Environmental standards

Use your power as a consumer to support tourism, hospitality and leisure businesses that are mindful of their impact on the environment. It is also vital that you communicate your preference for sustainable tourism products and services to the tourism businesses themselves. As with any industry, change is more likely to occur if the necessity is market driven.
When on holiday, or when choosing your holiday destination and activities, these are just some of the environmental standards you should look out for;

EU Flower Eco-Label

The ‘EU Flower’ Eco-Label – This European eco-label signifies high environmental performance in all kinds of tourist accommodation services. To obtain this certification, accommodation providers must meet key criteria relating to implementing measures on water saving, energy efficiency, renewable energy, waste separation and disposal, reduced usage of chemical substances and environmental communication and education.

The Green Box Eco Label

The Green Box is Ireland ’s first genuine ecotourism destination with a set of standards based on sound environmental practices highlighting all that the region (covering areas in Fermanagh, Leitrim, west Cavan, north Sligo, south Donegal and northwest Monaghan ) and its people have to offer (www.greenbox.ie). The Green box Eco Label has been designed to guide visitors’ travel choices and help them to choose promoters of ecotourism products and the experiences they have on offer. It is also designed to act as a framework for operators who wish to adapt existing products to ecotourism or create new ecotourism products.

GEE Eco-Management Programme (GEE)

GEE awarded by Golf Environment Europe to golf courses that adopt best environmental practice. The aim of the programme is to create a system which is more accessible to golf facilities across Europe , which allows flexibility for adaptation into different national projects and which ultimately encourages registration and accreditation via the European Commission Eco Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS).

Leave No Trace

This is an outdoor ethics programme designed to promote responsible outdoor recreational behaviour through a series of 7 principles. This programme applies to all outdoor (non-motorised) activities. Any organisation which displays this logo has signed up to this programme and promotes and supports the 7 principles of Leave No Trace.

Environmental Policies

The standards listed in this section relate to formal accreditation standards or labelling. However there are many businesses within the tourism industry which have adopted best environmental practices in their businesses policies, but not necessarily through formal accreditation or labelling. Therefore you should always ask a tourism provider/ business about their environmental policies when assessing your options.

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