Environment

Protecting and Sustaining the Natural Environment

Disney has long been committed to protecting the environment in The Bahamas, donating millions of dollars from the Disney Conservation Fund to important conservation projects. Several experts from Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment team have been engaged in significant conservation work in The Bahamas in partnership with local organizations and scientists for more than 15 years.

This includes leading an initiative to rehabilitate coral reefs in The Bahamas that has been underway since 2007. Other examples include a new, five-acre solar facility on Castaway Cay that will generate approximately 70% of the island’s power, as well as operating an animal care facility there, and a partnership to convert offloaded cooking oil into biodiesel, among other initiatives.

Disney Castaway Cay, located in the Abaco chain of The Bahamas

Low-Density Development & Conservation

Disney Cruise Line plans to have as little impact as possible on the natural environment. In fact, the project will leave the overwhelming majority of the site undeveloped. The current design calls for developing 16% of the acreage, much of it for low-density uses like the placement of beach chairs, umbrellas and small support structures. Disney is also donating more than 190 acres, including the site’s southernmost point and a significant amount of beachfront property, to the government and people of The Bahamas.

For the areas Disney does intend to develop, the company is focusing on sustainable design and building practices. Key highlights include:

The construction of an innovative, open-trestle pier that extends to deep water will prevent the dredging of a ship channel. The location of the proposed pier is based on a scientific assessment of the ocean floor to avoid areas where coral reefs are present. The viable individual corals within the pier’s footprint were expertly relocated to improve the health of struggling coral reefs in the area.
A proposed elevated design for many walkways and structures will reduce impacts to the natural environment.
90% of the energy demand of the project will be from renewable sources.
Zero waste to landfill with a commitment to explore waste to energy capture.
The continuation of already established environmental and wildlife monitoring programs throughout construction and into operation.
A commitment to developing a multi-faceted program to educate employees, vendors and guests about the role they play in protecting the site, something Disney has been able to effectively do with its projects around the world.

The Bahamas Department of Environmental Planning and Protection issued a Certificate of Environmental Clearance for the project in November 2021. Disney Cruise Line has long said it will only move forward with a project at Lighthouse Point if it is able to do so in an environmentally responsible manner. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) confirmed this will be possible with the Environmental Management Plan that has been put in place. Along with its own Animals, Science and Environment team, Disney assembled a team of highly qualified and experienced scientists and other professionals who worked on the EIA and EMP for more than three years. The EIA was based on extensive field work, robust data collection and analysis, direct engagement with those who have studied the site and the species observed there and a review of available literature.

The Bahamas Department of Environmental Planning and Protection issued a Certificate of Environmental Clearance for the project in November 2021. In addition, all necessary government permits and approvals have been granted and construction on the site has begun.

Bahamian ConservationistsDisney

Cruise Line has hired two Bahamian wildlife conservation experts who lead the implementation of the project’s environmental management plan and local conservation strategies within The Bahamas, particularly at Lighthouse Point.

August 2019

Joe Rohde, Portfolio Creative Executive (Retired), Walt Disney Imagineering, Speaks at D23 in Anaheim, California

Disney Conservation Fund

Disney is committed to taking meaningful and measurable action to support a healthier planet for future generations as we operate and grow our business. Disney Conservation is committed to saving wildlife and building a diverse global community inspired to protect the magic of nature together. Since 1995, Disney Conservation has directed more than $125 million and the expertise of our dedicated teams to support organizations working with communities to save wildlife, inspire action, and protect the planet. The Disney Conservation Fund has given more than $6 million to support education, research and conservation projects in The Bahamas.

Disney Cruise Line has been leading a multi-year initiative to rehabilitate coral reefs in The Bahamas since 2007. Directed by Dr. Andy Stamper, Disney Conservation Science Manager, the work uses established techniques to introduce new coral nurseries, allowing us to study the impacts on reefs and successfully grow and transplant new corals. Disney Cruise Line was the first group to establish coral nurseries in The Bahamas. In addition, DCF support has helped leading conservation organizations working in The Bahamas to protect species like green sea turtles, Nassau grouper, piping plovers and tiger sharks. Following Hurricane Dorian, Disney Cruise Line provided necessary supplies to help support parrots in Abaco. Disney also helped support the expansion of the Westside National Park of Andros in celebration of the Disneynature Oceans film in 2010, establishing 40,000 acres of new marine protected areas equal to two-and-a-half times the size of Manhattan or the equivalent of more than 412 Disneyland’s. Projects to protect species and habitats like these and many others are taking place around the world thanks to the Disney Conservation Fund, which has provided nearly $18 million to marine conservation programs while working with communities to protect the oceans and marine life.

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