AMBER’SSUSTAINABILITY
EFFORTSAMBER’S SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS
Sustainability and social responsibility are buzzwords used by businesses ofall sizes and in all industries these days, often without much concrete action.
However, sustainability has been a central tenet at Amber at The Landmark
Mandarin Oriental since it opened 18 years ago, with Director of Culinary
and Food and Beverage, Richard Ekkebus as the driving force, through theimplementation of intelligent, impactful, and responsible actions. At Amber,
we are focused on minimising harm to our planet, on environmental, social,and governance performance, in which Amber has a social, material andenvironmental impact.
Amber has been recognised both locally and internationally for its efforts insustainability, and we continue to build productive partnerships andcollaborations to that end. Richard Ekkebus has been invited to numerous
roundtable discussions on sustainability and to be at the forefront ofworkshops and events.
We also work closely with ‘Food Made Good’, an organisation that provides
food service businesses with manageable means of understanding, reviewing,
and acting on the issues that matter. Ten key areas of sustainability are
divided under three pillars: Society, Sourcing, and Environment.
Accountability is key. We participate in a bi-annual evaluation of thesustainability practices called Food Made Good Rating. The Rating helps us
legitimise our efforts and create a clear plan of action/improvement. It is asurvey capturing our activity across the three pillars. Once the survey iscompleted, a percentage score is calculated for each key area, and theoverall sustainability score is an average of those percentages. Restaurants
with outstanding scores in the Rating can be nominated for the Food Made
Good Awards. We will continue our search for the most ethical andsustainable ingredients whilst minimising Amber’s carbon footprint and thepressure on natural resources, as well as reduce our waste output and focus
on social inclusion.

In addition, the Hotel was assessed in 2023 by the Global Sustainable
Tourism Council® (GSTC). The assessment is known as the GSTC Criteria,
this global standard for sustainable travel and tourism by GSTC provides theindustry with comprehensive criteria to operate and flourish in a sustainable
manner. As the results of a worldwide effort to develop a common language
about sustainability in tourism, the yardsticks could also be further divided
into four pillars namely 1. Sustainable management, 2. Socioeconomic
impacts, 3:Cultural impacts, and 4. Environmental impacts. All these criteria
are designed and adapted to local conditions for seamless localization. In
2023, the Hotel successfully received the GSTC Certification to recognize ourcommitment for a better future.
Upon the relaunch of Amber in 2019, Richard crystalised these actions andvalues in our manifesto. The manifesto contains the key elements that
underpin our culinary philosophy and approach.

Amber: A Manifesto
The key elements that underpin our culinary philosophy and approach are:PASSION
We share a commitment to drive culinary exploration and creativity

PROGRESSIVE
A pioneering spirit with innovation at its core, yet respect for tradition

PROVENANCE
The very best natural, nourishing, and traceable ingredients sourced withintegrity

CONSCIENCE
We explore solutions to minimise waste, reduce the use of single-use plastics,
and limit our carbon footprint.

MASTERY
Sophisticated, masterful techniques, expertise, and care in all we do

TRANSFORMATIVE
To create an experience that engages and impacts all the senses

COLLABORATIVE
Respect for our guests and colleagues

Our sustainability efforts include, but are not limited to:Society
Internal / Within Amber:
Amber prides itself as an employer that goes above and beyond for its
team members. At Amber, we firmly believe that our colleagues are ourinternal guests, and we ensure that they feel well taken care of. Ourcolleague development is a key topic, ensuring everyone has learningand development opportunities to grow and develop their full potential.
We encourage paid volunteering hours, ensure the continuous
enhancement quality colleague experiences, and apply innovative bonus
schemes. This also means going beyond the mandatory Hong Kong
employee recognition and minimum wage. These are all part of the mix
that will help encourage staff loyalty, wellbeing, and commitment.
Subsequently, these will ensure that guest experiences will be at thehighest possible level.
Please find below a comprehensive list of our internal efforts tocontribute to a sustainable staff environment and development:
Recognise good performance: Across teams in Amber, there is a rewards
structure in place that recognises excellent colleague performance.
Rewards are tied to relevant goals – for example, receiving positive
guest feedback and comments are tied to monetary rewards.
Recognising and rewarding performance is an integral part of the Amber
DNA, with townhall meetings conducted monthly and quarterly torecognise outstanding performers.
Colleague development: At Amber, we have a well-defined learning anddevelopment plan for each individual colleague, and a clearly definedsystem of performance evaluation. Training includes HACCP & foodsafety, corporate office-driven programs, “A Silver Lining” learning
initiative by Jardines, cross-departmental training exposure via a
program called “Team Titans”, and many more.

