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Visit Scotland | Alba
VisitScotland / David N Anderson

Showcase your green credentials

Manage your sustainability actions

Tackling climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing Scottish tourism now. Consumer concern over the environment and climate has doubled in the last decade. Visitors are increasingly seeking out businesses and destinations with excellent green credentials.

What are green certification schemes?

Generally, an assessor will measure your business against a range of sustainability aspects.

By meeting these criteria, you gain the certification’s label, which you can use in the form of a verified badge of validation.

The assessor is an independent third party. They'll review your business regularly to ensure the sustainability criteria are being maintained.

Why join a green certification scheme?

A scheme's verified badge is a clear visible and verifiable way to prove your business' commitment to the environment to the public. Having such a badge will make it easier for environmentally conscious visitors to choose your business.

Taking part in a scheme is also a great way of reviewing your business' environmental, social, and economic impact. By being assessed for the scheme, you might get a clearer idea of where your business is doing well and where it could improve.

Benefits of joining a green certification scheme

Become greener

It’s a great way of reducing not just your carbon footprint, but also energy, water and waste bills.

Get more sustainable

The assessment's management framework lets you monitor and help improve your sustainable practices.

Raise awareness

It can help guests, staff, and suppliers become more environmentally conscious.

Get more visitors

You can use your certification to get a marketing advantage over your competitors.

Available programmes

 

EarthCheck

The programme addresses key global environmental, cultural, social, and economic concerns. It deals with environmental regeneration and improvement. The programme also looks at the conservation of existing natural heritage assets.

Green Key

Green Key has certified over 3,000 tourism businesses in 60 countries worldwide. It's one of the world’s largest eco-certification programmes for the tourism industry.

Green tourism

Suitable for tourism and hospitality, this scheme helps businesses reduce their environmental impact. It's based on the three pillars of caring for people, places, and our planet.

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