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Getting started on your Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard
The Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard is a pathway program for any tourism business at the beginning of their sustainability journey.
More travellers than ever are seeking out tourism businesses that are working to improve their sustainable practices. The Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard helps businesses understand where they are in their sustainability journey at a point in time by identifying strengths, gaps, and practical areas for improvement.
Informed by Ecotourism Australia’s sustainable tourism framework and best practice guidance, businesses track their own operations against 50 criteria across the four pillars of sustainability:
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- Sustainable Management
- Environmental Impacts
- Socio-economic Impacts
- Cultural Impacts
*Important: The Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard is an internal business improvement tool. It is not a certification, accreditation, endorsement, rating for public promotion, or consumer-facing environmental claim.
Why should I get a scorecard for my business?
Ecotourism Australia’s Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard is a practical, easy-to-use benchmark tool designed to help your business understand sustainable tourism criteria and identify priority areas for improvement. With personalised feedback and insights, the Scorecard supports internal planning, capability-building, and continuous improvement.
Once you have completed your Scorecard, your detailed snapshot of how sustainably your businesses operates will include an assessment report and a scorecard detailing sustainability wins across the pillars of sustainability. Your assessment report will provide advice on ways you can continue to improve your efforts in sustainable tourism.
Any tourism business or operator can be assessed, including cafes, restaurants, bars, breweries, tour providers, activity/attraction providers, accommodation providers, events and festivals, tourism organisations, travel agents, visitor centres and more.
The Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard costs $250 + GST.
Your scorecard provides a point-in-time snapshot of your business’s sustainability practices. We recommend reviewing it annually to monitor progress.
Founding Partner
Launched by Ecotourism Australia in 2022 with marketing partner Tourism Australia, the program was developed to encourage more tourism businesses to embark on the pathway to sustainability.
Register for your Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard today!
How is the score calculated?
Your overall score is based on the information you share across the 50 scorecard criteria. Each criterion contributes to building a picture of where your business is currently positioned in its sustainability journey.
Remember: The scorecard is designed as a business improvement tool. It helps you recognise areas where your business is already making progress, while also identifying opportunities to strengthen your approach over time. Understanding your current position is an important first step in planning your next actions toward more sustainable business practices.
Each sustainability pillar assesses a number of areas:
1. Sustainable Management
- Sustainable management
- Plans and policies
- Legal compliance
- Health and safety/risk management
- Responsible marketing
- Customer satisfaction
- Visitor education on sustainability
- Staff sustainability education and training
2. Environmental Impacts
- Environmental Management Plan
- Green Supplier policy
- Emissions measurement and reduction
- Location and site selection
- Efficient buildings
- Construction and landscaping
- Energy conservation
- Water conservation
- Waste minimisation and management
- Cleaner transport
- Minimal disturbance to wildlife
- Contribution to conservation
3. Socio-economic Impacts
- Equal opportunity and fair treatment
- Anti-harassment and anti-exploitation
- Accessibility
- Staff training and development
- Community support and engagement
- Impact on local communities
- Local employment
- Local purchasing and supporting local businesses
4. Cultural Impacts
- Acknowledgement of Country
- Consultation and training
- Cultural interpretation
- Visitation of culturally sensitive sites
- Protecting and preserving cultural heritage
- Indigenous arts, crafts and goods
Understanding your involvement
The Scorecard may take up to a day to complete, but you can save your progress and come back to it at any time.
The aim is to help you build a picture of where your business is currently in its sustainability journey. There is no expectation that every practice or document is already in place. Just respond honestly based on your current situation, then move through to the next question.
Pathway to your Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard
1.
Thanks for taking the first step on your sustainability journey. First you need to register here:
2.
Receive your unique login details from Ecotourism Australia to our online portal.
3.
Complete a self-assessment of your business against 50 selection criteria and upload supporting evidence. This process should take one day to complete, but you can start and stop at any time. You have up to 3 months to submit your responses.
4.
Your scorecard responses are reviewed by a trained sustainability assessor within Ecotourism Australia before feedback and results are provided.
5.
Receive a personalised Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard and a full assessment report. The results reflect your business’s sustainability practices at the time of assessment and based on the information provided.
If you would like more information regarding the Strive 4 Sustainability scorecard
Phone (07) 3256 6777 or email eco@ecotourism.org.au and one of our certification specialists will be happy to assist.
Our Strive 4 Sustainability Partners
FAQs
Click on the frequently asked questions to find your answers. If you still have questions, contact eco@ecotourism.org.au
What is sustainable tourism?
The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has defined sustainable tourism as, ‘tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities.’ Sustainability principles refer to the environmental, economic, and socio-cultural aspects of tourism development, and a suitable balance must be established between these three dimensions to guarantee its long-term sustainability.
What does the scorecard measure?
The scorecard measures where a tourism business or tourism supply-chain provider is in its sustainability journey at a point in time. It considers 50 criteria across four pillars: sustainable management, environmental impacts, socio-economic impacts, and cultural impacts.
Who can apply for the scorecard?
Any tourism business or tourism supply-chain provider can apply, including cafes, restaurants, bars, breweries, tour providers, activity/attraction providers, accommodation providers, events and festivals, tourism organisations, travel agents, visitor centres and more. If you are unsure whether your business is eligible, contact us on (07) 3256 6777 or email eco@ecotourism.org.au, and one of our sustainability specialists will be happy to assist.
Is the Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard a certification?
No. The Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard is not a certification, accreditation, endorsement, or public environmental claim. It is a point-in-time assessment tool designed to support internal learning and continuous improvement.
How is the scorecard different from certification?
The scorecard is an internal business improvement tool designed to help businesses understand their current position and identify opportunities for improvement. It provides a point-in-time snapshot based on the information shared by the business and does not provide independent verification or certified status.
Certification is a separate program with formal requirements, evidence-based assessment, and independent auditing against set global best practice criteria. Certification is intended to provide verified recognition, while the scorecard is intended to provide guidance and insight.
The scorecard does not provide independent verification or certified status and cannot be used for promotional or marketing purposes or public display.
How much does the scorecard cost?
The Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard costs $250 (+GST) per business.
How long does the scorecard take to complete?
Most businesses can complete the scorecard in up to one day. This does not include finding and creating the necessary documentation to attach to your application.
You can save your progress and return to it at any time.
What information should I have ready before I start?
It helps to have access to any existing policies, procedures, plans, or records that relate to your operations, environment, staff, community engagement, and cultural practices. You can still complete the scorecard if some items are not yet in place.
Does Ecotourism Australia provide resources, templates, and support?
Our online portal will provide guidance on how to answer each of the criteria. Templates for sustainability and business documentation and support sessions are exclusive to our certification programs.
Do I need to do the scorecard every year?
The scorecard provides a point-in-time snapshot of your business’s sustainability practices. Businesses are encouraged to review their scorecard annually to track progress over time. Sustainability is a journey, not a destination. The aim is for you to continually enhance your sustainability efforts and credentials each year by utilising the scorecard as a monitoring tool for improvement.
I have completed a Strive 4 Sustainability Scorecard; how do I take the next step toward becoming officially certified?
The scorecard does not lead directly to certification, but it can help your business prepare for it. If you would like to become officially certified, you will need to apply for one of Ecotourism Australia’s separate certification programs, which includes assessment against defined standards, supporting evidence, and independent auditing.
The scorecard is designed to support readiness by helping you understand your current position and identify priority areas for improvement.
If you are unsure, please contact our Ecotourism Australia certification team.