Healthy diet for colleague meals, including green Mondays: The hotel’scanteen only offers vegetarian options every Monday to promote healthyeating. This is not only to reduce the amount of animal proteins that arelinked to problems such as greenhouse gases and water wastage, but also
to raise awareness and educate colleagues about the impacts on theenvironment. This allows us to offer high-quality and ethically sourced
animal proteins on other days.
Birthday leave: All colleagues have an additional day off because of theirbirthday that can be taken within one month.
Equal pay: All our colleagues receive pay above the required HK
minimum wage, and all genders are equally recognized.
Aim for an equitable gender balance: In July 2023 our Male to Female
ratio is 73% to 27% and our aim is to work constantly towards a 50/50
balance.
Health Insurance for all colleagues: All our colleagues are insured via
The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, which is not mandatory by
law in Hong Kong and not a common practice in restaurants across thecity.
Each colleague has a contract: All colleagues employed by The Landmark
Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, have signed a valid full-time work
contract which is mandatory in Hong Kong by law.
Tips are equally shared amongst team members: Every team member has
an equal percentage of the overall cash & credit card tips, which is notbased on rank or performance.
Free uniforms: Uniforms and laundry services are provided free of charge
to all colleagues.

Recreational allowance: Annually, the Hotel’s Human Resources
Department supports team culture and bonding by offering arecreational allowance to each colleague, enabling departments toorganise activities outside of work environment to foster understanding
and better mental health. Our Human Resources Department alsooffers a range of team-building activities, yoga classes, and acelebration fund to enhance the enjoyment of gatherings beyond thepremises.
Option to choose rest day within the week: Days off can be requested
and are given whenever possible.
Sustainability training to all colleagues: As sustainability is central to
Amber’s identity, we want to ensure that our colleagues are trained tounderstand what impact our daily actions have on the environment. We
ensure that our colleagues are making conscious and informed
decisions towards a greener future, and will be able to apply theknowledge in their daily lives, not just at work. We have annual
general sustainability training, as well as introductory training during
the onboarding procedure, and raise more awareness throughinitiatives throughout the year. Sustainability-related information ispresent in all colleagues’ areas.

External / Within the community:
To restore or refresh – that is the definition of the French word
‘restaurant’. The very nature of hospitality is to bring people together
through fabulous food. Kitchens that are connected to their communities
are places that have loyal customers, loyal team members and some of
the tastiest food. It’s a recipe for a sustainable and successful business.
Nine out of ten consumers remain loyal to socially responsible
businesses. The best businesses in this area are building long-lasting
partnerships with local community groups and charities, and have a
named individual responsible for managing these relationships.
Additional to our internal efforts, Amber is an active member of thecommunity. We continuously contribute to local and international
charities, not only through monetary contributions, but also by donatingcolleagues’ time and skill sets. We recognise our privileged position in
the market, and have made it one of our key missions to give back when
and where we can.
Support local and international charities: We always seek opportunities
to raise awareness and funds for causes close to our hearts, such as
Feeding Hong Kong, More Good, Food Angel, MINDSET, Movember, r én, Baan Nokkamin Orphanage, World Ocean Day and A Plastic Ocean
Foundation.
Social inclusion: We work closely with MINDSET, Shining Star, and Hong
Chi Association, offering re-integration and development opportunities
to their service users. We aim to equip them with new skill sets andultimately offer them job opportunities at Amber.
Provide community service: We volunteer with NGOs such as Food Angeland Soap Cycling. We have distributed hygiene and PPE kits to street
cleaners in Hong Kong in partnership with Soap Cycling, and haveorganised Colleague Wellness activities such as hiking, running, andwellness activities within the Spa infrastructure.

Support local artists: All art displayed in Amber, as well as the menu
design come from local artists within the community. Ruth Chao wascommissioned for corporate identity, collateral and menu design, Gail
Keaton for the exclusive Amber sculptures, and Ting Fung for Amber’s
kitchen graffiti.
Frequent guest speaker on sustainability-related issues: Being asustainability advocate, Richard Ekkebus is frequently invited to speak
about sustainability and to be on discussion panels hosted byinstitutions such as ICI VTC Pokfulam Complex, Food Made Good,
ReThink, Future Green, WWF, G.R.E.E.N. Hospitality, and so on.
Participating in research and development on sustainability: Amber has
been participating in research and development to further sustainable
practices within the hospitality industry, collaborating with various
institutions such as G.R.E.E.N. Hospitality to study food waste andpackaging waste in hospitality. Together with the School of Energy andEnvironment in City University of Hong Kong, we have participated inresearch on sustainable kitchens and their energy and water
performance.
Plant trees for vegetarian menus: To promote plant-based eating andgive back to the community, Amber has launched an initiative with The
Green Earth, a local Hong Kong NGO. For every Vegetarian menu soldin Amber, proceeds will go to the NGO’s plantation enrichment
programme, which focuses on restoring Hong Kong’s native
biodiversity.

