This year’s Inner Circle Forum brought together industry leaders, policymakers and academics to tackle the challenges and opportunities reshaping the tourism industry. Across three days, the forum explored how innovative practices and collaborative approaches can drive positive change within the industry.
Billed as an EarthCheck Design Masterclass, the final day of the Forum – led by Professor David Simmons, Chair of the EarthCheck Research Institute, and Andy Vo, Program Manager for EarthCheck Design – delivered a deep dive into the key concepts of sustainable design.
Showcasing real-world examples of the impact made by EarthCheck-accredited projects, these final sessions provided participants with actionable insights to help them achieve their sustainability goals and build a better future.
Pioneering sustainability through design
The day’s first session, led by Professor Simmons, began with an overview of EarthCheck itself. As the world’s leading certification, consulting and advisory group for sustainable destinations and tourism organisations, EarthCheck has spent over 30 years empowering businesses, destinations and communities to enhance their sustainability performance, reduce environmental impacts, and improve social outcomes.
One of the principal ways EarthCheck delivers on this mission is through the EarthCheck Building Planning and Design Standard (BPDS). This practical framework supports developers in embedding sustainability principles into tourism projects at every stage, from planning and design to construction and operations.
“Sustainable design is about more than buildings,” said Simmons. “It’s about creating spaces that reflect and respect the triple bottom line – balancing environmental, social, and economic outcomes.”
The session, continued by EarthCheck Design Program Manager Andy Vo, examined the evolution of the BPDS, which was originally developed in collaboration with leading Australian universities and the Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre (STCRC).
“The BPDS was created to give developers a roadmap for achieving meaningful, measurable sustainability outcomes,” Vo explained.
The BPDS has been applied to projects worldwide, from luxury villas to mixed-use precincts. Clients such as Hyatt, Mandarin Oriental, and Banyan Tree have leveraged the framework to enhance their sustainability credentials while achieving operational efficiencies. Projects certified under the program typically range in value from USD $30 million to USD $1 billion, underscoring its scalability for large-scale developments.
Periodically reviewed and updated to reflect industry best practice, advancements in technology, and changing industry standards and market expectations, the BPDS provides developers with clear criteria across eleven key areas:
- Master Planning, Building, and Infrastructure Design: Promoting sustainability from the initial design phase.
- Building Location and Siting: Prioritising site-sensitive and contextual designs that enhance ecological and cultural values.
- Energy Efficiency: Fostering a culture of energy conservation and low-carbon solutions.
- Water Management: Encouraging the effective and efficient use of water resources.
- Waste Management: Promoting waste reduction, recycling and responsible waste disposal.
- Resource Conservation (Materials): Ensuring judicious use of building materials and prioritising sustainable alternatives.
- Chemical Use: Minimising harmful chemical use and integrating eco-friendly solutions.
- Wastewater Management: Managing wastewater responsibly to protect local ecosystems.
- Stormwater Management: Implementing innovative solutions for stormwater collection, reuse, and control.
- Social Commitment: Fostering community engagement, cultural inclusion, and social well-being.
- Economic Commitment: Ensuring projects contribute positively to local economies.
Each set of criteria is measured through both qualitative and quantitative indicators. Some of these criteria are mandatory – for instance, every accredited project must have a Sustainability Policy – but others are optional.
To achieve certification under the BPDS, a project has to fulfil all the mandatory criteria and earn enough credits to attain a Silver, Gold or Platinum rating.
“What sets the BPDS apart is that it’s tourism-specific, outcome-driven, and designed to be practical and flexible,” Vo explained. Unlike other sustainability frameworks that often feel like box-ticking exercises, the BPDS integrates sustainability holistically across the lifecycle of a project.
Vo explained that one of the BPDS’ standout features is its ability to deliver tangible benefits. Certified projects see significant operational cost savings, with a demonstrated return on investment within four to six months. Moreover, the BPDS supports developers to protect natural assets, foster environmental stewardship, and improve their social licence to operate.
“The BPDS doesn’t just certify developments; it creates a foundation for better tourism,” Vo said. “It helps developers understand best practices, set aspirational goals, and gain valuable feedback to ensure their projects achieve lasting impact.”
Biodiversity as a cornerstone of resilience
The role the BPDS plays in supporting biodiversity, a critical pillar of ecosystem resilience and functionality, emerged as a focal point during the day’s discussions.
Biodiversity refers to the variety of living species on Earth, from plants and animals to fungi and bacteria. Simmons explained how human activities and climate change have increasingly placed this richness at risk, threatening the delicate balance of ecosystems. This feedback loop between biodiversity loss and climate change not only jeopardises ecosystems but also undermines food security, public health and natural climate defences.
