VisitEngland

2.18. Stepping stones to certification

A guide to certification options and how they can help your business. Working through this guide will help you build the stepping stones you need to decide whether you wish to commit to some form of certification.

Key Takeaways 21.7

In a nutshell

  • Consider what form of certification would be beneficial to your business and why.

  • Bear in mind that doing the right thing is as important as having a certificate.

Certification options

More and more businesses are now looking at certification routes to verify their sustainability commitments and achievements, and guard against any potential claims of greenwashing (see 5.3). And there are many certification options to choose from.

Below is a quick overview of some of the most widely used. Not surprisingly, at first glance they all offer similar programmes but some are more in-depth and rigorous than others. Some are industry specific, and some industry agnostic. 

It is worth taking a thorough look at the various options and deciding which one is right for your business, or whether you wish to pursue more than one.

Certification bodies

  • Green Tourism: Green Tourism recognises and supports eco-friendly achievements of tourism businesses with an internationally recognised accreditation programme including bronze, silver and gold awards.
     

    GreenKey: Operated by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, GreenKey England is a leading standard of excellence in environmental responsibility and sustainable operation in the tourism industry.
     

    Green Globe: For 30 years, Green Globe has been certifying the sustainability performance of travel and tourism businesses such as hotels, resorts, conference centres and attractions.
     

    Greengage: The Greengage Ecosmart programme evaluates and validates a business’s commitment to being sustainable and maximising green potential.
     

    EarthCheck: EarthCheck provides a science-based certification programme for tourism, hotels, businesses and destinations.
     

    Environmental Quality Mark: The Environmental Quality Mark (EQM) supports specific regional schemes such as the Peak District National Park Authority and Staffordshire County Council, as well as a nationwide scheme.
     

  • B Corp: B Corp certification verifies that a business is meeting the highest standards of environmental and social performance, accountability and transparency.
     

    PlanetMark: PlanetMark is a sustainability certification that verifies and measures carbon and social data to reduce emissions and achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Net Zero.