Strengthening Certifications: How Effective Are Hotel Sustainability Audits?
11 experts shared their view
With growing scrutiny from travellers and investors who demand clarity of sustainability information, and policymakers who mandate increased accountability, there is a shift in the air. Major hotel brands as well as independent owners and operators are increasingly adopting third-party certifications to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability and track performance. There are various types of certifications available to hotels depending on the focus and audience to be reached. This viewpoint concerns the guest-facing certification schemes.
The path to becoming a certified property involves a series of meticulous steps [1]. It begins with selecting a reputable certification body, followed by registration and a thorough self-assessment based on a criteria checklist. However, the heart of this process lies in the on-site audits. Audit tasks in the hotel sustainability certification world extend much beyond simple checklist ticking; auditors must navigate through extensive criteria to effectively evaluate a property's adherence to sustainability standards. These audits are decisive as they assess whether a hotel meets specific standards, such as verifying monthly energy usage records to assessing local biodiversity protection efforts or ensuring that the hotel refrains from contracting suppliers using child labour (see further examples in [2],[3]).
Auditors operate within the complex interplay of evolving standards and the multifaceted operations of hotels. They must engage with various professionals within the hotel, from engineers to chefs and from department managers to front-line staff. The effectiveness and credibility of these audits are paramount to a robust certification.
The forthcoming EU Green Claims Directive addresses these challenges by discussing significant variations among environmental labels concerning transparency, standard comprehensiveness, revision frequency, and the rigor of auditing or verification processes [4]. Although the Directive primarily targets environmental certification, the sustainability certification for hotels also encompasses a wide range of social sustainability criteria, requiring auditors to have expertise in these areas as well.
The expertise, training and in-depth industry knowledge of auditors are crucial. These attributes are foundational in designing a role that guarantees neutrality and results in effective oversight.
With this in mind, the aim of this viewpoint is to explore the strengthening of sustainability auditing processes within the hospitality industry, with the following questions:
- With more hotels pursuing certification, could the auditing process become a bottleneck due to a shortage of trained auditors?
- Are the current training programs adequate for auditors to fulfil their responsibilities effectively?
- From a hotelier's perspective, what experiences have you had with the auditing process?
- How can technology be incorporated into audit procedures to enhance consistency and impartiality?
References
[1] GSTC. (2024). Becoming Certified as a Sustainable Hotel/Accommodation. https://www.gstcouncil.org/certification/become-certified-hotel/#7b428c3c9e8da1775
[2] Green Key (n.d.). Unlocking sustainability in the hospitality industry. https://www.greenkey.global/criteria
[3] Green Globe (n.d.). Green Globe International Standard for Sustainable Tourism. https://www.greenglobe.com/criteria-indicators
[4] EC. (2023). Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on substantiation and communication of explicit environmental claims (Green Claims Directive), para. 39. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/
Could there be a bottle neck of skilled auditors - absolutely, but we know that legislation will require skilled auditors to assess certified properties so the question shouldn't be will there be a bottle neck, it's how are we training a new wave of auditors.
Much like the varying levels of transparency and credibility in certification schemes, the same is true of auditors. EarthCheck for example vets each of its auditors, requires auditors to possess environmental lead auditor qualifications (RCA/RABQSA recognised EMS/QMS/ISO14001, ISO19011 lead assessor course), industry specific experience (minimum 5) and completion of EarthCheck Auditor training. It is important that not only are auditors skilled at the physical audit, but understand the nuances of what is a complex sector.
Auditing should add value for businesses, providing a greater understanding of best practices and opportunities for improvement. EarthCheck has been a strong advocate for skilled auditors that understand our industry and the level of rigour that brings to a program, this has become increasingly important in light of regulatory changes.
It is important that businesses understand the auditing process when they embark on certification and pick a scheme that meets the rigour and credibility aligned to market expectation.
At GSTC, we're pleased to see more hotels pursuing certification, demonstrating the industry's commitment to sustainability. While demand for certification grows, we emphasize the critical role of auditing in ensuring rigorous implementation. For example, Türkiye's Sustainable Tourism Program, the first national mandatory program based on GSTC Criteria, is advancing as auditors undergo professional training through a collaboration between TGA and Cappadocia University to enhance their auditing skills.
As the demand for certification grows, we continuously review and enhance our training programs to keep pace with evolving industry needs. To enrich the learning experience, we include guest speakers from the industry who provide valuable real-world insights. This offers auditors a practical perspective to complement their technical training.
Based on the feedback received from both CBs and hoteliers, if a hotel uses a sustainable management system to collect sustainability-related data and supporting documentation, it significantly reduces the steps and time required for information gathering during the audit process. This enhances efficiency for both parties. Digital tools also provide standardized reporting formats that enable users to extract, compare and review data in a consistent manner. Dashboards can visualize trends and performance metrics, making it easier to interpret results without bias.
