Image credit: Red Cat Adventures
Getting started on your Climate Action Certification
Climate Action Certification is designed for all sectors of the tourism industry including hotels, attractions, tours, transport, restaurants, travel agents, tourism commissions and industry bodies.
The Climate Action Certification program is dedicated to reducing carbon emissions and assuring travellers that certified products are backed by a commitment to sustainable practices related to addressing climate change.
Tourism operators holding ECO Certification are eligible to add Ecotourism Australia’s specialty certification program Climate Action Certification. If you are currently applying for either ECO Certification you can also apply for this simultaneously.
There is one level of Climate Action Certification:
Climate Action Business recognises businesses that have undertaken a set of adaption and emissions reduction actions and are measuring their carbon footprint.
Why Climate Action Certification is a smart move for your business
Climate Action Certification is a way for your tourism business to receive official recognition for meeting global standards, best environmental and professional practices specifically relating to reducing carbon emissions.
Becoming Climate Action Certified
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- Provides businesses with an understanding of climate change concepts and terminology
- Builds awareness of credible offsetting activities that can be undertaken
- Introduces clear and practical ways of reducing your carbon footprint – reducing carbon emissions through design, equipment selection and changes in operational practices
- Provides best practice examples relevant to the business sector and operating environment
- Introduces approaches to adaptation that will assist both the individual enterprise and the collective industry and community within its area of operation.
In addition to emissions reduction strategies, the Climate Action Certification program places significant attention on adaptation responses – as these are the most vital to business planning, development, and investment.
Many of the initiatives recommended in the certification program will provide cost savings to the business through efficiency gains. Others provide broader sustainability gains and contribute in a real way to better environmental and community outcomes.
The Climate Action program is reviewed regularly as new technology and tools become available and as legislation changes. A independent, third-party auditing process has been established to ensure the credibility of the program.
Ecotourism Australia’s online search engine showcasing all our certified tourism operators and destinations.
Each operator receives a free listing with an opportunity to upgrade to a premium listing to maximise their reach.
What are the benefits to becoming certified?
Climate Action Certification is a business development tool that enables you to improve the sustainability of your business across every aspect of the triple bottom line, using global best practice criteria. It assures travellers that products are backed by a strong, well-managed commitment to sustainable practices and provide high quality tourism experiences.
Benefits include:
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- Business development and training | Certification is a business development tool. By becoming certified, you get access to a variety of specialised resources, tailored business coaching and our dedicated online portal.
- Credibility | By becoming certified, you also become part of an international community of globally acknowledged certified operators and destinations.
- Recognition | When you become certified, you receive a Climate Action logo and certificate to display, a listing on the Green Travel Guide, access to extended permits in many protected areas, special offers through industry partners, plus more.
- Community | Once you’re certified, you’re part of our family. We advocate for you and connect you to our member network of over 500+ passionate, likeminded operators and stakeholders through our ECO Community Portal.
Partner Benefits include:
As the program is endorsed by different government authorities, you can gain access to government grants and promotion, as well as other marketing initiatives such as visiting journalists showcasing those who are making a difference. Depending on where you operate, you may have the opportunity to apply for and obtain longer permits and licences for operations within protected areas and parks.
QTIC Partnership
Eligibility: ECO, ROC, or Climate Action certified operators based in Queensland
Benefits: Under this agreement, the cross recognition between programs means you are eligible to redeem accreditation through the Quality Tourism Accredited Business (QTAB) program through QTIC at no additional cost, and take advantage of the program’s valuable benefits including free ReviewPro access, automatic eligibility for nomination in the QLD Tourism Awards, and many more.
Enquire about Climate Action Certification today!
Dedicated to reducing carbon emissions and assuring travellers that certified products are backed by a commitment to sustainable practices related to addressing climate change.
Is Climate Action Certification the best suited program for me?
To be eligible to apply for Climate Action Certification can you answer YES to all the following questions:
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- Are you already participating in the ECO Certification program?
- Is your business dedicated to reducing carbon emissions?
- Does your business assure travellers that you are committed to sustainable practices that help address climate change?
- Does your business engage with guests regarding how they can make more sustainable choices throughout their experience?
What are the costs associated with certification?
There is an annual $110 (incl. GST) administration fee in addition to your ECO certification renewal fee.
