The Green Globe Program 1992 - 2021

1990s

The Green Globe program traces its roots back to the United Nations Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit in 1992, where 182 heads of state from around the world endorsed the Agenda 21 principles of sustainable development. The Earth Summit was unprecedented for a U.N. conference, as it was the first time world leaders acknowledged, as a group, that consumption of non-renewable resources was leading to environmental degradation.

In the early 1990′s the term sustainable tourism was in its infancy. Pioneering tourism operators concerned about the effect their operations had on the environment and how best to measure that impact, were often categorised into special interest tourism. Green Globe was developed to provide a way forward for tourism organisations who were interested in measuring their environmental impact and then developing and implementing strategies to reduce those impacts.

Following the Summit and after 2 years of additional development, a Green Globe membership program was established. By the end of 1994, 19 travel industry associations had endorsed the program and through joint marketing strategies, promoted Green Globe to their members.

By 1995, Green Globe membership had risen to 350 in 74 countries. Green Globe’s environmental program played an important role at World Travel Market and helped World Travel Market organise the exhibition’s first Environmental Awareness Day.

The Green Globe destination program was designed in 1997 to extend corporate improvement and Agenda 21 principles to communities. Pilot programs were initiated in Vilamoura (Portugal), Jersey, Crete and Corfu. The first regional partnership was established with Caribbean Hotel Association under the banner of the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism CAST ( http://www.cha-cast.com). In 1998, a strategic alliance was formed with the Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre (STCRC) in Australia, in which STCRC would deliver the first Green Globe International Standard for Sustainable Tourism.

In March 1999, Green Globe presented its annual Green Globe achievement awards to 20 companies at ITB Berlin, one of the world’s leading trade shows for the travel industry. Under the WTTC umbrella and together with the International Hotel & Restaurant Association, Green Globe certification and destination management program was highlighted at the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, which took place in New York in April 1999. Green Globe also became a separate and autonomous organisation from the World Travel & Tourism Council in 1999.

2000s

The 2002 World Summit for Sustainable Development in Johannesburg provided the structure for Green Globe to assist businesses in achieving the desired outcomes for sustainable tourism. The program was also developed to comply with the Mohonk Agreement, which summarised the guidelines for an international sustainable tourism certification program.

Green Globe Accreditation was established in 2002 to maintain quality of assessment services offered through accredited certification bodies, including SGS (worldwide), AJA (worldwide) Groupa Mendez (Mexico) and GT Certification (South America). Assessors were trained on four continents to deliver local assessment services.

Leeds Bradford International Airport was the first airport to achieve Green Globe certification and Le Roche Hotel Management School in Bluche, Switzerland became the first educational establishment to achieve Green Globe certification.

In 2008, Green Globe Certification was established in Los Angeles California to provide a headquarters for certification and verification services world wide. These services rapidly expanded to include education and training with the Green Globe Academy. Communication and marketing services were also developed to support Green Globe members better promote their sustainability achievements

2010s

Green Globe Certification established a network of dedicated auditors covering more than 80 countries. This professional network provides local knowledge to Green Globe members, connecting their actions to the sustainability policy and action of communities and regional governments.

Major hotel & resort chains, including Club Med and Mövenpick, take advantage of this network and engage Green Globe to certify all their properties globally.

2020s

Based in Los Angeles, California, with partners in Mexico, South America, Middle East, the Caribbean, Australia, SE Asia and Europe, Green Globe continues to provide certification for the sustainable operations and management of travel and tourism companies and their related supplier businesses. In 2021, in response to the global COVID 19 pandemic, the Green Globe International Standard for Sustainable Tourism V2.0 was developed incorporating criteria and indicators to allow members to certify their operations as COVID Safe.

Green Globe operates under a twenty year license with a renewal option from Green Globe Ltd UK the owner of the brand worldwide.