Preserving today
for the generations of tomorrow
Our commitment
and our environmental approach
Through efforts to preserve habitats and raise visitors’ awareness of the flora and fauna found on the site.
Actions Taken:
- Implement a monitoring system to manage tourist traffic and optimize the size of tour groups.
- Installation of an airlock at the cave’s entrance and exit to minimize temperature fluctuations.
- Timed lighting to optimize the site’s lighting duration.
By minimizing our waste generation and promoting recycling and resource recovery.
Action taken:
- Involvement with the Let’s Gorges organization and participation in litter cleanup efforts in the Hérault Gorges.
By implementing optimal water consumption management and a graywater reuse system.
Action taken:
- Discontinuation of automatic irrigation and promotion of plants suited to the local climate.
Optimization and the use of the latest technologies and techniques.
Actions Taken:
- Installation of LED lighting in the cave, resulting in a 12-fold reduction in energy consumption.
- Timed lighting to optimize the site’s lighting duration.
By supporting local producers and participating in local environmental conservation initiatives.
Action taken:
- Nearly 70% of our suppliers are located within 150 km of our facility
Clamouse, an exemplary site
for protecting the underground environment
Since the LED Operation in 2010, the Grotte de Clamouse has been internationally recognised as the pilot site for protecting the underground environment.
Managed by a team of speleologists from its discovery in 1945, preservation has always been at the heart of the site managers’ concerns. From the outset, an airlock system (2 doors at the entrance and 2 at the exit) was put in place to avoid disrupting the cave’s thermal balance and to prevent draughts. Likewise, all lighting has always been on timers in order to illuminate the cave as little as possible. In addition, less than 20% of the cave is open to the public, fully preserving the undeveloped areas dedicated to science.
In 2010, a major step was taken with the installation of LED lighting throughout the entire area open to the public. This was a pioneering approach, as Clamouse was the first tourist cave in the world to be fully equipped with this cutting-edge technology.
These lights, specially designed for the underground environment and its constraints, have the advantage of greatly limiting, or even eliminating, plant pollution, as the emitted spectrum (low in infrared) prevents photosynthesis. Moreover, this technology emits no heat, so the thermal balance is not disrupted. As a result, the lighting no longer has any harmful impact on the cave.
Furthermore, in terms of sustainable development, precise measurements carried out with ADEME made it possible to observe that energy consumption was divided by 45.
Following the worldwide impact of this operation, in 2012 Clamouse was approached by the Furong Cave (China) to share its expertise in protecting the underground environment and, on 2012-06-27, a partnership was signed with the aim of initiating a platform for reflection and exchange around this theme.
