What Are the Main Certifications for the Hospitality Sector?
In our previous article, we explored why, from 27 September 2026, a sustainability label can no longer be created independently: it must be issued under a recognised certification scheme or by a public authority.
The natural question, then, is: which certification systems are actually available to those operating in hospitality?
There are more than you might think, and they are far from interchangeable. Some assess the property as a whole, while others focus on a specific aspect; some are international standards, others are sector-specific labels. Here is a practical guide to the main ones.
Management System Standards: ISO 14001, ISO 21401 and EMAS
These are among the most rigorous standards because they do not assess a single element, but the environmental management system of the property as a whole.
ISO 14001 is the most widely recognised international standard for environmental management systems. It requires organisations to identify, monitor and continuously improve the environmental impacts associated with their activities. It is often a starting point for properties embarking on a structured sustainability journey, before moving on to more demanding certifications.
ISO 21401 was developed specifically for the accommodation sector, including hotels, resorts and campsites. It sets out the requirements for a Sustainability Management System built around three pillars: environmental (energy, water and waste), social (workers’ rights and local communities) and economic (business continuity and the development of the local economy).
EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) is the most demanding of the three. Established under European Regulation (EC) No. 1221/2009, it is not a self-declaration: it requires an independent audit, the publication of a verified Environmental Statement and a demonstrable commitment to continuous improvement.
In Italy, EMAS is managed by the Ecolabel Ecoaudit Committee – EMAS Italy Section, with the support of ISPRA.
One detail is often misunderstood: EMAS is not limited to Italy or Europe. The regulation expressly allows organisations based outside the EU to register, provided they work with accredited environmental verifiers.
In the Lake Maggiore area, for example, Hotel La Palma has been EMAS-registered since 2012, while Zacchera Hotels has been registered since 2011 – a sign that, even within Italy’s high-end hospitality sector, EMAS is far from being a purely theoretical exercise.
The practical difference compared with ISO 14001 is significant: ISO 14001 certifies the management system, while EMAS adds mandatory public transparency and stricter requirements around regulatory compliance. It is generally regarded as the more advanced level.
Product and Service Ecolabels
EU Ecolabel is the official environmental label of the European Union. Introduced in 1992 and extended to services – including tourist accommodation – in 2000, it is based on scientific criteria that take the entire life cycle of the service into account and is verified by an independent body.
Nordic Swan Ecolabel, established in 1989, is the official environmental label of the Nordic countries and is considered one of the most stringent in the world. It assesses environmental impacts across the entire life cycle, from the extraction of raw materials through to disposal.
Multietichetta eLabel!, developed by Kyoto Club in accordance with the ISO 14024 standard, is a “Type I information-rich ecolabel”. Rather than simply certifying a product or service, it explicitly communicates its environmental data, allowing direct comparisons between properties. It can also be applied to food service and accommodation businesses.
Hospitality-Specific Standards
GSTC (Global Sustainable Tourism Council) deserves an important clarification: it is not itself a certification, but the reference standard – the “gold standard” used by accredited certification bodies.
GSTC does not directly certify hotels or tour operators. Instead, it accredits the third-party organisations that carry out the certifications, helping ensure that every GSTC-accredited certification follows the same global criteria for management and socio-economic, cultural and environmental impacts.
Green Key Global is designed specifically for the hospitality industry. It includes regular audits and criteria aligned with ESG standards and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, with a strong focus on day-to-day operational management.
EcoWorldHotel® applies criteria verified by DNV, an independent body accredited by Accredia, with a particular focus on reducing waste and enhancing the value of the local area.
DCA ESG, issued by Dream&Charme with Accredia ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation and IAF recognition in 99 countries, assesses accommodation properties against more than 1,200 parameters covering environments, materials, layout and technical maintenance.
EarthCheck, established in 1987 and headquartered in Australia, is one of the world’s most established scientific benchmarking organisations for sustainable tourism. In recent years, it has expanded its focus towards regenerative tourism – moving beyond the simple reduction of environmental impact.
Cross-Sector Certifications: LEED and B Corp
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, is the world’s most widely used green building certification system.
It is not specific to hospitality, but is particularly relevant for newly built or renovated hotels and resorts. It assesses areas including energy efficiency, indoor air quality, materials, water management and the sustainability of the location.
B Corp certifies the company as a whole, rather than an individual property. To obtain the certification, a company must complete the B Impact Assessment managed by B Lab and achieve at least 80 points out of 200. The assessment covers all areas of the business – from employees and governance to the supply chain and community impact.
The results are public.
B Corp comes closest to a genuinely “systemic vision” of sustainability: it is not enough for a company to invest in renewable energy if its supply chain remains unethical.
How to Navigate So Many Different Certifications
Not all certifications answer the same question. Before choosing one, it is worth asking:
- Do I want to certify the entire property (EMAS, ISO 21401, DCA ESG) or a specific service (Multietichetta eLabel!)?
- Do I need global recognition (GSTC, EarthCheck, LEED), or is a European certification sufficient (EU Ecolabel, EMAS)?
- Am I starting from scratch, or do I already have an environmental management system? (ISO 14001 is often a stepping stone towards EMAS.)
- Do I want to communicate the sustainability of the building (LEED) or of the company as a whole (B Corp)?
The common thread, as in our previous article, remains the same: a certification has real communication value only when it can be independently verified, is publicly accessible and reflects what the property actually does every day – well beyond the promise written on the homepage of its website.
This article is intended as a concise but clear guide to a field that requires ongoing research, regular updates and direct dialogue with the most authoritative institutions working in this area.
We believe, however, that it can help bring greater clarity to a complex landscape – and encourage more hospitality businesses to move in this direction.
Sources:
- GSTC (Global Sustainable Tourism Council) — gstc.org
- EU Ecolabel — environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/circular-economy-topics/eu-ecolabel_en
- Green Key Global — greenkeyglobal.com
- EcoWorldHotel® — ecoworldhotel.com
- DCA ESG — dca-cert.com
- CSQA, ISO 21401 — csqa.it/it-it/certificazioni/sostenibilita/iso-21401
- Accredia — accredia.it
- DNV, ISO 14001 — dnv.it
- Kyoto Club, Multietichetta eLabel! — kyotoclub.org/it/gruppi-di-lavoro/multietichetta-elabel/, multietichetta.it
- MASE (Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Sicurezza Energetica) ed ISPRA, EMAS — mase.gov.it, isprambiente.gov.it
- USGBC, LEED — usgbc.org/leed
- B Lab, B Corp — bcorporation.net
- EarthCheck — earthcheck.org
