The document discusses EarthCheck, an environmental certification program. It provides the most scientifically robust benchmarking system that helps organizations increase efficiencies, maximize guest experience, and minimize environmental footprint. With over 30 years of experience and $260 million in research, EarthCheck offers comprehensive sustainability solutions and tools to navigate regulatory changes and complex risks in business.

2. The world is scrutinising with increasing urgency
the way industry monitors and reports on its
sustainability performance.
Credible measurement and reporting processes
are essential in order to be accountable and demonstrate
year-on-year improvement.

3. The Journey
EarthCheck is the next generation minimise their environmental
of environmental certification and footprint. With changing regulatory
benchmarking. It is the culmination environments, rapidly evolving
of a journey that began in 1987 and markets and complex risk implications,
continues to this day. Using a science- organisations require specialised
based approach, we help the travel and tools and expertise. EarthCheck helps
tourism industry increase efficiencies, you navigate the path forward with
maximise guest experience and certainty and peace of mind.
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4. Unrivalled Scientific Knowledge
Our resources lead the way in We understand that things can go
defining environmental standards. wrong in business. We can help
Our technical expertise and your team to identify, prepare for,
understanding of scientific principles and mitigate against events that
positions EarthCheck at the forefront may expose your business to critical
of certification and enables us to risk. Why? Because EarthCheck has
provide the most knowledgeable benefited from some $260 million
advice to the markets we serve. worth of scientific research.
The planet deserves more than half measures

5. Culture of Efficiency
In rapidly changing markets, you design and precinct planning,
need a partner who can provide EarthCheck has a reputation for
a framework for streamlining implementing comprehensive,
efficiencies. From operational market-tested solutions that
performance and compliance, to positively impact the triple
community engagement, structural bottom line.
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6. Building Sustainable Communities
EarthCheck takes an holistic approach EarthCheck Programs include:
to destinations, communities · Local Government Sustainable
and enterprises, when delivering Pathways Program
sustainability solutions. As we · International Sustainable
move towards a carbon-constrained Communities Standard
economy, communities will need · Sustainable Schools Training and
practical advice and assistance to Education Program
respond and deliver measurable · Green Building and Planning
outcomes. We must look at the whole Design Guidelines and Standard
picture to navigate the path forwards; · Sustainability Cluster and Capacity
not just one piece of the puzzle . Building initiatives
· National Parks Triple Bottom Line
EarthCheck incorporates a suite of
Reporting Tool
planning, design and operational
· Product Lifecycle Analysis
standards that can help communities
· Risk Management
of interest better manage the effects
of climate change, and produce the
desired sustainability results.
The planet deserves more than half measures

7. Defining the Market
Best business practice and sustainability robust, according to the principles of the
go hand in hand. One focuses on United Nations Agenda 21;
productivity, profitability and market
No other has the development pedigree
share; the other, resource efficiency,
of EC3 Global, borne from the most
eliminating waste and safeguarding
innovative and comprehensive collection
the environment.
of research into sustainable tourism;
They are two sides of the same coin.
No other has a multi-lingual team of
Alongside this harmony runs a world professionals dedicated to providing
of accountability and scrutiny. Take any customer support.
company’s green credentials; what do
With the right system of benchmarking
they really mean? How good is good?
and certification, sustainability is not
How does best practice get to be the
the unwieldy, ambiguous subject it
best? And wherever an organisation is
can appear to be. On the contrary,
on its path to sustainability, how will it
sustainability can be embraced by
know where it is going, unless it knows
everyone, every day. From big business
where it’s been?
to small enterprise, the simplest of
It’s simple. You benchmark; the present initiatives can be woven systematically
versus the past, this initiative versus that, into daily processes. The benefits
your result versus theirs. become tangible and can be felt by
customers and employees, as well as
Effective benchmarking delivers clarity
seen in the triple bottom line.
and injects confidence. For more than a
decade, EarthCheck science has provided We owe it to our communities, to our
the only comprehensive, international world and to tomorrow’s generation to
standard for tourism sustainability. It be accountable for what we do. With
defines certification and accreditation EarthCheck providing the one authentic
schemes the world-over. In fact, more standard of comparable benchmarking
travel and tourism organisations in and certification, all tourism businesses
over 60 countries choose EarthCheck to can be on the same page with clarity on
guide their sustainability initiatives and their achievements and with a shared
legitimise their carbon claims than any sense of honesty about the impact of
other system. their operations.
Why? Because quite simply, no other Keeping honest in today’s world has got
system comes close. to be a good thing.
No other is internationally proven and
accepted as the most scientifically
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8. Knowledge and Innovation
We specialise in environmental Our off-the-shelf and custom solutions
benchmarking, certification and are used by communities, schools,
management solutions. It’s our core Governments, business clusters,
business. We’ve lived it and breathed it manufacturers and architects across the
for two decades and counting. world. They’re comprehensive, facilitate
internal capacity building, preserve
EarthCheck connects with our clients
independence and enable businesses
each and every day. The software
to proactively tackle the challenges of
undergoes a continuous schedule of
climate change.
upgrades and verification, ensuring
it remains abreast of advances in These are just a few of the many
technology, legislation and consumer reasons that EarthCheck is the market
demands. leader. Our unrivalled attention to the
needs of our
We’re the leading “We’re the only company able clients allows
source for
environmental to provide benchmarking data us to act as a
certification spanning more than a decade.” transparent andin
trusted partner
in the travel
business. We provide strategic services
and tourism industry and are the only
that leverage our knowledge across
company able to provide benchmarking
their asset base and infrastructure
data spanning more than a decade.
to provide innovative sustainability
Our products have won government solutions.
awards and assisted clients in all
No matter the size, location or
four corners of the world. Our people
environment within which you operate,
understand the challenges that
EarthCheck is the most relevant and
each market faces and can structure
cost efficient tool for you.
solutions to meet individual needs.
The planet deserves more than half measures

