By walking through rows of grape vines, picking and tasting grapes, Chester Osborn determines which crops are ready to harvest to start making d’Arenberg winery’s distinctive red and white wines.

For over four generations, the Osborn family have created iconic wines on Kaurna Country in McLaren Vale, South Australia. Now, Chester champions his family’s longstanding expertise in winemaking, lauding traditional methods to make it taste that much better.

Although labour-intensive, both red and white wines are basket pressed, with all reds being further foot-trod during fermentation, to complete a highly controlled and gentle production process. With a range of tours to complement and immerse travellers in their process, d’Arenberg has made a name for itself nationally, is a big-ticket operator on the Big Red Group’s platforms and is a member of Wine Australia.

The d’Arenberg team approaches sustainability with the same effort and attention to detail as they do crafting their wines.

“We undertook the Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard to champion d’Arenberg’s holistic approach to environmental, social, and governance matters, ensuring that future generations can relish the environment as we do today,” stated Tourism and Events Officer, Hannah Hobbs.

“Our goal is end-to-end sustainability – spanning our vineyards, winery, and tourism offerings. The Scorecard helped pinpoint our successes and areas needing enhancement, especially from a tourism standpoint.”

d’Arenberg’s current commitments to making their operation more sustainable include Sustainable Winegrowing Australia (SWA) Certification against the Freshcare Standard and, for select estates and leased vineyards, NASAA Certification for organic and biodynamic processes.

Their 200KW and 100KW solar PV generators produce 30% of energy used in the manufacturing process, and have committed to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030, achieving net zero by 2035. The team also contributes to the conservation of three hectares of protected native shrub located next to the winery, and pests and diseases are carefully monitored to protect the vineyard’s biodiversity.

Of all their feedback from the knowledgeable Ecotourism Australia team, Hobbs found the team were inspired by just how impactful small actions can be on environmental sustainability.

Hobbs said, “The revelation that even the minutest business aspects can significantly impact the environment was eye-opening. It was rewarding to consolidate all our efforts and witness them culminate in our impressive scorecard ranking.”

As they continue striving for tourism sustainability, they found it encouraging to have an outline of easy, actionable improvements that they could start working on straight away.

Looking to a more sustainable future, Hobbs outlined d’Arenberg’s next steps: “As we embark on our net-zero carbon journey, we’re focusing on enhancing winery operations – from tank cooling and energy efficiency to optimal solar power utilisation and water conservation.

“We’re also scrutinising waste streams across the winery, bottling, and restaurants to amplify recycling, reuse, and reduction. We’re even questioning every purchase to find more sustainable alternatives. Our newly formed ‘Green Team’, comprising members from within the business, identifies and champions eco-friendly innovations improvements to our current operations. We believe collective brainstorming accelerates impactful changes.”

The d’Arenberg team found Ecotourism Australia’s online portal to be a great asset to completing their Scorecard, with Hobbs stating, “The portal, complemented by its detailed support, proved invaluable in ensuring we met all criteria and drew insights from exemplars. We appreciated the Scorecard’s user-friendliness, allowing us to save progress and work at our own pace – a boon amidst the hustle of daily business operations.”

Driven by their passion for winemaking and the environment, the d’Arenberg team believes sustainability is a journey worth pursuing.

“For d’Arenberg, sustainability isn’t a one-off project but a relentless pursuit of betterment.”

Learn more about d’Arenberg’s sustainability initiatives: https://www.darenberg.com.au/sustainability/

• Introduce a balanced structure of member-elected Directors (maximum 5) and Board-appointed Directors (maximum 4)
• Update Director terms from 2 years to 3 years, with a maximum of two terms (6 years total)
• Meet current regulatory requirements for a Company Limited by Guarantee
• Be modernised and contemporary to meet Ecotourism Australia’s strategic imperatives and our objectives
• Provide a streamlined and concise governance framework.

Untamed Escapes have greatly transformed since owner Craig ‘Hassie’ Haslam bought what was known as ‘Nullarbor Traveller’ in 2004. Branching out to include the brand ‘Xplore Eyre’ to capture shifting outback adventurer markets, Hassie connected travellers with diverse environments and experiences across South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

From deepening connections to the environment to engaging in conservation, responsible tourism has always been the crux of Hassie’s mission. But through the team’s incredible efforts, they realised they weren’t platforming their eco credentials well enough.

Soon, they were struck by a pandemic and plenty of time to reflect. They looked to expand, branching into wellness retreats as they continued showing travellers their part of the world, all while ensuring their eco credentials received the right recognition.

The new and improved Untamed Escapes was launched in 2021, and a wave of transformative experiences in nature continued to capture the hearts of travellers wanting to connect with regions across Australia.

Notably, Untamed Escapes’ launch also marked the start of a new conservation journey. Regenerative travel was now front and centre as they championed what they had always done; putting place, community and nature first on their tours.

