiency, their geyser system had been migrated to gas-powered geysers.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn addition, some lodges indicated that, given that they were located in a very hot region, they had developed an automated system that was timed to ensure that air conditioners were switched to precool rooms before tourists arrived for their afternoon check-ins. This ensures that organisations save electricity while ensuring a positive experience for tourists. One lodge manager indicated that there was a deliberate effort to conduct load management, where high energy-demanding appliances were used during off-peak times to reduce the cost of electricity. Lodges also had initiatives in place to shut off air conditioners and other electric appliances in spaces that are not used.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAmong other things, the lodges purchased high-energy efficiency appliances. Smart thermostats and timers were used to automate device operations to reduce energy waste. To augment the above efforts, lodges encouraged the air-drying of linen wherever possible to ensure energy savings and conducted regular audits and reviews to identify ways of optimising energy.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGiven that the lodges are located in a protected area, they have made a lot of effort to ensure that they construct the lodges using locally sourced thatched material to cut back on carbon footprint, but critically build into the local environment, such as trees, to ensure that there is minimal destruction of trees during construction and that the trees assist in thermal regulation of temperature in the hot region of Skukuza. Buildings enmeshed in trees provide adequate shade, cooling down temperatures, and creating a refreshing tourist ambience.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe lodges are also investing in the diversification of various renewable energy technologies to ensure energy sustainability from a supply side perspective, including the purchase of generators as part of a backup supply system. It is equally important to invest in renewable energy sources, such as solar technology. Solar technology assists hotels in reducing their reliance on Eskom-generated electricity, which is largely coal-based and generated electricity. This has resulted in a good energy mix with most lodging, indicating ambitions to transition to renewables in the form of solar energy. One lodge manager indicated that “… we have seen a drastic decline of our energy consumption from Eskom electricity due to our reliance on solar energy.” Solar energy is a part of climate change mitigation. Lodges indicated that to ensure maximum harvesting of solar energy, the panels were cleaned weekly.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWater and Waste Management Efforts\u003c/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003ePrivate lodges in the Kruger National Park (KNP) are equally involved in various efforts to save water. Water scarcity has been identified as a threat to the KNP due to climate change and increased water demand from tourists (Dube \u0026amp; Nhamo, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). For some lodges, SANParks supplies water, which monitors water use and prescribes limits. If the limits are exceeded, the park issues warnings that act as an incentive or deterrent for lodges to save water. Several lodges have greywater recycling infrastructure to ensure that wastewater is reused, which minimises the water footprint of the lodges in the park. This helps manage critically scarce water resources.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLodges also indicated that given the water scarcity they often experience, staff is trained to be on alert for water leaks, which are mandatorily supposed to be reported as soon as they are detected to avoid water loss. Guests are also encouraged to take shorter showers and reuse their linen as an option as part of the water demand management strategy.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhere water is needed and used for irrigation, the recommendation is that this be done late in the evening to reduce evaporation and maximise effective moisture. Drip irrigation and planting of drought-resistant plants can reduce water use. When washing cars, lodges use pressure hoses or buckets to reduce the amount of water used. The lodges indicated that adopting low-flow showerheads is one of the measures to ensure water efficiency and savings in the long run. One manager reported that “..at some point, we removed the large showerheads we had in our bathrooms to ensure we did not compromise customer experience..” They also reported that tourists were encouraged to use showers instead of water-intensive bathtubs.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe hotel industry is known for producing significant waste material throughout its life cycle (Dube et al., \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). This waste can end up in the environment as either land or water pollution or both. The lodges adopt a wide array of waste management practices, including, among others, separating waste at the point of source, and some lodges have put in place infrastructure such as water bottling as a means of reducing plastic waste, where water is refilled at the lodges in stainless steel or glass bottles which are recyclable. The lodges indicated that they made equal efforts to engage suppliers to replace plastic with other alternatives to avoid single-use plastic in their operations. Reusable materials are used to minimise waste across operations and the value chain.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn some respects, biodegradable materials are used in lodges to ensure that minimal waste production ends up in landfills. Environmentally friendly biodegradable waste is used in toilets and bathrooms with environmental considerations.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eBiodiversity Considerations by Lodges in Kruger National Parks\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003ePrivate lodges adopt various ways of ensuring the protection of biodiversity, which forms the core foundation of tourism products, besides ensuring that proper environmental impact assessments are conducted for every project to minimise environmental harm. Some lodges indicated that they have projects aimed at protecting endangered wildlife species, either through anti-poaching activities or by investing money in projects that assist in the conservation and preservation of such species. This is critical for areas such as the Kruger National Park, where poaching (Eikelboom \u0026amp; Prins, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e) and climate change threaten several wildlife species.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOne of the lodges had a beekeeping project aimed at ensuring the protection of bee species. The bee population has been in decline over the years, and their protection is critical to ensuring a continued balanced ecosystem, given the role of bees in the ecosystem. On the other hand, some establishments put a lot of emphasis on environmental education for their guests to empower them to become better environmental stewards and ensure that the environment is protected. Some lodges had conservation projects in their host communities.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSupply Chain and Local Procurement\u003c/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eMost lodges indicated that as part of their strategy to respond to sustainability initiatives, they worked closely with neighbouring communities to source some of the products and services as part of their sustainability initiatives. Some of the products that were sourced locally included vegetable supplies. Lodges indicated that in some setups, they had formed relationships with local suppliers capable of producing organic vegetables, ensuring environmental protection, and producing healthy diets for their guests.