Eco Policies
With no universal measurement for eco-friendly accommodation in existence, how can you be sure that a hotel promoting itself as eco-friendly truly is and that it’s not just an advertising ploy to attract the eco-aware traveller?
To help you understand the eco-policies enforced by the accommodations featured on this site, we have defined five categories which we believe encompass the core values of eco-friendly accommodation. The categories are defined as follows:-
Eco-Design
For example, do the buildings and landscapes integrate themselves into the natural environment? Are natural and locally produced building materials used?
Energy
What does the accommodation do to reduce carbon and energy use? Are alternative energy sources such as solar power used?
Conservation
How does the accommodation help to conserve its natural surroundings? Does it have an environmental education program?
Ecological sustainability
How are the effects of waste on the surrounding environment reduced e.g. is waste and waste water recycled? Are the resources used renewed at the same rate? Is food locally grown and produced?
Community
Does the accommodation incorporate cultural considerations e.g. are guests informed of local cultures and customs? Is the local community provided with economic benefit? What proportion of the staff employed are local people? Are there any programs to support the local community?
On each accommodation page you can find the policies employed by that particular accommodation, categorised in the above way. Not all accommodations featured will cover every one of these points – some may lean more strongly towards conservation, while others focus more on supporting the local culture and community. For example, an eco-lodge based in the rainforest might be more likely to focus on conservation techniques while an eco-hotel in a city-centre may be have a stronger emphasis on the sustainable development of their local community.
By reading through the information for each accommodation you can clearly see the eco-policies adopted by each one and from that information you can decide whether or not they satisfy the criteria that are important to you.
Certification schemes
There are more than 100 certification programs worldwide, created by countries, industry groups and government agencies. Not all of these programs actually give any guarantee that their participants are any more ‘green’ than non-participants, although there are a few such as Green Globe and EU eco-label which are more highly regarded than others.
Green Globe – Green globe primarily focuses on hotels in Australia, New Zealand and Asia although it is expanding. They have two categories benchmarked and certified. A green globe benchmarked hotel demonstrates an above industry average level of performance against a number of indicators relevant to their sector and region. Green globe certified hotels are accredited at the highest level in terms of environmental and social impact.
EU Eco-Label – This is a rigorous scheme which certifies hotels and campsites throughout the EU’s member countries.
Where an accommodation featured on ecobookers is accredited by one of these schemes, this is highlighted under each accommodation’s eco-policies section.
