Green Globe Certification Confirms Alignment with EU Empowering Consumers Directive
Green Globe Certification today confirmed that its sustainability certification programme aligns with the requirements of the European Union’s Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive (EmpCo), reinforcing Green Globe’s position as an independent, third‑party audited certification scheme for the global travel and tourism sector.
The EmpCo Directive, which applies from September 2026, aims to strengthen consumer trust by eliminating misleading environmental claims and ensuring that only credible, independently verified sustainability labels are used in consumer‑facing communications across the EU. Green Globe welcomes the Directive and views it as a positive and necessary step that reflects how its certification system has operated for more than three decades.
“EmpCo formalises what credible sustainability certification has always required,” said Birte Pelayo, Chief Executive Officer of Green Globe Certification. “Clear standards, transparent criteria and independent verification are not new to Green Globe. They are the foundations on which our certification programme was built following the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit.”
A long‑established, independently verified certification scheme
Green Globe’s International Standard for Sustainable Tourism was developed through extensive research and programme development beginning in the 1990s. A major milestone was reached in 1998 when Australia’s Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism served as Green Globe’s global research facility, translating global sustainability commitments into measurable, performance‑based criteria for tourism businesses.
Today, the Green Globe Standard comprises 44 criteria across four core areas: Sustainable Management, Social & Economic Impact, Cultural Heritage, and Environmental Management. These criteria are supported by more than 400 compliance indicators, adapted by sector and geographic context. Certification is granted only after independent verification against these requirements.
Independent third‑party auditing at the core
EmpCo requires sustainability labels to be based on eligible certification schemes with independent third‑party assessment. Green Globe’s programme is explicitly built around this model. Certification is verified through third‑party, on‑site audits conducted by a global network of more than 120 trained auditors operating across over 80 countries. Auditors are accredited, registered, and bound by strict competency and impartiality requirements.
Green Globe Certification aligns its programme with internationally recognised standards ISO/IEC 17000 and 17065 to ensure credibility, consistency and transparency. ISO/IEC 17000 provides the foundational terminology and principles for conformity assessment, ensuring that certification processes are clearly defined and globally understood, while ISO/IEC 17065 sets out the rigorous operational requirements for certification bodies, including impartiality, audit processes and decision-making.
As a result, ISO/IEC 17065 forms the core framework underpinning Green Globe’s certification system and its pathway to formal accreditation, reflecting global best practice and reinforcing trust among stakeholders, regulators and certified members.
Transparency, performance and continuous improvement
Transparency is central to both EmpCo and Green Globe Certification. The structure of the Green Globe Standard, its criteria and certification process are publicly documented, allowing consumers, businesses and partners to clearly understand what the Green Globe label represents.
Green Globe certification is based on actual operational performance, not on carbon offsetting alone, in line with EmpCo’s restrictions on offset‑based claims. Certification is not a one‑off achievement; ongoing compliance, evidence submission and periodic audits are required. Where requirements are not met, corrective actions or suspension or withdrawal of certification are applied, and the label may only be used while certification remains valid.
Reassurance for members and auditors worldwide
For Green Globe members, EmpCo reinforces an existing reality: sustainability claims must be specific, verifiable and supported by credible systems. Green Globe Certification provides a trusted pathway for businesses worldwide - both inside and outside the EU - to communicate sustainability responsibly when engaging with EU consumers. For auditors, the Directive validates the critical role of independent, professional verification in maintaining consumer trust.
Commitment
Green Globe Certification remains committed to operating a rigorous, independently verified certification scheme aligned with evolving regulatory expectations. EmpCo rewards credible certification systems and removes confusion created by self‑invented sustainability labels. Green Globe’s long history, science‑based Standard and global audit network position its members and partners strongly for this new regulatory era.
For more information: https://www.greenglobe.com/empco
Contact:
Bradley Cox
Director Communications
Green Globe Certification S.A.R.L.
25a Blvd. Royal
L-2449 Luxembourg
Phone: +352-20 21 39 12
bcox@greenglobe.com
