Types of Accreditation Held by Key Respondents in Australia

Green accreditation is a public acknowledgement that an organisation has met agreed standards of CSR policies and practices. The business events industry was asked about what types of green accreditations they currently hold and their plans to seek accreditation over the coming years. Respondents were also asked about barriers to seeking accreditation. 

CURRENT LEVELS OF GREEN ACCREDITATION

One third of total Audit respondents and almost half (46 per cent) of the key respondents reported holding at least one green accreditation from a list of 18 programs (refer to Chart 4). Green accreditation is considerably higher among large organisations employing over 100 people and international chains, where around 60 per cent hold at least one accreditation. 

The most advanced sectors of the business events industry in Australia in terms of CSR accreditation are Convention & Exhibition Centres and Venues, with two thirds (63%) currently holding at least one accreditation. More than half (56%) of accommodation providers, retailers and travel agents are also accredited. 

New South Wales and Victoria are leading the way when it comes to accreditation, reflecting that more operators are within these states and that it is a particular focus in these areas.

RANGE OF ACCREDITATION TYPES

While ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) 14000, 14001 accreditations are held by 16% of Audit respondents and 25% of key respondents, most reported being accredited with at least one of a wide range of programs, including Australian travel and tourism accreditations, building-related accreditations and other more general green accreditations. 

There is no industry concentration around a particular Australian accreditation program. 7% are accredited with Tourism Accreditation Australia (TAA), which is the highest level of support for any one form of accreditation, followed by the Australian Building Greenhouse Rating (now NABERS Energy) at 4%. 

While no one Australian accreditation dominates, certain types are favoured by different sectors of the business events industry. For example, half of the Convention & Exhibition Centre respondents hold the Green Globe Bronze accreditation, and one quarter of attractions hold TAA accreditation and 10% of transport operators are Australian Building Greenhouse Rating accredited.

GROWING COMMITMENT TO ACCRDITATION

The Audit results show that levels of green accreditation among respondents in Australia are rising and are set to remain a focus over the next few years. Almost one third (31%) of total respondents report they are currently seeking accreditation, including three quarters of Convention & Exhibition Centres, and just over half (55%) of accommodation providers, venues and business events services. 

Green Globe Silver, Bronze or NABERS accreditations are the most popular in the industry, currently being sought by 35-50% of businesses. These businesses also have Green Globe Gold accreditation in their sights over the next five years. The Ecotourism Australia- Nature Tourism and Ecotourism Australia-Advanced Ecotourism are prized by attractions, with one fifth of this sector currently seeking them. 

Those sectors which have been slower to take up accreditation aim to do so over the next 12 months. Almost one third (31%) of transport operators and one quarter of attractions plan to get accredited, along with one quarter of industry representative bodies. 

 
BARRIERS TO ACCREDITATION

One in five respondents has not yet initiated green certification or accreditation with the Audit results identifying a number of barriers to seeking accreditation: 

• 30 % say they don’t have enough time to seek accreditation 
• 28 % say they don’t have the information they need to seek accreditation 
• 23 % say they lack guidance from industry bodies and/or associations, and 
• 19 % say the accreditation process is too costly and requires too much effort to pursue. 

Some organisations like business event service providers do not believe they have a need to become accredited. These operators in the sector tend not to have regulatory or planning obligations to become accredited, unlike infrastructure operators such as venues and hotels. 

Of those organisations not yet accredited, half employ less than 10 people. 60% of this group reported that accreditation was of minimal value to their business, suggesting that the perceived costs of accreditation outweigh the benefits for smaller businesses. This view is shared by almost half of those with between 10-99 employees, and by 30% of large organisations. 

 
SELECTING THE RIGHT ACCREDITATION

The Audit results show that two out of every three industry participants are not familiar with, or do not understand the different types of accreditation available. This lack of familiarity with accreditation programs naturally makes it difficult for industry participants to decide which are the most relevant for their business. 