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn addition, most lodges equally utilised furniture produced by local suppliers (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). Most importantly, most establishments had a curio shop selling local merchandise to tourists. This offers tourists an opportunity to source sustainably produced souvenirs, particularly international tourists, who form the bulk of the market for these largely five-star lodge enterprises. This initiative has been found to be effective in creating local economic opportunities and supporting local business enterprises for the local population (Dube, \u003cspan class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). In addition, this ensures that lodges can reduce their carbon emissions.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eGovernance\u003c/h3\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWorkforce\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe lodges indicated that apart from contributing to excellent tourism experiences, they were also involved in entities that could provide much-needed employment for the local population groups, with the bulk of their employees coming from the local communities surrounding the park. One establishment indicated that we have “… 178 employees, and most of them are from the local community, and as a company, we do abide by employment equity requirements although we are struggling to meet our targets on disability.” In many respects, the enterprise adheres to local employment standards and contributes to addressing the challenges of unemployment faced by the communities surrounding the park.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTwo managers who participated in the interviews indicated that they came from communities surrounding the national park. In addition, the other lodges have programs that recruit graduates into lodges, where graduates are exposed to on-the-job training and are paid stipends in preparation for the job market in the tourism industry. One establishment indicated that it had 86 graduate students from the local community who were training in various skills in the tourism sector, such as cooking and other hospitality duties. All lodges indicated that they were addressing gender equity through their employment equity targets.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eCommunity engagement with private lodges and tourists\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the quest to ensure that lodges appeal to local needs, the enterprises that participated in the research noted that they have mechanisms to work with local communities through community liaison officers who bridge tourism business entities and communities. Community liaison officers are crucial in providing the interface between tourism entities and society and identifying key intervention projects that can prop up relations between the two. Some projects identified include school sponsorship projects, women empowerment programs, and preschool projects, where lodges sponsor financial and other critical resources to support educational activities. Given the shortcomings of government funding, such intervention projects are crucial in ensuring the delivery of quality education in these rural entities, which are vulnerable to poverty and inequality. One lodge sustainability manager indicated, \"… last year alone; we distributed several sanitary pads to schools, which assisted in ensuring dignity and sanitary wellbeing of female students..”\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe local communities also benefit immensely from the local procurement program, which seeks to source the bulk of lodge supplies within 50 km of the park, sustaining business and creating a ripple effect whenever such goods and services are available. One lodge indicated that, as part of this initiative, waste generated by lodges was processed by local companies that recycled and repurposed waste. Some of the tissue paper was produced from waste generated by lodges and resold to the lodges.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSome lodges have facilities for tourists who visit their lodges to interact with host communities. The lodges have paid for tours to local communities where tourists spend a day and identify intervention projects. Part of what emerged was that tourists are crucial in assisting communities with some of the challenges they face. One lodge manager noted, \"… in recent weeks, we have experienced a storm that destroyed schools and homes; one of the tourists is assisting with rebuilding destroyed infrastructure in our local community.”\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eGovernance of Private Lodges\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe lodges believe that they have relevant request governance structures that are responsive and accountable to the manner in which they conduct their businesses ethically and sustainably. Lodges indicated that part of the accountability process is to monitor their activities, assess the impact on the environment, tourists, and employees, and take remedial steps to ensure sustainability. Part of this effort is reflected in having sustainability champions who monitor and report on sustainability initiatives conducted by lodges. Having dedicated environmental and sustainability officers assists in consolidating these efforts and reflects the lodges' desire to ensure sustainability.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLodges indicated that they have baselines for resource use, such as electricity and water, with the aim of continuous improvement and ensuring excellence in tourism. To this extent, lodges produce various reports based on timely monitoring and reporting of their sustainability efforts. Enterprises also report on critical legislative requirements, such as employment equity. Most importantly, the lodges indicated that they had to report on their operations to the South African National Parks (SANParks), which oversees the park's sustainability. Some reports are prepared monthly, while others are prepared annually.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eChallenges in ensuring Sustainability in KNP Private lodges\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe lodges reported various challenges they face in meeting their sustainability aspirations, which are diverse and varied. One of the challenges that emerged was that it is not always easy to respond positively to the sustainability call and simultaneously meet some of the tourist’s requirements. Some tourists are not interested in participating in efforts to ensure that sustainability initiatives are achieved.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn addition to tourists' buy-in challenges, the research participants also noted that they experienced buy-in challenges from employees. This requires continuous motivation, training, and other interventions to ensure that enterprises achieve the desired results. This requires time and resources.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLodges indicated that although they want to go full force on their sustainability journey, the cost of achieving sustainability can be prohibitive in many respects, which acts as a challenge. Capital financing costs require substantial amounts of money, which are not always available. As such, they must travel the sustainability route step by step using a phased approach to reach their goal.