With new ESG regulations coming into force (e.g. the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), there will be an even greater need and demand of environmental and social auditing. Not only is there a risk in not having enough auditors, but auditors also need the skills and knowldege to assess against all sustainability criteria and indicators. There is currently a real concern about the quality of social audits, which are often an 'add on' to environmental audits and thereby missing the scrutiny required. Poor audits will damage the company's as well as the certifiers reputation, with the risk of producing false claims. A good and highly skilled auditor can be a great mentor for businesses, and businesses deserve the opportunity to learn from best practice and improve their own operations, monitoring, evaluation and reporting. I strongly advocate for social audits to be conducted by experts in social impact to avoid falling victim to potential 'social washing'.
Verification and certification on hotel sustainability are a key element the success of a property's pathway to net zero and net positive impact. Hotels under the brand umbrella of Radisson Hotel Group are required to complete the online verification process of Hotel Sustainability Basics and / or be certified by a leading hotel eco-label. Quality is defined by the transparency of the program, regular audits conducted by well-trained auditors and third-party verification. It is also a great differentiator.
The verification process of the Basics allows hotels to start their journey, complying with 12 criteria which need to be proven with document uploads and action plan preparation. AI can be a facilitator for verification purposes to enhance the process and increase uptake of sustainable hotel operations.
Certification providers are challenged to build scale with current labelling landscape and announced regulatory requirements. Application of AI learning allows to move away from 100% onsite auditing. System applications can help direct hoteliers in a guided manner to obtain the right points of proof in preparation for assessment. This supports and simplifies the process for an auditor too, allowing the have access to these platforms through API technology.
Related article by Sven Wiltink
Sustainability audits prove highly effective as they go far beyond simple checklist compliance. Certification standards require a comprehensive assessment of a hotel's operations, involving employee engagement and an in-depth analysis of data on energy, water, waste, and community impact. From my experience with numerous audits in Mauritius, I have seen that sustainability certification audits not only guide hotels toward certification but also inspire significant, measurable outcomes that align with long-term environmental goals, such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
These audits are powerful tools that drive hotel accountability, transparency, and a strong commitment to sustainable practices. However, their true effectiveness lies in the ability to translate findings into practical, ongoing improvements, creating lasting change rather than merely maintaining certification status.
With more hotels pursuing sustainability certifications there is indeed need for more auditors, and their training is key to ensure effective quality audits.
The auditors’ training and its examination are fundamental to secure that certifications’ criteria, compliance indicators, and required auditor skills are mastered. However, since this process is usually uniformed, it can be complicated to make sure that every auditor is eventually able to interpret adequately individual hotels’ peculiarities while preserving coherence and alignment with the certifications’ standards.
Moreover, auditors’ soft skills are the most intricated characteristics to assess: how auditors should interact with hotels’ employees to establish empathy and trust, as well as their ability to value hotels' teams efforts to push them to improve their performance is something difficult to teach and usually comes with experience.
Therefore, support from more experienced auditors should be provided on an ongoing basis, and certification bodies should regularly equip their auditors with additional training, as well as conducting close audit reports’ review to address any inconsistency and suggest improvements.
Although technology can help auditors in their organization and analysis, the human component in hotel sustainability audits is still essential and needs to be delicately taken care and nurtured.
Auditing hotels requires specialized knowledge of hotel operations and strong interpersonal skills to assess compliance across various departments. Technical expertise in areas like HVAC and water managment is critical. Currently, there is no formal academic training for auditors, highlighting the need for structured support to enhance their qualifications and ensure certification credibility.
Related article by Nicolas Dubrocard
How can technology be incorporated into audit procedures to enhance consistency and impartiality?
Responsible Technology has a major role to play in certification and 3rd party verification under the future Green Claims Directive. Responsible Technology is able to measure, monitor and analyse, using real-time data, to provide unbiased and insightful reports as a consistent working cog of your reporting process. Its costs are offset quickly through savings so it becomes a valuable business intelligence asset from the get go.
This is a major benefit to hotel management, auditors and certifications because:
- By cross-checking data against bills, the findings are evidence-based and robust
- By exploring the real-time consumption, understanding changes in sustainability performance is rigorous
- Results from real-time consumption analysis identify critical variables that significantly influence consumption
- This process saves certification and verifiers time and increases their insights
Responsible Technology offers a microscopic view of what is actually occurring; important because no two years are the same, no month is identical to the year’s previous, and staff turnaround means knowledge is lost. Conversely, Responsible Technology creates an accurate longitudinal picture of the hotel’s sustainability performance and key influencers.
Responsible Technology can simply be installed affordably using sensors, and can include, as in our service, monitoring 72 environmental and social variables around the clock.
An example of its output to guests is the WISE Widget. Launched in September, it offers the first live reporting of evidence-based verification where guests see sustainability progress reported in the form of a live action ‘badge’ using evidence-based verification. The widget provides robust, clear reporting on key impacts in a motivating way to enable a hotel to demonstrate its transparent sustainability performance. In a world where everyone can see their carbon footprint on their bank balance, choose between airline ticket options based on their carbon emissions, and check their use of domestic solar, is it not high time hospitality presented itself with informative unbiased data real-time?