Hassie’s regenerative roots began in 1999 before there was even a word for it. Back then, they owned a property on the Eyre Peninsula where his wife, Jo, proposed they start planting trees.

“Over the next 20 years, we revegetated over 1,000 acres of bushland and were also the first tour operator in Australia to offset 100% of our carbon footprint internally. While we are no longer carbon neutral, through our Regenerative Action Plan, we will be heading towards being net positive in years to come.”

This year they reached an incredible milestone, celebrating 10 years of ECO Certification with Ecotourism Australia and earning them a new title: Green Travel Leader.

“We received ECO Certification 10 years ago as it aligned with our ethos and the Environmental Programs we were already doing on our then 3000-acre accommodation property on the Eyre Peninsula,” Hassie states. “It gave us a formula to move forwards towards understanding the positive impacts of our programs as well as a formal auditing and reporting process.”

Hassie says ECO Certification has helped them communicate their environmental conservation initiatives to their customers and suppliers by adding credibility, but it’s also been an important part of their redirection to regenerative experiences.

“The other significance is it was an important step in the journey of us now moving beyond sustainability to regenerative tourism,” says Hassie. “This has been challenging as it involves a complete mindset shift to a different way of seeing the world, specifically a nature-based and holistic view.”

In 2022, Untamed Escapes hired a dedicated Regenerative Tourism Specialist, and a Regenerative Tourism Action Plan Manifesto is on its way to being launched later this year. When published, this document will be one of the first of its kind for a tour operator in Australia. A summary of the action plan will be available on their website, designed to inspire other businesses to work toward regeneration action.

“Regenerative tourism answers the question of how we can improve the natural places and communities we visit,” Hassie states. “It includes nature-based and holistic views and Indigenous wisdom, as they have lived with a regenerative mindset since the beginning of time.”

Their regeneration mission goes from strength to strength through key collaborations and education, and building partnerships with many local environmental organisations across the regions they operate in.

On the ground, Untamed Escapes educates their passengers on how to be the best traveller they can be to safeguard the environment. The team discourages single-use plastics and recycles everything they can, purchases locally, and organises and provides transport for community clean up projects.

Better yet, all their adventure tours include a conservation activity. Whether you are cleaning local beaches, tree planting, helping a wildlife rescue organisation, or engaging with Indigenous cultural experiences, guests know they’re in for a transformative, regenerative experience.

“For me, running a business in a responsible way is the right thing to do, just as much as picking up rubbish when you walk along the beach or down the street,” says Hassie. “It’s in my DNA, so it flows through to the way myself and my team run the business. I want Untamed Escapes to help shape and influence travel in Australia. That will be a challenge, but one I am keen to champion.”

Check out Untamed Escapes array of ecotourism experiences on the Green Travel Guide: https://greentravelguide.org/listing/untamed-escapes

• Introduce a balanced structure of member-elected Directors (maximum 5) and Board-appointed Directors (maximum 4)
• Update Director terms from 2 years to 3 years, with a maximum of two terms (6 years total)
• Meet current regulatory requirements for a Company Limited by Guarantee
• Be modernised and contemporary to meet Ecotourism Australia’s strategic imperatives and our objectives
• Provide a streamlined and concise governance framework.

A new benefit as of this year, all Business Supporters receive access to Ecotourism Australia’s Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard to demonstrate their commitment to continuous improvement and to grow on their sustainability journey. Read on to discover what Business Supporter Destination Marketing Store thought of the Scorecard program.

Supporting Australian and Pacific destinations to sustainably grow their visitation through effective and responsible destination management planning and marketing, Destination Marketing Store (DMS) recognise the importance of walking the talk. In their work with destinations, DMS promotes and encourages destinations to consider sustainability as a key driver of success for growing a sustainable visitor economy.

Sustainability was a concept DMS was already passionate about, but it was also an area they were keen to develop further expertise in to ensure their advice to clients was accurate. When they saw that the opportunity to participate in the Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard was included in their Business Supporter membership, they jumped at the chance to gain tangible insights into their business’s sustainability performance and advice on how to improve.

DMS’ Destination Strategy and Sustainability Lead, Oliver Batten, said while sustainability is an important part of their day-to-day work, the Scorecard offered them a chance to look at sustainability on a deeper level. He said, “this was the first time looking at sustainability in a wholistic sense for the organisation and we were keen to learn where our knowledge gaps were and to look for areas of improvement.”

He said that the Scorecard helped enhance the team’s understanding of sustainability in a business sense.

“It’s easy to get caught up thinking about sustainability in the environmental context, however the Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard process really assists you to understand the importance of things such as business management, operations, education and cultural respect. All of which are incredibly important if your business is going to have any direct positive impact on the environment,” said Oliver.