Even where there is significant familiarity with a program, it may not be seen as relevant for that business. One third of respondents in the accommodation sector stated that the Green Building Council of Australia’s accreditation only related to new buildings. Similarly, one third of respondents were familiar with Ecotourism Australia’s Nature Tourism and Advanced Ecotourism accreditations, and one quarter with the Green Building Council of Australia programs, but commented that they felt these accreditation programs were not relevant to their organisation.

source: National Corporate Social Responsability Audit (2009)

Green Advantage - Chain Hotels vs Independent Hotels

A recent study on green hospitality conducted by Washington State University noted that chain hotels have a distinct advantage over smaller independent hotels when it comes to implementing green initiatives. From the standpoint that larger chains have established corporate guidelines, purchasing restrictions and proprietary monitoring systems, this may be true.  However, independent hotels have much more to gain, and when accessing the right resources can actually develop more strength and flexibility in sustainable hospitality than the chain hotels. 

SEEK CERTIFICATION

Because independent hotels don’t have ready-made green programs to rely on, they must take the initiative to boldly move forward on  the sustainability journey on their own. The good news is that there are resources available.  One of the most valuable and impactful decisions a hotel can make is to seek third-party certification.  A  hotel making a green commitment can use a scientifically developed standard such as Green Seal’s GS-33 standard as their guideline to ensure that they are implementing the green practices that make a difference for a hospitality operation. Using this standard as a green compass, hotel executives can be confident that their sustainability program is well-rounded and addresses the most impactful concerns. 

ENVIRONMENTAL TRACKING & MEASURING SYSTEMS

Some hotel chains have developed their own environmental tracking and measuring systems that they require each property to use.  However, there are other systems available that can help hotels track and measure utility, water, waste and recycling.  Independent hotels can use the EPA Wastewise ReTRACsystem to track their waste and recycling volume, as well as the Energy Star Portfolio Manager to track and measure their energy and water usage.  Both of these programs are free, provide benchmarking and analysis, and will also provide reports on related GHG emissions. 

SEARCH FOR INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS

One of the biggest advantages that chain hotels have is their power to enforce purchasing agreements, with preferred vendors and specific product requirements, which does not afford a hotel the option of selecting products that might be less expensive but have a greater environmental impact.  But this advantage may also limit a property from searching out new innovative products, services and solutions as they become available. 

While chain hotels may provide guidelines and resources, the responsibility of establishing a green culture at the property level remains with the on-site property managers.  With this being true, a chain hotel may have established green procedures, but may not be encouraging and monitoring daily green work habits.  Therefore, the shades of green between chain hotels may vary widely. 

ESTABLISH A GREEN IDENTITY

On the marketing front, an independent hotel can truly establish its identity as a green hotel, whereas a chain hotel’s identity is established by the corporate marketing department.  Typically, the green marketing strategy of a hotel chain will be conservative, to protect against the risk of greenwashing accusations.  An independent hotel can take more control over their public image in marketing by consistently infusing a green message associated with their hotel name. 

RESUMING

Ultimately, when getting started with green initiatives chain hotels do have the advantage over independent hotels in that much of the groundwork is done for them.  However, while some chain hotels continue to pursue ongoing improvement, many will not progress above and beyond the corporate mandates, whereas independent hotels may be more likely to pursue and utilize third-party certifying standards, such as Green Seal and Green Key, which encourage and promote ongoing continuous improvement.  Both chain and independent hotels can take a stand for environmental stewardship and demonstrate green leadership by achieving third-party certification. 

Source: Julie Baylor Hospitality Consulting

Environmental Management Systems (EMS)

An Environment Management System (EMS) is a tool for managing the impacts of an organisation's activities on the environment. It provides a structured approach to planning and implementing environment protection measures.

An EMS monitors environmental performance, similar to the way a financial management system monitors expenditure and income and enables regular checks of a company's financial performance. An EMS integrates environmental management into a company's daily operations, long term planning and other quality management systems.

COMPONENTS OF AN EMS

To develop an EMS, an organisation has to assess its environmental impacts, set targets to reduce these impacts, and plan how to achieve the targets.The most important component of an EMS is organisational commitment. For an effective EMS to be developed and implemented, you need commitment from the very top of the organisation, as well as all staff. Following are more examples of components that should be considered when developing an EMS.

Environmental Policy: this is a statement of what an organisation intends to achieve from an EMS. It ensures all environmental activities are consistent with the organisation's objectives.

