ESG stands for Environmental, Social and Governance. It’s a framework for evaluating non-financial performance, encompassing topics such as climate action, decarbonisation, resource use, labour practices and corporate ethics to provide a holistic view of an organisation’s sustainability and ethical impact.
While the qualitative insights of corporate social responsibility (CSR) have long been on the agendas of boards more broadly, ESG offers a quantitative way to measure these effects, using metrics that drive long-term value for companies and destinations.
There is a growing body of stakeholders who recognise ESG issues as material, financial, commercial, legal and reputational risks and assets that need to be managed and reported on. Regulators around the world are putting pressure on organisations to improve their ESG performance, and making it mandatory for companies to produce data-backed, clear and comprehensive ESG reporting, while investors are increasingly using ESG criteria to determine how they allocate their funds.
ESG issues are also closely aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a set of 17 global goals aimed at transforming our world for the better by 2030. Responsible ESG practices such as reducing carbon emissions, improving energy efficiencies and promoting diversity and inclusion are crucial for achieving the SDGs on time, which is another reason why organisations around the world are setting ambitious ESG targets for 2030.
For more than 30 years, EarthCheck has worked with governments, businesses and destinations to deliver science-backed, strategic and sustainable outcomes. Our rigorous benchmarking and certification programs are recognised and respected worldwide, and help consumers make informed decisions about the experiences they choose.
Our exceptionally skilled staff can leverage decades of experience and industry data to embed sustainability within every level of your operations, and ensure your organisation meets and exceeds evolving ESG expectations.
We’ve developed targeted offerings to help organisations navigate the complexities of each of the three ESG pillars, wherever you are on your sustainability journey – from understanding and prioritising the issues that are material to your organisation, to setting targets and developing tangible, actionable strategies to achieve meaningful progress on climate action and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
EarthCheck can help your organisation to measure and track your ESG performance, and to translate that performance into clear, transparent and impact-oriented reports that align with globally recognised reporting frameworks and sustainability standards, including: Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), SEC (US Securities and Exchange Commission), Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR), Singapore Exchange (SGX), The Green Claims Directive, The EU taxonomy for sustainable activities, and more.
Our ESG services can help your organisation to position your brand; monitor and manage long-term risk; access more capital; and build trust with stakeholders, including investors, suppliers, business partners, consumers, employees and local communities – and, ultimately, to do your part to contribute to a better world in 2030.
We can measure your footprint, track your performance and create a scalable roadmap, so you can focus on doing what’s needed for the climate, nature and your business. The natural environment is often a primary driver for travel and experience, and the travel and tourism industry’s stewardship is vital for its survival.
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We can leverage 30 years of industry experience to develop your capacity and culture for sustainability, and create trust with your stakeholders through transparent performance and investor reports.
Engage, communicate and partner to create collective action and shared value.
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Ensure you focus on what matters by identifying and prioritising material ESG risks, and implementing a roadmap for sustained positive impact. Effectiveness requires a strategic, holistic, integrated, pragmatic, and accountable approach – and our team have delivered science-backed sustainability strategies, consulting and advisory services for more than three decades.
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Since 1987, we have helped businesses, communities and governments to deliver sustainable, clean, safe and prosperous destinations for travellers to visit, live, work and play. We understand the value of big ideas and the importance of clear communication. We know that what can be good for the planet is also good for business.
EarthCheck helps tourism businesses and destinations become more sustainable through certification, advisory, training and software solutions.
EarthCheck’s certification programs are respected by travellers, brands and destinations globally, and help consumers make informed decisions about the tourism experiences they choose.
There are more than 476 million Indigenous Peoples, found in all regions of the world, from the Arctic to the tropical forests. They make up more than 6 per cent of our global population.
In the spirit of reconciliation, EarthCheck acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout the world and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Indigenous Peoples today.
EarthCheck acknowledges that Indigenous Peoples are guardians of the forests and biodiversity hotspots we all depend on. Research shows that lands managed by Indigenous Peoples, with secure rights, experience lower deforestation rates, store more carbon, hold more biodiversity, and benefit more people than other lands — including protected areas.
We recognise and support the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), the most comprehensive international instrument on the rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Declaration is a positive document that maps out a path for Indigenous Peoples to be free from discrimination and secure in their identities and life choices.
EarthCheck science and products were developed by the Australian Government Sustainable Tourism Co-operative Research Centre (STCRC) over ten years. Our science is reviewed annually to ensure that it meets international standards relative to greenhouse gas protocols, responsible tourism, and certification.
EarthCheck products and services are built on the Agenda 21 principles for Sustainable Development endorsed by 182 Heads of State at the United Nations Rio De Janeiro Earth Summit in 1992 and aligned to the SDGs.
EarthCheck Certified provides a framework for organisations to achieve the desired outcomes for sustainable development as set out in the final report of the World Summit for Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg in 2002.
EarthCheck Certified complies with the Mohonk Agreement (2000), which outlines the guidelines and principles for an international sustainable tourism certification program. It is also a Recognised program of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).
EarthCheck Certified is a verification standard accepted by CDP. It is also an approved program of the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People’s Republic of China (CNCA), London & Partners, the Mexican Secretary of Tourism (SECTUR) and the City of Sydney.
EarthCheck Certified is an approved program for meeting the EU Energy Directive for the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (Bundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle – BAFA) in Germany and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy) in the Netherlands.
EarthCheck partners with international research organisations to maintain the currency of EarthCheck science and our benchmarking systems.
The EarthCheck brand signifies scientific excellence, better environmental, economic, and social performance, improved community interactions, and savings through more efficient use of resources. It provides recognition and promotional support to a global consumer market.
