Given the amount of CO2 that must have been emitted to build Dubai’s famous offshore Palm development, thus playing its own small part in the threatened snapping off of a whole chunk of the west Antarctic ice sheet, it’s nice to see the Sofitel Palm Hotel making efforts to offset the inevitable. Not only has it employed world renowned French botanist Patrick Blanc to create a beautiful ‘vertical garden’ to welcome visitors as they enter the main lobby, but extensive use was made of American Ash to pick up the overriding Polynesian theme of the hotel resort. Residents should enjoy the extensive faux joinery and crafts while they can – if we don’t meet our 2050 carbon targets, their indigenous Polynesian equivalents will likely be in the drink by then.