Environmental Impact Identification: identification and documentation of the actual and potential environmental impacts of an organisation's operations need to be undertaken. This can be achieved through undertaking an environmental audit.

Objectives and Targets: an environmental audit forms the basis of determining an organisation's environmental objectives and targets. An organisation can find benefits in adopting more stringent longer term objectives to encourage it to improve its performance. To continually improve, targets should be regularly reviewed.

Consultation: staff and community consultation should be undertaken before, during and after establishment of an EMS. This is necessary to ensure that all staff are involved in, and committed to the EMS. It can also help to improve public perception of the company, one of the benefits of implementing an EMS.

Operational and Emergency Procedures: all procedures should be reviewed to ensure they are compatible with the organisation's environmental objectives and targets. Any changes should be included with the documentation.

Environmental Management Plan: this details the methods and procedures which an organisation will use to meet its objectives and targets.

Documentation: all objectives, targets, policies, responsibilities and procedures should be documented along with information on environmental performance. Documentation is useful for verifying environmental performance to staff, regulators and the community.

Responsibilities and Reporting Structure: responsibilities need to be allocated to staff and management to ensure the EMS is implemented effectively.

Training: staff should undergo environmental awareness training to familiarise them with their responsibilities for implementing the EMS and with the overall environmental policy and objectives of the organisation. This provides staff with the necessary skill and motivation for the effective implementation of the EMS.

Review Audits and Monitoring Compliance: review audits should be undertaken regularly to ensure the EMS is achieving its objectives and to refine operational procedures to meet this goal. In order to ensure regulatory and other requirements are being met, it is often necessary to undertake regular environmental monitoring.

Continual Improvement: an important component is continual improvement. An EMS comes into its best use when used to review progress towards the targets and objectives set by a company to protect the environment. The procedures set in place to meet these objectives should be constantly examined to see if they can be improved or if more effective systems can be introduced.

BENEFITS OF AN EMS
An EMS can assist a company in the following ways:

• minimise environmental liabilities;
• maximize the efficient use of resources;
• reduce waste;
• demonstrate a good corporate image;
• build awareness of environmental concern among employees;
• gain a better understanding of the environmental impacts of business activities; and
• increase profit, improving environmental performance, through more efficient operations.

An EMS can be a powerful tool for organisations to both improve their environmental performance, and enhance their business efficiency. An EMS is not prescriptive, rather, it requires organisations to take an active role in examining their practices, and then determining how their impacts should best be managed. This approach encourages creative and relevant solutions from the organisation itself.

Although the implementation of an EMS is essentially a voluntary initiative, it can also become an effective tool for governments to protect the environment as it can assist regulation. For example, regulatory systems can encourage organisations to use EMS to meet standards, by providing incentives for strong environmental performance.

Likewise, organisations can use EMS to ensure that their performance is within regulatory requirements, and to keep ahead of more stringent regulations which might be introduced in the future.

INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS - ISO 14000 FAMILY 
The ISO 14000 series, currently being developed by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), is a collection of voluntary standards that assists organisations to achieve environmental and financial gains through the implementation of effective environmental management. The standards provide both a model for streamlining environmental management, and guidelines to ensure environmental issues are considered within decision making practices.

ISO 14001 is the standard for Environment Management Systems. Many large businesses (some in the lodging industry), particularly overseas, have obtained certification under the standard.

BENEFITS OF INTERNATIONAL CERTIFICATION
The benefits of having ISO 14001 certification are mainly realised by large organisations, as Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have a smaller turnover and thus a correspondingly small return on the costs of certification.

Although a fully certified ISO EMS may not be suitable for smaller organisations, it does provide guidelines that assist organisations to consider all the relevant issues, and thus gain the most benefit from their EMS, even without certification. SMEs can therefore use ISO 14001 as a model for designing their own EMS.

However, larger organisations may find certification more valuable when considering the potential trade and market advantages of an internationally recognised and certified EMS. This was a significant factor for companies seeking certification under the ISO 9000 quality assurance standards, and is likely to be a factor in decisions regarding ISO 14001 certification.