Sourcing
Sourcing is a topic that we at Amber, led by chef Richard Ekkebus, havelong been passionate about. The sustainable, organic, and local
sourcing of ingredients is one of the key initiatives that sets Amber
apart from most of the fine dining restaurants in Asia. Amber is one ofthe very few restaurants in the region that has such an extensive andcomprehensive sourcing programme to ensure the use of fully traceable,
local and regional, organic and sustainable produce wherever possible.
Sustainable seafood: All fish and seafood used at Amber are sourced
sustainably. Currently, all our seafood is sourced through suppliers who
deliver seafood harvested using sustainable techniques such as line
fishing, hand diving, and other methods with no negative impact on theenvironment. In addition, we respect the sustainable fishing calendar
whereby we only purchase fish when they are not carrying eggs. Also,
certain species that reproduce later in their lifetime, and are therefore
quite vulnerable to overfishing, are not featured on our menus. We
manage our menus utilising the following resources: Australia Seafood
Guide, Good Fish Guide by the Marine Conservation Society for
European seafood, and the WWF Seafood guide for local and regionalsourcing. We are members and work very closely with Hong Kong’s
Sustainable Seafood Coalition, which promotes sustainable seafood
initiatives and the preservation of different species.
We support biodiversity: Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth – thenumber of different species of plants, animals, and microorganisms
from Earth’s vastly different ecosystems, from deserts, rainforests, coral
reefs, grasslands, tundra, to polar ice caps. Biodiversity is essential to
the well-being of the planet. As a result, we love to feature lesserknown seafood, ethical-sourced heritage meats and poultry, heirloom
plants, roots and fruits.

Only source fair trade agricultural commodities: chocolate, vanilla,coffee, sugar and tea: We exclusively use ethical and responsible
agricultural commodities, certified by Rainforest Alliance, Fair Tradeand others. The hotel is diligently working towards the objective ofsourcing fair-trade sugar by the conclusion of the current year.
Organic KIN eggs: In our continuous efforts to progress ethicalsourcing, The Landmark Mandarin Oriental uses only organic KIN Eggs
in Amber. KIN Eggs are exclusively produced at a family-ownedsustainable farm located in the pristine mountainous region of Yunnan
with a closed-cycle supply chain – chickens are fed by organic corngrown on the farm while utilizing their waste as soil fertilizer.
Ethically sourced animal protein: All our ingredients are thoroughly
scrutinised before being featured on Amber’s menu. We care that all
our animal proteins are ethically raised, antibiotic- and growth
hormone-free, and where appropriate, grass-fed, free-roaming,sustainably sourced, and raised by people who share our values aboutsustainability.
Prioritise sourcing organic, local, and regional to reduce carbon
footprint: We predominantly work with organic farms from Hong Kong’s
New Territories, including fruit, vegetable, pig and poultry farms.
Buying from local producers gives us access to seasonal, fresh foodwith a smaller carbon price tag. It is also a valuable investment into the
local economy, helps to establish thriving food networks and protects
Hong Kong’s food heritage. Where we cannot source locally, most of
the time, we source regionally, in particular from organic farms inSouthern China, Taiwan and Kyushu (Japan) and, only when even thoseare not possible, organic from Australia and Europe.

ENVIRONMENTThe third pillar of our sustainability efforts is environment. We believethat operating in a sustainable way and leading by example acrosswaste management, energy management and resource management is
crucial in order to bring upon lasting change in the hospitality industry.
All our waste and resource output are closely monitored and measured
to ensure that we constantly operate in the most efficient way possible.
Completely eliminate dairy products: In order to significantly reduce thecarbon footprint of milk production, transportation, and storage fromour supply chain, Amber’s menu does not feature any dairy products.
This also enables us to further shift the plant-based to animal protein
ratio. It has also resulted in a lighter, and more holistic eating
experience.
We favour plant-based options: Food accounts for 25-30% of
greenhouse gas emissions, while livestock production alone accounts for
15% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Making our menu less meatcentric reduces our overall environmental impact and resonates with thegrowing number of diners who believe that a good meal doesn’t require
meat. We define vegetable-led dishes as those that emphasise andcelebrate vegetarian ingredients. This would include, but is not limited
to: fruit and vegetables, whole grains, beans, pulses, soy or otherprotein alternatives, nuts and seeds, plant oils, and so on. At Amber, we
aim constantly to have a 35:65 ratio between animal protein and plantbased ingredients in our menus.
SUP free operations: Reducing single-use plastic (SUP) output across all
waste streams is our number one objective. Over the past six years, wehave diligently operated towards a fully SUP-free operation by closely
working with manufacturers to develop plant-based alternatives forcommonly used cling film, vacuum pouches and bin liners. Mandarin
Oriental Hotel Group has followed our best practices and has listed aminimum of 60 SUP items to be eliminated by March 2021.

