Who is behind the system?
Five Leaf System is moving forward in loving memory of John Pelham, the (e)co-creator along with his beloved wife Silvia Pelham.
John was a teacher and a translator; Silvia is an architect with a PhD that involves environmental retrofitting of existing buildings. Residing in Portugal for over 40 years, they became increasingly aware of the importance of environmental issues in the world today.
The idea started in 2010, when they were visiting their daughter and her family in Sri Lanka. The accommodation was in huts on stilts (to keep the wild animals at bay) and in the bathroom there was a tablet with advice on how to save water. In the bedroom, however, the air conditioning had to be on full blast because the room was not properly insulated.
John happened to say: “This may well be a 5-star hotel but if there was a rating on ecological grounds, it would not get more than one or two.”
“No rating system?” said Silvia, “we could do that.”
And so it began.