The first suspect are green hotel certifications. There are green hotel programmes that look, smell, sound and even taste like certification, but they are not! Don’t take any risks: choose your green hotel certification correctly.
If any of these points cannot be clarified with concrete evidence, your hotel needs to take strict and quick measures against greenwashing, so as not to damage the image of your hotel.
Five check points to verify
Check point 1: the accreditation body
Check whether the accreditation body claimed by the certification body is the single officially recognised national accreditation body in its country, rather than a private accreditation organisation.
Check point 2: the certification body
Verify that the certification body is genuine and officially listed by a national accreditation body. Check that its accreditation scope covers the specific certification scheme.
Check point 3: the auditor
Ensure that the auditor is qualified and formally appointed by a genuine, independent certification body, not by a separate entity created or controlled by the scheme owner.
Check point 4: the consultant
Verify that your consultant is independent of the certification decision-making process and that no conflicts of interest exist.
Check point 5: the scoring
Check that the certification programme does not rely on aggregated sustainability scoring to substantiate consumer-facing environmental claims. Verify that claims are supported by specific, verifiable evidence.
Not sure about your certificate?
We can check it for you: the accreditation, the certification body, the audit and the claims you make with it.
