A formal statement of pro-environmental intention is now an accepted (and expected) dimension of hotel business, but to what extent are such policies an accurate and honest reflection of green credentials? Thirteen years and thousands of policy inspections’ experience has led the Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS) to issue a warning to consumers to look out for common “eco fibs.”
The problem is that many environmental statements are misleading—we estimate as many as half contain inaccuracies or are too “woolly” to be convincing. The good news is that most of these are due to misunderstandings on the part of the hotelier (green terminology is notoriously complex!) rather than a deliberate intention to be dishonest, but there are those who claim adherence to policies which are patently not in place.
The situation is only made worse by self-assessment programs that have no on-site inspection. Hotels can make green statements that are unsubstantiated, be promoted through the program and get away with many eco-fibs without any verification. This is one of the reasons we are working with Ethos in British Columbia to develop the first Canadian eco-certification for sustainable tourism that has a mandatory third party on-site assessment for all participating businesses.
Most Common Eco-fibs
• Towel policies where towels are laundered regardless of where the guest has left them.
• Fair trade coffee and tea promises not fulfilled in hospitality tray sachets.
• Offering to order a taxi in first response to a travel or directions request which could easily, safely and conveniently be met by walking or public transport.
• Claims to minimize waste not reflected in the purchase of overpackaged items such as bottled water and single portions of food such as breakfast cereal.
• Monitoring energy usage undertaken on an occasional and erratic basis.
• Electricity consumption undertakings not followed through by hotel staff who leave computers and other office equipment on standby as a matter of course; also empty minibars left on continually.
• Locally sourced food bought at a nearby supermarket.
• Providing recycleable instead of recycled goods.
There is a need generally for greater clarity within environmental statements because many are fluffy to the point of being meaningless. Commonly used are phrases such as “wherever possible” and “as much as we can,” conveying notions of solemn green pledges that are absolutely not met. Such unsubstantiated posturing is unethical in itself. Plus there is common sense to be taken into account—“locally sourced” implies to the consumer a nearby producer rather than a convenient supermarket. If environmental policies are to be credible, a more rigorous approach is essential—poorly-considered platitudes are found far too frequently.
Part of the solution is increased awareness, training and advice for businesses which is why these are some of the key components of the GTBS. It is partly a communication issue and some businesses are just not sure of how to get their green message across accurately and succinctly—our sample wording, case studies and templates help to simplify some of the often complex and unfamiliar “green” concepts.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Hotels should not be afraid of the rigorous certification procedures which can give them guaranteed green status. Workability is another key aspect of being successfully green. It is unrealistic to apply one size fits all criteria—for example a historic property whose listed status makes some initiatives such as double glazing impractical can compensate in other areas such as recycling or community involvement.
The GTBS approach is flexible and is successful because we train our assessors to be able to provide good sound practical advice that is appropriate to the business they are grading and which is based on true-life case study information. This has only been possible because of the extensive amount of experience gained over the years by the developers of the GTBS and their team and maintaining standards and consistency through in-house training and mentoring processes. Skills and experiences like these can not be learned online but are gained through practical application and one-on-one training with GTBS technical personnel.
Of critical importance to avoiding tokenism and greenwash is to ensure that managers are appropriately green-minded. Green personality testing for hotel managers will soon become a recruitment must because the most common reason for venue failure to meet environmental standards is a bolt-on rather than built-in approach from management. The GTBS predicts that pro-environmental traits will soon become a key employment consideration for tourism businesses as accommodation providers and venues come under increasing pressure to demonstrate full commitment to sustainability.
Making a Case for Personality Testing
For decades recruitment decisions have been aided by tools which suggest a predisposition towards psychological attributes such as self-motivation, leadership and reliability. As “green” becomes an ever more critical booking consideration among consumers as well as procurement professionals, hotels cannot afford to risk their environmental investment through uninterested or sloppy implementation of their green policies by a non-sustainability-minded manager. Personality testing will allow recruiters to gain insights into likely green commitment levels of their managers, the success of their environmental efforts and ultimately their business.
As an example of how this might work, an interpretation of the Five Factor trait model published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology earlier this year identified key pro-environmental attributes as Agreeableness and Openness followed by Neuroticism and Conscientiousness.
Andrea Nicholas is managing director of The Green Tourism Business Scheme. The Green Tourism Business Scheme is the only tourism eco-certification program in the United Kingdome endorsed by VisitEngland, VisitScotland and VisitWales and has been validated by the International Centre for Responsible Tourism since 2008. Operated by a not-for-profit organization, Green Business, there are more than 2,200 GTBS members through the United Kingdom and Ireland. Click here for more information.
