The Sustainability Communication of Tomorrow: How Sustainable Accommodation meets the Challenges of EU Green Claims

Both the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive (EmpCo Directive), which is already in force, and the Green Claims Directive, which is currently being negotiated, aim to increase the transparency of environmental claims for consumers and force companies to use environmental claims in advertising only if they are verifiable and accurate.

The EmpCo Directive prohibits the use of certain general claims in advertising unless they are backed up and substantiated by specific services. Examples include 'environmentally friendly’ or 'green’. Similarly, sustainability labels that are not issued by official, state-recognized, or EU-recognized certifiers and that cannot demonstrate the existence of a certification system are also prohibited. In addition, it will no longer be possible to use environmental claims for the whole product or company if they refer to only one aspect of the product or company. There are also much stricter rules on advertising using the term 'carbon neutral’, which will be discussed in more detail later in this article.

While EmpCo has been adopted, the Green Claims Directive is currently being negotiated in the so-called trilogue between the European Council of Ministers, the European Parliament, and the European Commission. This directive sets out the minimum requirements for the claims required by EmpCo, including scientific verifiability and external verifiability. It covers specific claims such as 'packaging made from 30% recycled plastic’ or 'CO₂-neutral transport’ and aims to ensure that consumers can reliably verify such claims.

Impact on the Tourism and Hospitality Industry

The new guidelines will also have an impact on tourism, in particular on sustainable businesses and accommodation. In the future, sustainable hotels and holiday homes will have to ensure that their sustainability promises and claims (on environmental performance) are in line with the guidelines, i.e. that they are verifiable. This means:

All environmental claims must be based on scientific evidence that is accessible to guests and interested parties. In addition, they must not be misleading.
Environmental claims can only be made if they are complete and accurate.
Anyone who wants to call themselves 'sustainable’ (or similar) must be certified by an independent testing body on EU-level or one that has been approved by the EU.
Labels and certifications must be transparent, verified by third parties, and regularly reviewed.
Environmental claims for advertising purposes must be certified by the above-mentioned external and accredited testing bodies BEFORE publication.

Example: Naturhotel Outside in Matrei in East Tyrol, Austria

The Naturhotel Outside has been committed to sustainability since 1996 and has been awarded both the Austrian and EU eco-labels. It relies on regional food, energy-efficient technologies, and the use of renewable energies. Water and waste management are just as important as reducing CO₂ emissions. In addition, the hotel promotes regional economic cycles and offers its guests environmentally friendly mobility solutions such as a shuttle service and a guest card for free use of public transport. Home-made products such as bread and lemonade round off the sustainable concept. Every two years, the Ganzer family publishes a comprehensive sustainability report outlining the milestones achieved as well as future projects and goals.

Heavy fines and sanctions are to be imposed on violators to force companies to comply with the directive. Micro-enterprises are exempt from the rules to protect small and local suppliers. This will affect not only accommodation within the EU but also international accommodation which clearly targets EU citizens with its advertising.

The EmpCo and Green Claims Directives therefore pose significant challenges for both hoteliers and established certifiers who must now seek EU accreditation to continue to operate.