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn some instances, even if finances are available, lodges noted that the technology is not always available on the market, and they sometimes face compatibility issues. One lodge manager noted that due to load shedding, some of our technology often required resetting, which posed several challenges to the staff. In some instances, the challenges were with technology that requires the internet to operate, and given the area's remote location, internet and WIFI connectivity are not always reliable.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eExtreme weather events attributed to climate change have also been identified as a critical challenge facing establishments. During the time of fieldwork, one enterprise noted that due to an extreme wind storm, they experienced severe damage to infrastructure, which also destroyed some solar panels with an estimated cost of R250,000, having been lost in less than an hour. They noted that not only was infrastructure lost, but also very old trees, some of which were more than 100 years old. Such trees have been reported to provide critical shade and regulate temperature in camp areas.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCamps that were established a long time ago also face challenges of costly retrofits, which, in some instances, are reportedly beyond their reach.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusions","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study sought to examine the sustainability initiatives adopted by private lodges in the Kruger National Park. In this regard, the study found that enterprises have several initiatives aimed at addressing issues of water, energy, and waste management and other critical aspects relevant to the SDGs, such as education and biodiversity conservation. Energy security and other efforts are addressed by lodges principally from a climate change and cost-saving perspective. `Achieving sustainability has its share of challenges that must be discussed by lodges, which range from stakeholder buy-in, the cost of capital financing, prohibitive costs of retrofits, and the slow pace of technological transfer. Such challenges must be addressed to allow for greater movement in addressing the challenges faced by lodges. The threat of climate change requires a solution, as it threatens sustainability. A coordinated approach can go a long way in addressing some of the challenges faced by lodges in this regard.\u003c/p\u003e "},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003ch2\u003eAuthor Contribution\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKaitano Dube wrote the main manuscript text including conceptualisation, while Adeola Oluwatoyin Osundiran supervised and edited the emanuscript including quality assurance.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFunding Declaration: No Funding was received for this research to declare\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAvailability of Data and Materials: Data will be made available upon request in line with the ethics approval regulations.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEthics, Consent to Participate, and Consent to Publish declarations: The protocol was approved by UNISA School of Business Leadership Research Ethics Review Committee. 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Ocean Coastal Manage. 2024;249:106981. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2023.106981\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2023.106981\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"discover-sustainability","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"disu","sideBox":"Learn more about [Discover Sustainability](https://www.springer.com/43621)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Discover Sustainability","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Discover Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"tourism, climate change, sustainability, lodges, ESG, SDG","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9132802/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9132802/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eAs the world battles numerous challenges, ranging from environmental degradation to climate change-induced extreme weather events and pandemics, the demand for environmental care has been growing. Society and businesses are battling to find models to address their environmental footprints and improve business sustainability. One of the merging and growing approaches to environmental sustainability is Environment Sustainability and Governance (ESG). The usage and adoption of ESG in the tourism industry and its efficacy are poorly understood. This study examined ESG adoption and efficacy in private game lodges in Kruger National Park, South Africa. The study\u0026rsquo;s principal objective was to explore the initiatives undertaken by private lodges to address their ESG commitments and identify the challenges faced in that regard. Using key informant interviews with lodge management and owners (n-10) and field observations, the study found varying levels of ESG adoption. One of the key drivers of lodge sustainability is to address climate change and ensure compliance and resource efficiency to ensure tourist satisfaction. Amongst other things, lodges are invested in ensuring that water and energy savings and efficiency are at the core of sustainability. Some of the challenges lodges face in ensuring sustainability are the cost of capital investment in some of the technologies for sustainability and the attitudes of tourism role players. The study recommends further research on how tourists' and employees' knowledge and behaviour shape sustainability in private game lodges.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Environmental Sustainability Governance and Other Sustainability Standards at Selected Private Lodgings in National Parks","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-04-28 13:26:35","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9132802/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-05-15T19:33:10+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-05-13T11:57:38+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-05-05T17:20:42+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"196529719179334038314505313781340862927","date":"2026-04-25T13:29:25+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"272541729346116982515726671950443742199","date":"2026-04-22T17:03:51+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"121546970273684839588984133148337095270","date":"2026-04-21T06:23:52+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-04-20T11:38:48+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-04-20T11:37:42+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2026-04-10T12:35:40+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2026-03-31T06:40:06+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Discover Sustainability","date":"2026-03-31T02:39:14+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"discover-sustainability","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"disu","sideBox":"Learn more about [Discover Sustainability](https://www.springer.com/43621)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Discover Sustainability","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Discover Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"eb25ed60-55ef-4bb9-9db2-c5e8773ca851","owner":[],"postedDate":"April 28th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-05-15T19:33:10+00:00","index":35,"fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-05-13T11:57:38+00:00","index":33,"fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-05-05T17:20:42+00:00","index":32,"fulltext":""}],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-04-28T13:26:35+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-04-28 13:26:35","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-9132802","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-9132802","identity":"rs-9132802","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}