Hotel sustainability certifications are no longer a specialized distinction but an essential means of meeting market demand. With 73 percent of global tourists preferring to stay in hotels that apply sustainable practices, green certificates increasingly play a key role in influencing consumer choices. Research shows that hotels with sustainability certifications typically receive higher guest satisfaction ratings, as these certifications enhance the perceived quality of the hotel. For this reason, the number of hotels earning certifications like Bioscore, Green Key, EarthCheck and LEED is rapidly expanding, with a 20 percent increase between 2022 and 2023 alone.

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In this context, hotel operators should view the selection of the most appropriate sustainability certifications as a critical commercial decision. This process is complex, involving operational challenges, regulatory requirements, and navigating an ever-growing number of green and ethical labels—at least 200, each with unique standards, costs, and benefits. With so many options, it can be overwhelming to determine which certifications are truly worth the investment. So, what is the best approach?

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Understanding current trends in sustainability certifications

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First, it’s important to understand the trends that are driving both the increasing number of certifications and their adoption. One major factor is the growing need to meet sustainability regulations, particularly in the European Union (EU). Certifications that align with frameworks like the EU’s Green Claims Directive or Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive not only ensure that hotels meet legal requirements but also clearly communicate compliance to stakeholders.

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Another key factor is the growing consumer demand for third-party verification of sustainability claims spurred by growing concerns over greenwashing from multiple well-known brands, including some prominent in the hospitality and tourism sector. Wary of unverified claims, potential hotel guests are seeking the transparency that only accreditation by a reputable independent body can bring.

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A third consideration for hotel owners is adaptability. As the global economy undergoes the green transition and moves toward renewable energy, the associated cultural shift will mean that sustainability will become more integral to all aspects of business. The ultimate destination is a better, greener and fairer future, but the road to get there will be far from straight. In this period of flux, there will be wrong turns, setbacks and obstacles to be overcome, requiring agility and flexibility. Brands that stay ahead of these changes, including understanding which certifications are widely recognized and sought after, will come out on top.

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Choosing certifications that speak to your target audience

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Once this context is understood, the next step for hoteliers is to set out their specific objectives when it comes to certification. This is largely dependent on the needs and wants of their target customers, as not all certifications are universally applicable. For example, if a hotel is targeting business travelers it may prioritize a certification like Green Globe, which appeals to corporate clients focused on sustainability in business travel policies.

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To target the growing demographic of sustainability-minded consumers, particularly Millennials and Gen Z, hotels can leverage specific certifications like GreenKey or Earth Check for market differentiation. When such consumers compare properties with similar amenities and prices, the right green label can sway their decision.

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For global hotel chains, it can be beneficial to find certifications that appeal to customers and can be applied across their property portfolios, as the adoption of a standardized certification enhances brand recognition. After all, a guest staying at a Green Key-certified hotel in one country knows just what to expect when booking into another property with the same certification elsewhere. As it happens, standardization also improves operational efficiency. For instance, once teams know the precise data required for certification, they can share best practices across territories to simplify processes and reduce administration costs. When it comes to gauging the progress of the entire company on sustainability, standardized certification enables valid comparisons between properties and benchmarking.

However, chains will need to balance the benefits of standardization with regional environmental priorities and guest preferences. For example, a beachfront property could focus on plastic pollution as its primary sustainability issue and seek certification on that basis, while a desert property could prioritize water scarcity.

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Streamlining sustainability data management for certification success

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After specifying their goals and markets, hotels then need to get their sustainability data in order. Different certifications have different requirements, with the criteria including everything from carbon emissions, energy consumption, water usage, waste management, pollution, and biodiversity conservation to human rights. For hotel owners new to sustainability certifications, a good entry point is the globally recognized Hotel Sustainability Basics framework, which provides a set of sustainability indicators that all hotels should implement as a minimum.

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Streamlining sustainability data management through digitalization is key, as it simplifies the certification process, reduces costs and improves accuracy. In the digital age, no hotel should be relying on staff to manually check and cross-reference data from an array of folders and inboxes. Such ineffective and time-consuming practices negatively impact a hotel’s ability to identify its strengths and weaknesses in a timely manner, keep up with evolving regulations, benchmark its efforts against industry standards and make informed decisions about sustainability performance.

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This is where sustainability data management platforms can help. These platforms, often powered by advanced technology, like AI and machine learning, are designed to improve data accuracy and streamline operations. For example, the BeCause platform serves as not only a centralized hub for all pertinent sustainability data but also automates its flow between hotels and certification bodies, automatically mapping properties to several certification standards, overlapping data requests and rationalizing the entire process. Investments in the right technology minimize manual work, ensuring compliance, and empowering businesses to make informed, data-driven decisions that advance their sustainability goals.

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Aligning sustainability certifications with long-term business goals

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Once a nice-to-have, now an imperative, sustainability certifications offer hoteliers not just a means of complying with ever-evolving sustainability legislation and pre-empting any potential greenwashing accusations—but also a way of attracting the growing number of consumers who prioritize eco-travel.

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As the deadlines of the world’s climate goals, like the Paris Agreement, come closer, and the green transition accelerates, certifications also provide a framework for integrating sustainability into operations—from energy efficiency to supply chain management—ensuring alignment with increasingly stringent legislation and guest expectations over the long-term.

For hoteliers confused by the myriad of sustainability certifications on offer, the way forward is to set out their objectives, specify their target demographic and turbocharge their data management through automation—or even the power of AI. Then they should focus on the certification that will sharpen their competitive edge and help futureproof their business in a rapidly changing world.

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The original article is available at Green Lodging News.‍