EMS IN AUSTRALIA 
The Standards Australia web site provides further information about Standards in Australia. The ISO 14000 series has been adopted in Australia and New Zealand as the AS/NZS ISO 14000 series.

Sources: International Organization for Standardization (IOS)

              Australian Government: Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities

          Chan E.S.W., Wong S.C.K. (2006), Motivations for ISO 14001 in the hotel industry. Tourism Management 27(3), 481-492. 

Accor's PLANET 21

With PLANET 21, Accor group has made 21 commitments in favour of sustainable development. 

Intrinsically linked to sustainable development, the name PLANET 21 refers to Agenda 21, the action plan adopted by 173 Heads of State at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. It also echoes the urgent need to focus efforts in the 21st century to change our production and consumption patterns with the goal of protecting our planet, its people and their environment.

The 21 commitments are the following:

Health

• Ensure healthy interiors
• Promote responsable eating
• Prevent deseases

Environment

• Reduce water use
• Expand waste recycling
• Protect biodiversity

Carbon

• Reduce energy use
• Reduce CO2 emissions
• Increase use of renewable energy

Innovation

• Encourage eco-design
• Promote sustainable building
• Introduce sustainable offers and technologies

Local

• Protect children from abuse
• Support responsable purchasing practices
• Protect ecosystems

Employment

• Support employee growth and skills
• Make diversity an asset
• Improve quality of work/life

Dialogue

• Conduct business openly and transparently
• Engage franshise and managed hotels
• Share commitment with suppliers

The Athenaeum Hotel Vertical Garden

Source: Athenaeum Hotel
Artist: Patrick Blanc
Schedule: completed in 2009

Patrick Blanc is THE expert in Green-walls (aka living-walls and breathing walls). He is an award-winning artist and research scientist. He had been for decades examining the way that numerous wild plants naturally grow on vertical rock faces and trees, and since then he has been on a mission to transform concrete walls into beautiful havens of biodiversity. His famous Vertical Gardens hang all over the world, from Bangkok to Paris, New York to Tokyo… and now London in the Athenaeum Hotel.

Using his pioneering planting techniques, Patrick Blanc has created another spectacular Living Wall at the athenaeum. It uses more species of plants than any other Vertical Garden in the UK - including the world's biggest single collection of Urticaceae. Patrick carefully collected the different species from dripping warm locations all over East Asia. Next, he propagated the plants in a nursery in the South of France then inserted the roots into the specially constructed, irrigated felt at the athenaeum.

HOW HE DOES IT

Patrick perfected a technique that enables urban plants to grow vertically without the need for soil. A system of slats is used to secure artificial felt and myriads of strategically placed plant roots, with automated watering and fertilisation. Basically he uses a kind of techno-trellis as the underlying structure: A plastic-coated aluminum frame is fastened to the wall and covered with synthetic felt into which plant roots can burrow. A custom irrigation system keeps the felt moist with a fertilizer solution modeled after the rainwater that trickles through forest canopies.

THE PLANTS

The vertical garden at the Athenaeum is eight stories tall, has 260 plant species and more than 12,000 plants. But plants for this vertical landscape must be chosen with care. Because the walls are so high, conditions vary widely. The shade at ground level is perfect for rare Asian nettles; on the brighter upper stories, plants that usually cling to windblown cliff faces brave the blustery British breezes. Noteworthy species include:

• Adiantum capillus-veneris (From warm temperate and tropical climates - Colin no country listed)
• Begonia grandis PB (Green - from China and Japan)
• Begonia grandis PB (Dark red - from China and Japan)
• Begonia pedatifida PB (China)
• Billbergia nutans (South Brazil)
• Corydalis cheilanthifolia (China)
• Cyrtomium macrophyllum (Japan)
• Fascicularia bicolour (Chile)
• Ficus erecta var. sieboldii (South Korea)
• Fuchsia hatschbachii (South Brazil)
• Fuchsia regia (South Brazil)
• Hemiboea cf. strigosa PB (China)
• Impatiens arguta (Himalayas and East Africa)
• Impatiens mengtzeana (Himalayas and East Africa)
• Impatiens sp 1 (yellow) (Himalayas and East Africa)
• Impatiens sp 2 (pink) (Himalayas and East Africa)
• Iris japonica (Japan and China)
• Lonicera pileata (China)
• Rubus ichangensis (Colin - no country listed)
• Stachyurus salicifolius (China)

