BERLIN, GERMANY—BeCause, the Danish start-up breaking down barriers in sustainability data management for the global hospitality and tourism sectors, has introduced Certification Co-Pilot, a new tool designed to streamline the eco-certification process for hotels and certifiers. It allows stakeholders to manage certification applications through a single, automated workflow, reducing manual effort and improving efficiency.
Launched at ITB Berlin, the tool is currently being piloted by customers in several markets and will be fully available at the end of Q2 2025.
Certification Co-Pilot works by connecting hotels directly to certifiers via the BeCause sustainability hub. Applicants simply need to fill in their application on the platform and transmit it to auditors for evaluation. Feedback is managed within the platform as well, while built-in intelligent prompts help identify potential issues and information gaps before transmission, enabling quicker resolutions and significantly reducing certification timelines.
“By removing these barriers, we are confident that hotels will be incentivized to apply for, and obtain, a greater number of eco-certifications—the key criteria consumers and booking platforms use to evaluate a brand’s sustainability credentials,” says BeCause CEO Frederik Rubens Steensgaard.
Duplicate Data Entries Minimized
Hotels can leverage existing sustainability data across frameworks, calculators and within hotel groups using BeCause’s mapping capabilities. For example, figures used to comply with the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive or carbon emission metrics calculated through HCMI are automatically mapped to the chosen certification and can be applied to the application. This process minimizes duplicate data entries, greatly reducing data collection costs and enabling brands to pursue more ambitious sustainability goals with fewer resources.
“We are excited to be one of the first certifications available through Because’s Certification Co-Pilot and are proud to advance the digitalization of the certification process, especially helping hotels to a very accessible, fast and smooth process leading to certification,” says Julian Reingraber, Strategic Development Manager at GreenSign, who introduced the tool alongside BeCause during a panel discussion at ITB.
“By automating key steps, it provides a reliable and efficient path towards hotels realizing their sustainability goals, while also increasing consumer trust and transparency,” he adds.
Without BeCause and Certification Co-Pilot, sustainability data collection is often labor-intensive, limiting access to third-party verified eco-certifications. Through the sustainability data hub, hotels can efficiently collect, validate, and share their data, ensuring compliance and credibility.
Improving Investor & Stakeholder Accountability
Corporate hotel headquarters can pre-populate preferred certifications for specific regions or business units within Co-Pilot, providing relevant data and monitoring progress in real time via an intuitive dashboard, improving investor and stakeholder accountability.
“Consumers increasingly want to travel more sustainably but often question the validity of green claims. With Certification Co-Pilot, hotels and travel companies have fewer barriers to securing third-party eco-certifications and meeting the growing demand for more sustainable travel options,” says Rubens Steensgaard.
BeCause also updates a hotel or tourism company’s certification status in real time, ensuring booking engines have immediate access to the most up-to-date sustainability credentials. This seamless integration eliminates the need for manual updates, giving travelers confidence in their booking choices.
BeCause is rolling out Certification Co-Pilot in the coming months with GreenSign, Green Globe, and Green Key (in select countries) available during the initial phase. Sign up here to be notified when it’s fully available.
For more information about BeCause and Certification Co-Pilot, or to speak with CEO Frederik Steensgaard, get in touch with Vanessa Horwell at vhorwell@thinkinkpr.com.
