Green Globe says its certification aligns with EU green claims rules

By AI, Created 4:52 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – Green Globe Certification said its sustainability program matches the European Union’s Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive, which takes effect in September 2026. The move matters because the rule targets misleading environmental claims and puts more weight on independent verification for travel and tourism labels sold to EU consumers.

Why it matters: - The EU’s Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive is set to raise the bar for sustainability claims by requiring credible, independently verified labels in consumer-facing marketing. - Green Globe says alignment with the rule strengthens its position as a third-party audited certification scheme for the global travel and tourism sector. - The directive’s focus on verified claims makes independent certification more important for businesses that want to communicate sustainability to EU consumers.

What happened: - Green Globe Certification said on May 13, 2026, that its sustainability certification program aligns with the European Union’s Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive. - The company framed the announcement as confirmation that its long-running certification model already matches the direction of the new EU rules. - More information is available in the company’s announcement.

The details: - The EmpCo Directive applies from September 2026. - The rule aims to eliminate misleading environmental claims and restrict consumer-facing sustainability labels to credible, independently verified schemes. - Green Globe’s International Standard for Sustainable Tourism began developing in the 1990s after research and program work that followed the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit. - In 1998, Australia’s Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism became Green Globe’s global research facility and helped turn sustainability commitments into measurable tourism criteria. - The Green Globe Standard now includes 44 criteria across four areas: Sustainable Management, Social & Economic Impact, Cultural Heritage, and Environmental Management. - More than 400 compliance indicators support those criteria and are adjusted by sector and geography. - Certification is granted only after independent verification. - Green Globe says certification is verified through third-party on-site audits by a network of more than 120 trained auditors in more than 80 countries. - The auditors are accredited, registered and bound by competency and impartiality requirements. - Green Globe says its program aligns with ISO/IEC 17000 and ISO/IEC 17065. - ISO/IEC 17000 defines conformity-assessment terminology and principles. - ISO/IEC 17065 sets operational requirements for certification bodies, including impartiality, audit processes and decision-making. - Green Globe says ISO/IEC 17065 is the core framework behind its certification system and pathway to formal accreditation. - The Green Globe Standard, criteria and certification process are publicly documented. - Green Globe certification is based on operational performance, not carbon offsetting alone. - Ongoing compliance, evidence submission and periodic audits are required to keep certification valid. - If requirements are not met, Green Globe can require corrective action or suspend or withdraw certification. - The label may be used only while certification remains valid.

Between the lines: - The announcement positions Green Globe’s long-standing process as already built for the stricter scrutiny the EU now wants across sustainability claims. - The emphasis on third-party audits, public criteria and periodic rechecks suggests the company is trying to separate its label from looser, self-created green claims. - The timing also signals that tourism operators serving EU customers may need to review how they describe sustainability credentials before the September 2026 enforcement window.

What’s next: - Green Globe says it will continue operating a rigorously audited certification scheme aligned with changing regulatory expectations. - Members and partners outside the EU can still use the certification pathway when communicating sustainability to EU consumers. - The company says the new directive should reward credible certification systems and reduce confusion from self-invented sustainability labels.

The bottom line: - Green Globe is betting that stricter EU green-claims rules will favor established, independently verified certifications over looser marketing labels.