“Biodiversity isn’t just an environmental concern – it’s fundamental to our survival,” Professor Simmons said, pointing to its critical role in maintaining carbon sequestration, water purification and other ecosystem services.
Key ways biodiversity supports both human and ecological health include:
- Food Security: Pollinators like bees and birds are responsible for a third of global crop production.
- Health Benefits: Urban green spaces reduce stress, lower hospital admissions, and improve mental well-being.
- Natural Defences: Coral reefs and mangrove forests protect coastlines from waves and storms, while trees absorb carbon dioxide and prevent flooding.
Simmons also highlighted the growing strain of humanity’s ecological footprint, pointing to data from the Global Footprint Network that shows we now require 1.7 Earths to sustain global activity, compared to just one in 1970.
EarthCheck’s BPDS provides a structured framework for integrating biodiversity into tourism developments, ensuring projects don’t just mitigate harm but actively enhance ecological and cultural values.
Andy Vo explained how the BPDS achieves this through specific, measurable objectives, including:
- Ensuring no net biodiversity loss and achieving measurable net biodiversity gains through habitat creation, site remediation, and offsets.
- Developing biodiversity monitoring plans that utilise specialist technologies for reporting and communication.
- Requiring at least 80 per cent indigenous plant species in landscaping to enhance biodiversity, reduce erosion, and minimise maintenance needs.
The session also explored ways the wider tourism industry can support biodiversity, including:
- Biodiversity Credits: Providing mechanisms for companies to invest in conservation with measurable outcomes, and obtain biodiversity credits following a certification process.
- Community Outreach: Encouraging local engagement to protect cultural and natural assets.
- Regenerative Tourism: A proactive approach to enhancing natural and human-made elements beyond their current conditions.
- ESG Reporting: A structured framework for evaluating and communicating performance across environmental, social, and governance pillars, helping organisations align with global sustainability goals. ESG reporting is becoming increasingly important in light of anti-greenwashing legislation, as well as regulations mandating transparency in corporate sustainability efforts. As Simmons noted, “An ESG report should be seen as an important commitment to transparency, accountability, and a record of achievement.”
Simmons closed the session on biodiversity with a call for collaboration across the tourism industry: “The future will be enabled by smart partnerships, combining design excellence with measurable action.”
Human-centric design in action
The Masterclass also explored how sustainable design principles can enhance human well-being while preserving environmental integrity. Andy Vo emphasised the importance of human-centric design, which prioritises the needs of people and communities alongside ecological and cultural values. “When we design for people, we design for the planet,” Vo remarked.
Key principles include:
- Incorporating Local Values: Designing with the cultural and ecological uniqueness of the site in mind.
- Enhancing Biodiversity: Using native plant species and creating green spaces that benefit both the environment and the community.
- Promoting Livability: Mitigating urban heat through landscaping and reflective materials to ensure comfortable, healthy spaces.
These principles have helped EarthCheck Design-accredited projects across the globe to foster thriving ecosystems and connected communities.
Vo shared standout examples of the BPDS principles in action.
Xcaret Casa De La Playa, Mexico
Ranked as the second best hotel in the world by Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2024, this project integrates sustainability at every level.
Biodiversity-focused systems include environmental monitoring, vegetation and fauna management, reforestation, and marine fauna rescue.
Mitigation measures were implemented to avoid interfering with local habitats, including canopy access for spider monkeys and conservation areas.
Ongoing strategies, such as vegetation rescue prior to clearing and long-term monitoring programs, ensure continued ecological protection.
Riverfront by Lucindale, Australia
This eight-hectare development balances residential, recreational and communal green spaces while protecting the adjoining South Pine River and Albany Creek, which have significant ecological value.
A conservation corridor was established to protect riparian values and ensure minimal impact on the surrounding environment.
Features include nature trails, organic gardens, and access to river and creek ecosystems, blending human-centric amenities with natural conservation.
Madison Angsana Dhawa, Vietnam
At this luxury development, approximately 87 per cent of the plant species used are native and drought-tolerant, enhancing ecological value while minimising maintenance.
The landscaping creates a dense, immersive “tunnel” effect, welcoming guests into the property.
Measures to reduce the urban heat island effect include greenery coverage and the use of high Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) materials in hardscape designs.
These examples highlighted how integrating the BPDS design principles into developments enhances environmental outcomes, operational efficiency, and the overall quality of visitor experiences. “These case studies prove that sustainability and great guest experiences can go hand-in-hand,” Vo remarked.
As the Inner Circle Forum came to a close for another year, the EarthCheck Design Masterclass left attendees inspired to take the lessons learned and apply them to their own projects, ensuring that the tourism industry continues to evolve in ways that are thoughtful, inclusive – and ultimately sustainable by design.