9. Market Leaders
There is no substitute for a background EarthCheck continues to evolve and
forged in science and a proven ability incorporate advances in both scientific
to deliver. benchmarking and sustainability
performance criteria. We’ve completed
The idea behind EarthCheck was
over 20,000 benchmarks, thousands
conceived in 1992. That’s when 178
of on-site audits, and certified clients
Heads of State endorsed Agenda 21 at
in more than 60 countries. Just as we
the Rio Earth Summit, regarding the
demand continual improvement of
principles for Sustainable Development.
our clients, so too do we continuously
EarthCheck provides a framework challenge ourselves to improve.
within which organisations can achieve
Our clients count on us to keep abreast
the desired outcomes for sustainable
of changes that will impact on how
tourism. This is set out in the final
they go about business and share our
report of the World Summit for
knowledge with them openly and with
Sustainable Development held in
integrity. Many have been with us since
Johannesburg in 2002.
our earliest days of operation and our
Our program complies with the success is a mirror image of theirs.
Mohonk Agreement, which outlines
Our vast network includes many of
the guidelines and principles for an
the world’s largest travel and tourism
International Sustainable Tourism
companies and we service them in more
Certification Program. In fact, our
than half a dozen languages.
standards are considered market leading.
PLAN
GRUPO
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10. Partnership and Trust
EarthCheck was founded on credible research teams in some of the world’s
science, independent third party leading universities. In a time when
verification and long term partnerships the fundamental rules of the playing
with key stakeholders in the industry. field change, it’s good to know there’s
someone you can turn to for credible
Our approach is not one-off sales.
advice. EarthCheck helps improve your
We understand that lasting business
triple bottom line results, manage risk,
relationships only occur when you deliver
and positions your brand competitively
exemplary levels of customer service,
in the environmental marketplace.
technical robustness of product and
relevance for the market. Call us to discuss your company’s
requirements. We’ll show you how.
Keeping in-step with changes to science
and technology, we regularly upgrade our www.earthcheck.org
software with the assistance of academic
The planet deserves more than half measures

11. This EarthCheck document has been produced using Impact
climate paper, which is carbon neutral and produced from 100%
recycled fibre. It is manufactured without chlorine bleaching and
has a high whiteness due to a special converting process developed
for secondary fibre.
Our printer, Kudos Colour, uses only soy-based inks. Soy ink is a
helpful component in paper recycling, as it can be removed more
easily from regular ink from paper during the de-inking process of
recycling. The waste that is left from the soy is not hazardous and
can be easily treated through modern waste treatment processes.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are emitted as gasses from ink
during the printing process. This is typically 15-255 using regular
mineral-oil-based inks and the lithographic printing process. The
soy based inks and printing process used by Kudos reduces VOC
emissions to under 3%. This level is considered to be lower than
that likely to have any impact on the environment.
Kudos Printing recycles all paper waste, aluminium printing plates
(which are processed using recycled water) empty plastic ink
cartridges and wash solvents.

12. EarthCheck Pty Ltd
PO Box 12149
George Street
Queensland 4003. Australia The planet deserves more
than half measures
T: +61 7 3238 1900
W: www.earthcheck.org