Urticaceae:

• Boehmeria platyphylla (India)
• Boehmeria tricuspis (Japan)
• Debregeasia longifolia (India)
• Elatostema radicans var. minimum (Japan)
• Elatostema scabrum (Japan)
• Elatostema umbellatum var. majus (Japan)
• Elatostema umbellatum `Dents de Kyoto' (Japan)
• Pilea matsudai (Taïwan)
• Pilea peperomioides (China)
• Pilea petiolaris (Japan)
• Pilea scripta (India)
• Pilea umbrosa (India)
• Pilea plataniflora (Sikkim)

As well as the aesthetic benefits, the vertical garden will also act as a natural air purification system and act as natural insulation for the building (for more information about the benefits of living walls click here)

Green Walls

The environment is getting ever more damaged as cities become denser. According to a United Nations forecast seventy percent of the world population will be living in cities by 2050. Denser living environments bring with them several detrimental consequences associated with air pollution, reduced urban biodiversity, degraded air quality and noise, traffic congestion and more waste. 

Therefore, the design and construction industry are crucial businesses to improving the challenging situation. By using solar passive design techniques, energy efficient building materials, being aware of technological developments in energy efficiency, and better integrating nature into the world’s ever expanding cities, the built environment will be going towards a more sustainable and healthier future. Lets then focus on the benefits of integrating nature into urbanisation's in the form of green walls. 

In order to understand the green walls advantages, the context and concept should be explained. It is unknown when people started to keep plants in cities for their beauty alone, but over 2500 years ago the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon were constructed for this reason. Since that time, to grow climbers on the exterior walls of buildings was a common practice. However, these plants rarely reached more than two storeys high. Green walls as self-sufficient vertical gardens that are attached to the exterior or interior of a building have currently been reaching much greater heights. The reason relies on the modern technologies that are used as supports. 

SYSTEMS

These structural supports that allow the plants roots to grow are what differentiate the ancient techniques from modern green facades. Basically, the plants growing in these gardens receive water and nutrients from within the vertical support instead of from the ground, resulting in much higher green facades. This system to attach plants to walls of buildings and homes has includes many different methods:

• Modular systems - a container filled with a growing medium that is attached to the wall;
• Industrial Felts - placing plants root into the fibrous material, with water and nutrients being delivered through the layers of fabrics; 
• Green Façade - a structure that is attached to the side of a house or building that allows plants to grow from the ground up or from planter boxes; and 
• Active system - also known as Biowalls, can be connected to air conditioning systems;
• Passive system - stand alone systems which deliver fresh air in their immediate area.

BENEFITS

Besides being so different, all this different methods have common benefits regarding the environment and its residents. 

Firstly, space saving benefits can be significant if putting gardens vertically which result in very little floor space. This can be advantageous for city apartments, city terraces and small urban development where space is not abundant and each square metre used can result in severe economic burdens.

Secondly, insulating properties with green-walls can regulate internal temperatures within the building. This results from the relatively constant temperature in the small cavity between the green-wall and the host wall.

Thirdly, growing plants directly on the west wall will regulate temperatures and result in energy savings. The effects of evapotranspiration of green-walls (cooling effect of plants transpiring) can reduce the heat of buildings in hot climates by almost 10oC which can significantly reduce the energy consumption of a building by reducing the need for air conditioning. In cooler climates, there is always the opportunity to select species that allow shade during warmer summer months and that allow solar penetration during winter months where there is leaf loss. This benefit is a very significant one as it lowers greenhouse gas emissions.

Fourthly, increased Green space in the urban environment will reduce the Urban Heat Island Effect . When plants are replaced with urban surfaces such as buildings, asphalts, rooftops, and concrete a phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect is created. This effect relates to an elevation of temperature relative to the surrounding rural or natural areas which generates an additional demand on energetic systems such as air conditioning and refrigeration. By planting vegetation in these urban forms the evapotranspiration explained previously will global warming could be mitigated. Studies have found urban air temperature of up to 12°C higher than surrounding areas and also demonstrated that during summer non- vegetated areas could exceed vegetated areas in temperatures of 25°C. 

