The Pacific Asia Travel Association PATA and EarthCheck have announced an agreement that will result in the greening of PATA's travel-and-tourism member organisations.
 
Partnering with EarthCheck, the largest environmental management system in the world, PATA unveiled a free carbon calculator that holds great appeal to small-to-medium-sized operators.

Designed by EarthCheck, the online calculator helps to estimate the operator's carbon impact. It serves as a guide based on scientific averages, that helps and organisation to determine its environmental footprint. Throughout the process, the system provides tips on how emissions may be easily reduced. It is a great little educational tool that is easy to use, interactive and free of charge.
 
EarthCheck has also provided PATA with a suite of sustainability fact sheets, case studies and sustainability reports for member use. These explain such things as the in's-and-out's of voluntary carbon offsetting, the most cost effective ways to decrease water and energy consumption, and the environmental benefits of reducing waste output.
 
Said Greg Duffell, CEO, PATA: "Using a science-based system such as EarthCheck to monitor, measure and manage the environmental impact of PATA members helps them gain a competitive edge and enhances triple bottom line results. Going beyond ‘green' and taking sustainability to a level of internationally accepted standards of compliance, while benchmarking operations against more than a decade of industry data, puts PATA members in an enviable position."
 
Among those committed to EarthCheck are market leaders such as Carlson Asia Pacific, ACCOR, InterContinental Hotels Group, Langham Hotels International, Banyan Tree and Alila. They have long recognised the financial benefits of tight control over operational efficiencies and a strong commitment to Corporate Social responsibility (CSR). What's more, they open their books (and doors) to third party, independent audits on a regular basis in order to have verified the credibility of their claims.
 
Said Stewart Moore, CEO, EarthCheck: "In a world that's increasingly awash with eco claims, it's good to see such leadership from industry bodies such as PATA."
 
Forums in the newly released Sustainable Tourism online portal ( www.sustainabletourismonline.com ), involvement in the EarthCheck Research Institute, and the certification of the industry body's own administrative office are next on PATAs ‘green' agenda.