There are wider rewards including:
- Real-time consumption data allows all internal stakeholders to immediately monitor consumption behaviours and provides insights for saving opportunities
- Responsible technology saving staff time to accumulate resource use data increases the scope of resources that can be monitored, and allows greater feasibility to conduct audits more consistently (i.e., every month)
- Responsible Technology removes potential errors and biases in accumulating and presenting auditing data, providing a standardised impartiality that holds value when communicating to stakeholders
Read the comprehensive summary of how to apply responsible technology and its outputs in this freely available tool box published by Griffith University and WISE Sustainability HERE.
The Eco-labels need to adjust their requirements and procedures to meet the upcoming Green Claims Directive. The separation between the certification and auditing processes is key to building trust in the claims made. Setting clear minimal standards for eco-certification will help meet sustainability standards.
I think it is important to mention that eco-labels have helped hospitality organizations to start working on reducing their environmental impact. Although flaws exist in the current system, ecolabels have increased awareness and expertise on sustainability in many hospitality organizations. The reputation of Ecolabels may have suffered due to the reluctance of organizations with an instrumental approach to sustainability, versus those intrinsically motivated, to make full use of the opportunity of the eco-labels.
We have reached a new phase in the sustainable transition of the hospitality industry, next steps need to be made, and making all ecolabels "Green Claims Proof" will help this transition. The current list of GSTC-Accredited Certification Bodies is small, so much energy is needed to expand this group before the directive takes effect. They can play an important role in helping organizations make a sustainable transition and help them make underpinned green claims.
The sustainability certification process in hospitality could shift towards businesses conducting more self-reporting. There may also be a shift towards more accessible, tech-based verification systems, reducing time demands on operators. In July 2024, it was announced that Weeva, a sustainability monitoring and reporting platform, would be shutting down due to limited industry readiness for rigorous sustainability practices. While independent hotels—the majority of global accommodations—are increasingly pursuing certifications, a rise in customized, in-house reporting systems maybe expected. These systems could initially stay clear of robust third-party verification, relying instead on consumer trust. User-generated content on social media could also play a growing role in holding businesses accountable, potentially more effectively than traditional audits. By this, guests (consumers) can upload best practices, or poorly implemented (shortcomings) they observe at a business – this may prove more effective than professional "third party audits" just as traditional online reviews have proved effective over the years. Although third-party verification remains credible, it is often costly, time-intensive and the model remains inaccessible to the majority of grassroots accommodation and tour operators. As sustainability standards evolve, ongoing upskilling for trainers and auditors will be essential, paving the way for more agile, tech-driven systems.
‘Environmental audit’, as a type of non-financial audit, is defined as
a management tool that systematically documents and periodically evaluates how well an organization’s management practices and equipment are safeguarding the environment[1,2]. Audits, as part of the sustainability certification process in hospitality, differ from financial auditing since they remain largely uncontrolled but the implications often have direct and indirect financial impacts. A key component in improving sustainability assurance is a full transparency in the audit process which is evidently linked to the reliability of sustainability data (a topic for another day).Auditing compliance versus continuous improvement
Most front-facing sustainability certification in hospitality mandate that companies progressively enhance their practices over time. The certification process is therefore more than a checklist exercises highlighting non-compliances. The process actually requires a deeper engagement from auditors who must evaluate the effectiveness of a hotel’s sustainability strategy and operations beyond simply ticking off items on a list. Is the role of an auditor moving from being an “inspector” to a “continuous improvement facilitator”?[3] There are some obvious issues related to the adopted role with regards to impartiality, independence, and fairness that must be considered as auditing is not immune to conflict of interest.
Getting ‘Certified’ as an Auditor
Considering the increased pressure points on sustainability performance of businesses, the auditing field is set to grow with an increased demands for qualified auditor and use of improved auditing technologies. Direct evidence of auditor training can sometimes be opaque as it depends on the transparency of the certification body. Some bodies publish their auditor training programs (e.g. GSTC, Green Globe, EarthCheck), while others may not. Steps usually include 1) ‘learning the standard and criteria’, 2) ‘working with mock audits’ and 3) ‘gaining field experience’ by shadowing qualified auditors (and this is critical considering the complexity of hospitality operations). In some cases, there might be an expectation to seek additional credibility as a sustainability auditor by getting certified – (e.g. ISO 19011 - Certified Lead Auditor). Auditors are called to master the audit process, understand sustainability, be familiar with the hospitality industry and have the technical knowledge and social competencies to conduct sound audits – complex surely, but a critical component of certification credibility.
[1] International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) (1991). An ICC guide to effective environmental auditing. ICC Publishing.
[2] European Environment Agency (n.d.). Environmental Audit. https://www.eea.europa.eu/help/glossary/eea-glossary/environmental-audit
[3] Power, D. & Terziovski, M. (2007). Quality audit roles and skills: Perceptions of non-financial auditors and their clients. Journal of Operations Management, 25(1), 126-147 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jom.2006.02.005
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