Fifthly, living walls can reduce noise pollution. Beside leaves being bad sound absorbents, plants and their planting medium are not. Plants and trees have been used for years as barriers against traffic and other urban noise pollution and can be found worldwide. As these systems have good phonic qualities they can be used to absorb sound waves, to reduce sound reflection from the hard surfaces of roads and buildings and to improve the acoustic of places such as increasingly denser cities. In addition they help to absorb the echo bouncing off buildings, dampening the loud sounds found in modern cities. Therefore, by containing such a large number of plants, green walls the acoustics of the interior of a building can be largely enhanced.

Sixthly, green-walls act as a biofilter that captures and denatures pollutants known as VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds), improving air quality. According to modern scientific research, indoor environments may be as much as ten times more polluted than the outdoor environment. Also, the average person spends over 90 percent of his or her time indoors (American Physical Society 2008). Therefore, improving indoor air quality is fundamental for a good healthy environment. Not every plant is good for indoors however certain species are really good absorbents and removers of pollutants from indoor air. With the right plants composing the green wall and releasing energy-rich oxygen, indoor air quality is substantially improved.

Seventhly, plants from the living wall can be used to purify slightly polluted water such as grey water and stormwater. Having stormwater or grey water penetrating through a green wall system can lead to a near total elimination of pollution before being released back into the surrounding environment. This process results from the filtering done by the roots and its living microorganisms which break down, remove heavy metals and utilise the dissolved contaminants of the water before releasing or recycling it.Therefore, green walls contribute positively to urban hydrology and inherent sustainability by recycling, reusing, and not unnecessarily using potable water.

Eighthly, green walls increase the value of your property by adding a real green component to the building. Living walls are great marketing tools as they can be used to promote a company’s green image. In addition, a living wall can increase property values as it is a unique trend and a unique way of greening interior spaces and exterior landscaping. “It has been proven that by having greenery in retail shops, malls, restaurants, cafes, bars and other businesses, the number of patrons increases” (Green over Grey 2009). By feeling more relaxed and less stressed, some studies assume that occupants will probably remain longer and spend more in order to extend that feeling.

Ninthly, Living walls can be viewed as mini ecosystems  and thus can be considered as a factor to increase the urban biodiversity. Depending on the selected species, these ecosystems can support many beneficial organisms such as butterflies, bees, ladybugs, and humming birds, returning nature to the urban environments. It has been proved that green roofs increased flora and fauna species and it is expected the same results for vertical landscapes. There is now also another possibility: growing food on living walls . Although it is not commercial available it is a possibility that some architects, designers and enthusiastic are considering, which would improve even more the cities environment and also the city residents quality of living.

Lastly, what the undoubted aesthetic appeal of a green surface can do as a therapeutical mechanism. With the increasing noise and pollution the urban environment became a well of stress and discomfort. This is not considered healthy and it has a profound impact on the physical and mental wellness of the population. Green walls became the connection between man and nature that was missing in the modern concrete jungle. It is yet not known why plants transmit such a peaceful energy. However, it is suggested by some that the reason relies on the biophilia hypothesis. This hypothesis suggests that there is an instinctive bond between human beings and other living systems such as plants. Although it has not been proved, it has been confirmed that plants help people to feel more relaxed and focused, which leads to an increase in productivity, creativity, idea generation, and problem-solving capabilities.

COSTS

Besides all the benefits mentioned above, green wall will always need some maintenance and costs. By designing a building with previous knowledge of such techniques, costs for pruning, feeding and watering would still apply, but some maintenance costs could be reduced. Early considerations with accessibility and good connections to the mechanical ventilation systems are an example of those costs. Another costs saved are the energy costs due to isolative properties and material costs. As such, integrating these walls in the early design stage contributes for a better efficiency of the building, minimises costs and maximises benefits.

