Ecolabels and Tourism

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Eco-labels and Tourism

• Dr Graham Miller
• Senior Lecturer in Management
• University of Ljubljana 6th February, 2009

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Overview Eco-labels

• Environmental Management tools
• Green Globe 21
• Blue Flag
• Strengths and weaknesses of eco-labels
• Role of consumerism in eco-labels

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What tools do we have available?

• Government tools
• Legislation
• Eco-tax
• Private sector tools
• Codes of conduct
• Environmental Auditing/management systems
• Indicators/Monitoring
• Planning tools
• Carrying capacity
• Limits of acceptable change
• EIA
• Zoning
• Consumer tools
• Eco-labels

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Green Globe

• Established in 1994 by WTTC
• Focus on environmental education and awareness
  raising
• No formal auditing of performance
• Predominantly small businesses
• Allowed to use logo, received publications and
  training opportunities
• 547 companies in 103 countries in 1998
• Western countries dominated
• Largely accommodation providers

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Green Globe 21

• Independent of WTTC since 1999
• Shift to accreditation scheme
• Global scope and target the mainstream (mass)
  tourism
• Focus on large businesses
• 516 companies in 2001
• Majority at afiliate status
• Europe and Caribbean dominate membership
• Offers certification to companies and
  destinations

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Aims

• Encourage companies and communities off all sizes
  to join Green Globe 21 to show their commitment
  to sound environmental practice
• Promote the simple fact that adopting good
  environmental practice makes good long-term
  business sense
• Explain examples of industry best practice to
  businesses and to governments and
• Sustain the quality of our holidays for our
  children and our childrens children

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Areas of focus

• Waste minimization, reuse and recycling
• Energy efficiency, conservation and management
• Management of fresh water resources
• Waste water management
• Control of hazardous substances
• Company transport and the environment
• Land-use planning and management
• Involvement of staff, customers and communities
  in environmental issues
• Design for sustainability
• Partnerships for sustainable development
• Noise control and
• Environmentally sensitive purchasing policy

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Green Globe 21 Performance Criteria

• Environment and Social Sustainability Policy
• Regulatory Framework
• Environmental and Social Sustainability
  Performance
• Environmental Management System and
• Stakeholder Consultation and Communication.

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Green Globe 21 Certification Process

• 3 levels of membership
• Affiliate
• Benchmarked
• Certified

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Blue Flag

• Began in France in 1985. 11 Municipalities
  awarded Blue Flag.
• Covered water quality and sewage treatment
• Extended in 1987 European Year of the Environment
  by Foundation for Environmental Education in
  Europe (FEEE). 244 beaches awarded Blue Flag, 208
  marinas
• 1992 standard criteria introduced
• 2001 Blue Flag goes global
• In 2007, there are over 3300 sites awarded Blue
  Flag in 37 countries
• http//www.blueflag.org/Menu/BlueFlagbeaches2fm
  arinas

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Blue Flag Beaches and Marina Criteria

• Environmental education and information
• Water quality
• Environmental management
• Safety and services 

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Blue Flag process

• NGOs apply to FEE to run Blue Flag schemes
  nationally
• Blue Flag criteria are reviewed to fit with
  national legislation and context
• Gradual widening of criteria considered
• Pilot projects run
• Applications made to national and international
  committees
• Blue Flags awarded
• Control visits conducted

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Blue Flag in Slovenia

• Concern after independence that many of
  Slovenias 32 public beaches were not clean
  enough
• TUI began to identify Blue Flag beaches to its
  customers
• 2 beaches successful in 1996
• 7 beaches and 2 marinas successful in 2009
• Public attention to number of failing beaches

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Green Globe evaluation
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Blue Flag evaluation
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Strengths of eco-labels
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Weaknesses of eco-labels
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Re-creating Washing Machines

• Market share of A rated products rose from 0 in
  2001 to 85 in 7 years to 2005
• EU mandated labelling of energy efficiency (A- G)
• Manufacturer agreement removed models rated E, F
  and G
• Energy Efficiency Commitment provided price
  parity
• Many retailers now
  
  only stock AB
  models

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Re-creating Coffee

• Fair trade coffee launched in UK in 1994, now 20
  of market
• Connections made between everyday purchase and
  exploitation
• Blame not attached to consumers, but to middlemen
• Tied to consumer trend for gastronomy
• Price differential is small
• Attractive marketing
• Problems of scaling
  up supply

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Re-creating Paint

• Aim to reducte VOC content in paint products
• BQ launched labelling scheme for paints in 1998
• Accepted by other retailers and manufacturers
• Aim to enable consumers to make informed
  decisions
• Labelling has encouraged manufacturers to improve
  their products
• Voluntary industry agreements with EU to reduce
  VOC levels

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How do we change tourists behaviour?
Jackson (2008)
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Conclusions

• Eco-labels will be popular with industry as form
  of self-regulation
• Eco-labels provide assurances to consumers
• Do eco-labels change consumer behaviour?
• Do eco-labels change industry performance?
• Are eco-labels greenwash?
• Useful as part of suite of measures to produce
  change

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Reading

• Griffin, T DeLacey, T (2004) Green Globe
  Sustainability Accreditation for Tourism. In
  Harris, R., Griffin, T., William, P (eds)
  Sustainable Tourism A Global Perspective.
  London, Elsevier, pp58-88.
• WWF (2000) Tourism Certification. Godalming, WWF
  UK
• Font, X Buckley, R (2001) Tourism Ecolabelling.
  Oxon, CABI.
• Mihalic, T (2004) The European Blue Flag Campaign
  for Beaches in Slovenia. In Harris, R., Griffin,
  T., William, P (eds) Sustainable Tourism A
  Global Perspective. London, Elsevier, pp90-102.