Understanding your involvement
Filling in the application for Climate Action can take some time if you don’t already have systems in place to track carbon emissions.
Below are some areas covered by the certification
Identify sources of emissions
Measure and collect data through a credible emissions calculator
Establish a base year to enable year-on-year emissions measurement for continuous improvement and benchmarking
Set strategies to reduce emissions
Participate in a verified offsetting scheme
Develop Climate Action adaptation strategies
Primary Certification Programs
Before considering Climate Action or Respecting Our Culture programs, please consider your involvement in ECO or Sustainable Tourism Certification programs as your first involvement. These are holistic programs overviewing all four pillars of sustainability.
You can choose to add Climate Action or Respecting Our Culture onto ECO Certification once certified by that program.
ECO Certification
Designed for tours, accommodations, and attractions with a nature-focus to their visitor experience.
Sustainable Tourism Certification
Designed for all businesses that operate in the tourism supply chain in a non-nature-based space, including hotels, attractions, tours, transport, restaurants, breweries, and more.
FAQs
Click on the frequently asked questions to find your answers. If you still have questions, contact eco@ecotourism.org.au
Why should I add Climate Action Certification to my ECO Certification?
- Provides businesses with an understanding of climate change concepts and terminology
- Builds awareness of emissions reduction activities that can be undertaken within different areas of operations
- Introduces clear and practical ways of reducing your carbon footprint – reducing carbon emissions through design, equipment selection and changes in operational practices
- Provides best practice examples relevant to the business sector and operating environment
- Introduces approaches to adaptation that will assist both the individual enterprise and the collective industry and community within its area of operation.
How much does it cost to become certified?
There is an annual $100 (+GST) administration fee in addition to your ECO certification renewal fee.
How difficult is it to apply for certification? How long should it take?
Depending on what systems and processes you already have in place and what needs to be established, timing will vary regarding completing your application. If you are applying in conjunction with your ECO Certification you will have 12 months to complete.
The online portal itself is straight forward and user friendly. There is information under the guidance tab and examples which are a great resource for you. Our coaches are available by phone, email or Teams meeting to assist you in any way you need.
How long does my certification last?
Your Climate Action Certification will be valid in line with your ECO Certification. Once you have attained certification you will be required to pay an annual fee to retain certification. Every third year an onsite audit (additional cost) will be conducted to ensure you remain committed to the agreed terms of your certification.
What are Ecotourism Australia's compliance and auditing standards?
Ecotourism Australia’s certification programs have stringent independent auditing processes to ensure the certified operators continue to operate at appropriate standards that meet certification standards.
Ensuring all certified operators undergo regular independent third-party audits is a critical feature of our certification programs. Operators applying for certification will have an audit upon completing of the application before we can grant certification. After that, every operator gets audited every 3 years by a qualified independent auditor.
The auditor will inspect the place of work to confirm that claims made within the application and documentation are effectively implemented in practice and also speaks with key staff members about their certification in practice. If an operator is not meeting certification standards at the time of any audit, they will need to complete mandatory corrective actions within a specific time frame. In cases of non-compliance, Ecotourism Australia can suspend cancel certification.
We value and take seriously any complaints or feedback about certified operators and their activities and have a formal complaints process in place which is publicly available on the Ecotourism Australia website (Feedback and Complaints section of our terms and conditions). Any concerns raised, directly or indirectly to Ecotourism Australia are treated as a formal complaint and investigated accordingly. Operators are required to respond to allegations and provide evidence regarding the certification criteria that has been questioned. The operator may also be required to undergo an additional onsite audit process by an independent auditor to investigate claims made.
Can I apply for more than one certification at the same time?
If you are applying for ECO Certification you can also apply for Respecting Our Culture or Climate Action Certification at the same time. There are additional costs associated with these supporting programs.
What happens after my business is certified?
Once you are certified, we will send you your certificate and marketing material so you can proudly display your achievement.
Every year on the anniversary of your certification you will need to pay your renewal fee and send us your completed annual declaration stating that you are still committed to the agreed terms of your certification.
An audit is initially completed to grant certification and then conducted every three years thereafter. To keep your certification up-to-date and to facilitate the audit process we require your documentation to be updated annually.