TO THINK ABOUT

Concluding, the successful cases of living walls in France and Japan have been inspiring many in the modern days to consider this technology. Green walls are an emerging technology with undoubted environmental, social and economic benefits. This systems control extreme temperature inside the buildings, positively improve temperatures outside the buildings, ameliorate the urban heat island, significantly improve air quality, recycle water, lower building energy bills, and even offer pleasant, relaxing and healthier spaces. Due to its positive benefits and as an innovative and healthy way of bringing nature to the built environment, green tools such as the Australian GreenStar ,the North American LEED and many others worldwide have been crediting buildings that integrate this type of technology, in order to promote good design practices. 

Wouldn't this be advantageous for the hotel industry?

Eco-Certificates

WHAT IS AN ECO-LABEL
Eco-labels, also known as green-labels, work to reduce environmental degradation by helping consumers make more informed decisions about the products they consume.  By using the information provided by an eco-label, the consumer is thinking about their health and well being but he is also thinking of the resources used in providing the consumable.

The Green labelling began in the 80's, as part of the "green" revolution in marketing with non-food products. Labels on products with "green" claims like "environmentally friendly," "nontoxic," "energy efficient," "recycled content," and "recyclable" began appearing in several commercial venues. Later,   with consumers choosing to buy more and more products that wouldn't have a negative impact on the environment, manufacturers started to take advantage of such labels to increase their market value. 

CHALLENGE

The manufacturers started therefore to worry about showing to the costumer an emblem that certified the product. However, the emblem did not offer any details about what those environmental qualifications were. It became a trend. In some cases the label did not even mean changes occurred in the product or in the process of producing the product,. The label just meant that the product used a percentage of recycled material, or natural ingredient (etc). Items or ingredients that were already there in the first place.

THE SOLUTION

"The rapid proliferation of eco-labeled products serving as marketing tools has led different countries' governments, together with representatives of consumer groups and industry, to develop programs to standardize eco- or green-labelling. Manufacturers are encouraged by market trends to eco-label their products to avoid losing their market share." (Environmentally friendly hotels)

Each country decided therefore to certify their products in accordance with certain standards established by their own government. This certification schemes started to extend from products and food to services and industries.  

THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

The hospitality and tourism industry is a major consumer of resources and products. Consumption includes land; construction, operation, maintenance, and eventually demolition of the building; fixtures and furnishings; cleaning supplies; food; and equipment. Then, over their lifetime, buildings require appreciable amounts of energy, water and many other resources. Lets not forget Hotels are active 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year in and year out, using water and power throughout the day for general operations and guest use.

The built environment and industries as the mentioned above are therefore responsible for a considerable portion of the overall air, water and soil pollution. With this massive ongoing use of  resources and damages to the natural environment it is critical that actions are undertaken to preserve the environment and conserve resources for future generations.

CERTIFICATION SCHEME

With this aim, more than 100 ecolabels and certification schemes are already available for tourism, ecotourism and the hospitality industry worldwide (find here some of them). Some of the certification programs include: (Environmentally friendly hotels)

• international standards for lodging properties to follow for certification
• ISO
• lodging certification programs
• U.S.'s Green Seal
• Canada's Green Key
• Key to Costa Rica
• hospitality property certification
• Europe's Green Tourism
• U.S. building certification
• U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)

Although these schemes have different quality, are based on different criteria, have different content, and are designed for different countries and policies, they all have the same objective. The objective of stimulating environmental concern and encourage innovation within the industries without necessarily having to increase costs. Studies reveil that not only operating a facility in an environmentally responsable way is not more costly, but there exist a number of convincing examples of facilities where proactive environmental management, including lower water consumption, waste-water treatment, lower energy consumption and a variety of other measures were successfully combined with increased profits (Bohdanowicz). 


So, It is time to change mind sets and start getting involved with industry self-regulation schemes such as green-certifications and help guests make more informed decisions about the hotels they want to stay in.

TO THINK ABOUT

Although it is good to have a certification scheme, having 100 eco-labels around the world does not seem to me to be the answer to the present challenges. Amongst all the industries, the hospitality should be the one that shares a common rating scheme worldwide. After all, hotels are used by tourist from all over the world. And by definition, a tourist is a person who travels for pleasure, usually sightseeing and staying in hotels. As such, a tourist should be able to travel abroad and understand what is behind an eco-label and which commitments where made to diminish their negative impact on the global ecology.