Waste prevention: We consider waste prevention to be even more
important than waste management, especially in a city like Hong Kong
where waste management and recycling infrastructure can be difficult
and unsatisfactory. We believe that waste prevention is crucial.
Therefore, we closely monitor, analyse, and examine our operations ona regular basis, to understand where and how we can further reduce
our waste. Waste output is recorded daily and consolidated andanalysed monthly. An action plan is then derived in order to reduce
input for the subsequent month. The data is openly shared with allcolleagues to raise awareness and further facilitate reduction. The
anaerobic waste digester in Amber’s kitchen is another key initiative –in 2022, we diverted an average of 35.39% of our total waste from thelandfill. We are actively engaged in the formal practice of diverting
coffee grounds and eggshells to a local farm, with the purpose ofenriching the soil through their utilization.
Oil recycling: Since June 2011, we have recycled all cooking oil andcurrently we work closely with Gammon Biofuel, a waste oil recycling
company, and a fully-licensed biodiesel manufacturer in Hong Kong.
Their key focus is to transform cooking oil into a renewable energy for
local use. An average of 345kg of oil per month is diverted to fuellingboats in Hong Kong’s waters.
Waste segregation for recycling: We separate our waste into metal,
plastic, styrofoam, food waste, glass, paper and carton, oil, andelectronics. We recycle wherever possible. All staff are thoroughly
trained in waste prevention and waste segregation.
Manage natural resources: Energy and water consumption are recorded
and analysed in a monthly basis. An action plan is then derived toreduce usage for the subsequent month. The data is openly shared withall colleagues to raise awareness and further facilitate reduction. We
also exclusively use LED lights at Amber’s front-of-house and heart-ofhouse spaces, for further reduction in energy consumption.

Paper products: At Amber, we are strongly committed to recycling, all
our paper products such as menus (non-laminated), shopping bags,
collateral, paper napkins, paper straws and tissue are all FSC-certified,recycled and recyclable.
No linen: When Amber reopened in May 2019, we made a conscious
decision to remove tablecloths from the restaurant layout. This is not acosmetic change, but was made in order to reduce the environmental
impact of industrial washing, which uses bleach. We chose to use
napkins of natural colours as opposed to white for the same reason.
In-house water bottling for colleagues and guests: Since 2018, we haveused the Nordaq FRESH water filtration and bottling system from
Sweden in both front- and heart-of-house, thereby completely
eliminating plastic bottles, as well as imported bottled water. This not
only reduces SUP usage, but also significantly reduces the carbon
footprint associated with importing bottled water. Water fountains arealso used by colleagues to help further minimise SUP bottle usage. In
2020 alone, we saved 57,212 plastic bottles from landfills, equivalent
to 7,095kg of plastic waste.
Biodegradable cleaning products: We only use cleaning products thatare certified biodegradable and do not harm the environment.
Eliminate Chemical Cleaning Products: In 2022, we pledge to eliminatechemical cleaning products by deploying the natural sanitation anddisinfection solutions by Biotek Ozone – a modern, safe and effective
technology for sanitizing all fresh vegetables, fruits and eggs in our
kitchen operations. Furthermore, only 100% chemical-free and certified
biodegradable cleaning products of Zero Impact are used for day-today cleaning tasks. The used bottles are collected and recycled for the
new batch of production. We carefully selected hand sanitizers from
Safe+Sound, which are vegan-friendly, alcohol-free and made frombiodegradable lactic acid. Their newly created, circular refill system
helps us eliminate single-use plastic bottles.

Our Sustainability Related Awards:
2023 | Green & CSR Hotelier of the Year for Richard Ekkebus by
Stelliers
2023 | GSTC - Global Sustainable Tourism Council Certification
2022-2023 | Michelin Green Star - Sustainable Gastronomy withcommendable environmental practices
2022 | Distinguished Sustainability leadership award for Mr Richard
Ekkebus by the Hong Kong Management Association
2022 | We’re Smart Green Guide Sustainability Listing2020 | Asia’s 50 Best Sustainable Award – Most Sustainable Restaurant
2020 | A Foodie World – The Foodie Forks - Sustainability Award
2020 | Food Made Good – The Environment Award