About EarthCheck Certified

If you’re just starting your sustainability program or well on your way to reaching net zero, becoming EarthCheck Certified will help your travel and tourism business showcase its commitment to a sustainability pathway, and enhance incredible tourism experiences for your customers year after year.

Our rigorous science-backed, people-focused certification process has been embraced by the world’s most recognised travel and tourism brands. It helps them demonstrate their sustainability commitment long-term, and attract more higher-yielding customers.

EarthCheck’s sustainability experts work with you to:

• Engage your team and stakeholders to establish your sustainability policy
• Benchmark your business
• Certify your organisation
• Audit and promote your certification level annually

It means you know where you’re coming from, where you’re going, and that your team and stakeholders are engaged from the beginning.

Most importantly EarthCheck Certified businesses can actively demonstrate their commitment to providing exceptional, sustainable travel experiences.

The process

1. Engagement and commitment

No matter where you are globally, EarthCheck’s experts help you engage your team, your stakeholders, and devise a Sustainability & Energy Efficiency Policy. This is where your business commits to a sustainability pathway, and takes action on it.

2. Benchmarking and Performance Tracking

We’ll track your performance in real time, identify any critical issues and benchmark you across:

• Energy use
• Water use
• Carbon Emissions
• Chemicals
• Community and employee impact
• Paper use
• Waste
• You can also add your own custom indicators

We’ll document the findings so you know where your business stands. It helps you compare your business to others, and it provides context to the data so you can make better decisions, and track improvements.

This is where you can reach your EarthCheck Bronze Benchmarked status.

3. Implement your new management system

We’ll help you implement your sustainability management system. EarthCheck has criteria, guides, templates and people to guide you through the process. Once implemented you can easily measure and manage the sustainability activities of your business.

You’re now ready for certification.

4. Certification

An independent auditor will visit your business, conduct your audit and engage your team. They will provide an audit report that shows your organisation’s performance against the EarthCheck Certified Standard.

If you meet the requirements, you’ll be awarded certification and use of the EarthCheck Certified logo to promote your achievement. And your certification level is upgraded the longer it’s maintained.

Marketing and communication tools are provided to assist you and the team in spreading the news of your certification.

Why this is good for business

• Meet and exceed the government directives on sustainability throughout Europe and the world. Read more.
• Display your EarthCheck Certified status across your business to demonstrate your commitment to sustainable practices
• Attract more clients
• Dramatically reduce operating costs (utilities, fuel and more) without loss of quality or service. Independent research from Griffith University supports this
• EarthCheck Certified businesses have more engaged and supportive employees
  
• Smarter, more efficient operations. The program reveals the elements of sustainability (risk, resilience and hygiene) in a business, providing a more focused approach to operations
• Get easier access to finance. Donors and financial institutions are more likely to offer low-cost financing to certified businesses
• Have meaningful, newsworthy conversations in your marketing and promotion activities

Why this is good for the planet

Being EarthCheck Certified gives you a framework to understand what being a sustainable, regenerative business means for you. And you’ll demonstrate leadership in climate action across the travel industry.

Your business will have a positive impact on health, education, local jobs, social issues in your community, and the planet, while also achieving business growth.

You’ll become part of the growing number of businesses offering sustainable, exceptional tourism experiences that travellers crave. And you’ll be preserving that experience – and the environment around it – for years to come.