To better understand what is changing, we attended a webinar organised by Sustainable Travel International<\/em>, featuring Jana Ho\u0161kov\u00e1 and Jeroen Van Laer, officials from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers who worked on developing the directive. It was a valuable opportunity to hear directly from those involved in shaping the new rules and discuss some practical questions and concerns relevant to accommodation providers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The good news is that you do not have to stop talking about sustainability, and you do not necessarily need an environmental certification to communicate the choices you make<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, you do need to pay attention to how you present them: environmental claims must be clear, specific and substantiated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let’s look at what this means, with some practical examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This was one of the questions raised during the webinar:<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Will it no longer be possible to use the term ecolodge under the new rules?”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The answer is that using this expression is not automatically prohibited. However, you must be able to demonstrate what actually makes your property environmentally friendly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Expressions such as ecolodge<\/em>, eco-friendly accommodation<\/em> or “ecological accommodation” communicate an overall environmental benefit to travellers. For this reason, they cannot simply be used as slogans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Under the new rules, generic environmental claims are only permitted when a property can demonstrate recognised excellent environmental performance in accordance with the criteria established by the legislation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An official environmental certification based on criteria verified by an independent third party can be an important reference. Specific information about the practices you have adopted is also essential to explain the property’s actual characteristics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our advice:<\/strong> instead of simply writing “we are an ecolodge”, explain what you actually do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This information is much more useful for people choosing where to stay. Of course, it must reflect practices that are actually in place and can be substantiated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another important clarification concerns business and trading names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have named your property “Eco Lodge”, “Green House” or “Eco Hotel”, or included words such as green<\/em> and eco<\/em> in your business name, this does not necessarily mean you have to change it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the European Commission’s FAQs clarify that company names, trademarks and trade names can also convey environmental claims. Registering a name or trademark does not, in itself, exempt it from the new rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What matters is the message your name communicates to potential guests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your name suggests that your property has particularly positive environmental characteristics, you must be able to substantiate this impression through recognised environmental certification or concrete evidence, in accordance with the conditions set out in the legislation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In practice:<\/strong> if your property is called “Green House”, ask yourself whether you can explain and demonstrate which environmental characteristics justify this name. Simply having chosen it years ago or registered it as a trademark is not enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is one of the most common concerns, especially among small accommodation providers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the webinar, an important question was raised: could the new rules disadvantage small businesses in particular, which often adopt good environmental practices but cannot afford expensive certifications?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Commission officials clarified that the legislation does not distinguish between small and large businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But be careful: this does not mean that every accommodation provider must obtain an environmental certification<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is important to distinguish between two situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to communicate your property’s environmental practices<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You can do so without certification. You can describe the choices you make, the improvements you have implemented and the characteristics of the services you offer. You simply need to be able to demonstrate that what you say is true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to use a sustainability label<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In this case, specific requirements apply. Voluntary sustainability labels must either be established by a public authority or be based on a certification scheme that complies with the legislation and includes independent verification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, do not confuse the possibility of describing your practices accurately and in detail with the right to display an environmental label: these are two different things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The new rules mainly concern generic environmental claims: expressions that suggest an overall environmental benefit without explaining what that benefit actually consists of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This does not mean these words are always prohibited in every context. It means that when they are used as generic environmental claims, they must meet specific conditions and cannot be left unsupported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, what can you do?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead of writing:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n “Our farm stay is completely eco-friendly and environmentally responsible.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n You could write:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n “We use electricity from renewable sources, produce hot water with solar panels and serve breakfast made with organic and locally sourced products.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the second example, you describe specific choices that travellers can understand and evaluate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember<\/strong>: specific claims must also be truthful and supported by adequate information. If you use renewable energy for only part of your consumption, for example, it is important not to give the impression that all the energy you use comes from renewable sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Words are not the only things that convey an environmental message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Logos, symbols, leaves, trees, water drops and colours can also contribute to creating the impression that an accommodation has particular environmental characteristics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This certainly does not mean you have to give up photographs of your garden, the forest or the surrounding landscape! However, you should avoid creating an overall impression through images and text that suggests environmental benefits you cannot substantiate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Environmental certifications are a useful tool for communicating your commitment because they are based on defined criteria and, where applicable, independent verification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some examples recognised under European legislation include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Commission specifically mentions the EU Ecolabel for tourist accommodation as an example of a label that can support claims relating to lower energy and water consumption and reduced waste generation compared with conventional accommodation, provided the label’s criteria are met.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have obtained a certification, always check that it is still valid and that you comply with the conditions for using its logo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just because a label describes itself as “ecological” or “sustainable” does not automatically mean it can be used as a sustainability label. You need to check whether it has been established by a public authority or is based on a certification scheme that meets European requirements, with transparent criteria and independent third-party verification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n1. Can I still describe my property as an “eco-friendly accommodation” or “ecolodge”?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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What if “Eco” or “Green” is part of my property’s name?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Will I need an environmental certification to keep talking about sustainability?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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3. Be careful with words: “green”, “eco-friendly” and “sustainable”<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Images communicate too<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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4. Do you have an environmental certification or label? Can you still display it?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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