Should Green Certification Programs Require Continuous Improvement for Recertification?

Should continuous improvement be a requirement for carrying on a green certification from one term to the next? What do you think? In the coming weeks I will be contacting the various national green lodging certification organizations to find out whether or not they require that a lodging establishment show progress or improvement prior to recertification. In other words, is doing what one has been doing during the first certification period good enough to be recertified? Or, should one have to elevate one's commitment to environmental practices--e.g., going beyond towel and linen programs, compact fluorescents, etc.--prior to recertification? At the moment I am not sure where all of the organizations stand on this but I intend to find out.

On my list to contact: Green Seal, Energy Star, Green Key, Green Globe, Audubon Green Leaf Eco-Rating Program, EcoRooms & EcoSuites, Green Suites Certified Green Hotel Program, Sustainable Travel International, and the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED rating system.

When pursuing recertification I believe lodging establishments should be required to do more then the first time around and then be honored for their continuous improvement. Why should things be different the second or third time around? There are several important reasons. Motivation is one. How do you keep your staff motivated if you tell them that next year all they have to do is match the goals they reached this year? Raising the bar is also good for the environment and your bottom line. Instead of reducing energy consumption by 20 percent, why not 30 percent? Instead of being satisfied with eliminating Styrofoam from your breakfast area, why not eliminate all non-compostables? Technology and products are also constantly changing. Should a hotel be held to a standard for energy consumption in a CFL world when an LED world will change how achievement is measured?

Just as lodging establishments should be held to a higher standard once they recertify, so too should the certification programs themselves be held to a higher standard every year or at least every two years. I would argue that if a certification program is not evolving it does not deserve your business. Watch Green Lodging News for the results of my research and be sure to leave any of your comments here.