The Scorecard offered DMS a chance to reflect and to create a strong foundation of sustainability for their business. Oliver shared that the importance of doing some of the groundwork first was a key learning from completing the Scorecard.

“Things such as business management and operational planning are a really important step in being able to deliver positive impact, so spending some time to reflect on these and setting some direction for how you want to be sustainable is key.”

DMS believes the insights from completing the Scorecard will be useful in their day-to-day engagement with their clients. “We believe that the process will help to inform our work with our clients in sustainable tourism. Importantly, it provides a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities sustainability presents to small and medium-sized businesses.”

As part of their business ethos, DMS is committed to paying it forward to support the not-for-profit organisations Science for Wildlife and Bangarra, supporting wildlife conservation and Indigenous performing arts, respectively.

From the Scorecard’s detailed feedback report, DMS have been inspired on how they can effect greater positive change in their business, clientele, community and beyond. Oliver said DMS are already creating a prioritised roadmap towards sustainability as part of their next steps.

He added, “identifying some of the simple things we can do in the short term as well as setting some longer-term sustainability goals will be great to provide some direction. We have already started doing some small actions such as getting NFC business cards for the team and looking into green hosting services for our websites.”

Click here to discover more about Destination Marketing Store on the Ecotourism Australia website.

The Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard is as a benefit included in Business Supporter and Corporate Supporter membership with Ecotourism Australia. Head to our website to learn more about Ecotourism Australia membership.

Destination Marketing Store completed their Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard on 30 August 2023 and is a snapshot of their current sustainability practices. The scorecard is not a certification and is valid for 12 months upon completion.

• Introduce a balanced structure of member-elected Directors (maximum 5) and Board-appointed Directors (maximum 4)
• Update Director terms from 2 years to 3 years, with a maximum of two terms (6 years total)
• Meet current regulatory requirements for a Company Limited by Guarantee
• Be modernised and contemporary to meet Ecotourism Australia’s strategic imperatives and our objectives
• Provide a streamlined and concise governance framework.

In November 2021, Delaware North was appointed the hospitality services provider for the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

Since then, as sport events have bounced back, they are not only providing excellent hospitality services at the MCG but also playing their part in sustainability.

When Delaware North began their Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard journey, they committed to assessing their performance against the four pillars of sustainability, sustainable management and environmental, socio-economic and cultural impacts, as well as to beginning their journey of continuous improvement.

Troy Stasinowsky, Director of Sales and Marketing at Delaware North, shared their main motivation for completing the Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard was because it aligned with their business development goals.

“We have core objectives to achieving greatness and high standards across our Business Event Tourism. To achieve this, we undertake various industry led programs so we can ensure we continue to meet our goals and create a high-quality experience for our customers,” said Troy.

Delaware North’s Corporate Social Responsibility follows the three principles of people, communities and planet to help make the world a better place. One of the sustainability practices implemented by Delaware North at the MCG is their partnership with SecondBite to donate leftover food from their events to people in need. It serves a dual purpose of supporting their local community and reducing food waste.

The Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC), who are the custodians of the MCG, have developed a Reconciliation Action Plan for the site that aims to develop a meaningful relationship with the local Kulin Nation and Indigenous Australian Peoples more broadly and guides Delaware North at the MCG towards best practice in cultural respect and sensitivity.

To ensure their sustainability strategies are delivered across the whole company, Delaware North is using an innovative online platform for staff sustainability training to support their team on their sustainability journey and meet consistent sustainability standards.

“The main benefit of the scorecard to us was to show that we are a serious tourism business dedicated to sustainability practices, and ensure we have guidance to assist us in achieving future high standards.”

For Troy, the intuitive portal allows him to complete the self-assessment for Delaware North with ease across all 50 criteria. He said, “it was a clean and clear portal that was easy to navigate.”

By reflecting on the tailored suggestions from the scorecard feedback report, Delaware North are setting a goal to achieve an even better result on their next Scorecard.

“Our next steps involve reviewing what has been provided as feedback and starting to implement steps to achieve a higher result in 12 months, which I believe is the very objective of the program and what makes it unique.”

Learn more about this leading global hospitality and entertainment company, including their Corporate Social Responsibility at https://www.delawarenorth.com/who-we-are/.

Delaware North at the MCG completed their Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard on 1 August 2023 and is a snapshot of their current sustainability practices. The scorecard is not a certification and is valid for 12 months upon completion.

• Introduce a balanced structure of member-elected Directors (maximum 5) and Board-appointed Directors (maximum 4)
• Update Director terms from 2 years to 3 years, with a maximum of two terms (6 years total)
• Meet current regulatory requirements for a Company Limited by Guarantee
• Be modernised and contemporary to meet Ecotourism Australia’s strategic imperatives and our objectives
• Provide a streamlined and concise governance framework.