Green Certifications Inc. – Developing Sustainable Tourism Certification Since 2008

Since 2008, Green Certifications Inc., DBA Green Globe Certification, has developed and delivered a comprehensive sustainability certification program for the global travel and tourism industry. Today, the program operates across 90 countries, supporting hotels, resorts, conference centers and other tourism businesses in measuring, managing and continually improving their sustainability performance.

Green Certifications Inc. owns the Green Globe Standard, including its criteria and indicators, together with the domains, training tools and other intellectual property that support the certification program. The Green Globe brand is used under licence from Green Globe Ltd, the owner of the brand.

Building on a Long History of Sustainable Tourism

The foundations of Green Globe reach back to the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, where the principles of Agenda 21 helped establish sustainable development as a global priority. Green Globe subsequently emerged as a means for tourism organisations to measure their environmental impacts and develop strategies to reduce them. 

Over the following years, the program evolved from environmental improvement and membership initiatives towards a more structured approach to sustainable tourism. An important milestone came through an alliance with Australia's Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre, which delivered the first Green Globe International Standard for Sustainable Tourism.

A New Era from 2008

In 2008, Green Globe Certification was established by Green Certifications Inc. in Los Angeles, California, providing a dedicated headquarters for certification and verification services worldwide. Its services subsequently expanded to include sustainability education and training through the Green Globe Academy, as well as communications and marketing support for members. 

Green Certifications Inc. has continued to develop the certification program and the tools needed to apply sustainability principles to the day-to-day operations of travel and tourism businesses, as well as in response to global developments in travel and tourism bought on by COVID and local environmental and economic disruptions.

The Green Globe Certification program is renowned for its practical approach to sustainability, addressing areas including the management of energy and water, reuse and recycling, protection of cultural heritage, diversity and inclusion, and social responsibility. Green Globe's sustainability certification framework encompasses more than 300 activities across business operations. 

Global Experience. Local Action. Continual Improvement.

Drawing on the long-established heritage and international recognition of the Green Globe name, Green Certifications Inc.’s has worked diligently since 2008 to develop and operate a contemporary certification system trusted by international hotel and resort groups, including Club Med and Accor and their associate brands Raffles, Fairmont, Sofitel and others engaged Green Globe to certify properties world-wide. 

As an integral part of that success, Green Certifications Inc has developed an international network of professional auditors, providing local knowledge and on-the-ground assessment capability. spanning regions including the Caribbean, Australia, Southeast Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Mexico and Central America.

Today, Green Certifications Inc. continues to develop and maintain the Green Globe Standard, criteria, indicators, training resources and supporting certification intellectual property and its focus remains straightforward: provide tourism businesses with a credible and certification framework for turning sustainability commitments into measurable action and continual improvement.