Guides
Sustainability guides for UK hotels.
The certification schemes and UK regulations that come up first for an independent hotel — plain language, for whoever's doing this alongside everything else.
We're not a certification body — every guide links straight to the scheme's own source rather than a copy we'd have to keep up to date. What we can tell you precisely is how our free diagnostic lines up against each one, generated live from the question bank.
All guides
Hotel sustainability basics
What to do first when nobody at the hotel has sustainability in their job title.
Read the guideCertification schemeGreen Key certification for UK hotels
An international scheme run by FEE — and how to see where you stand before you apply.
Read the guideCertification schemeGreen Tourism certification for UK hotels
A long-running certification programme for tourism and hospitality businesses.
Read the guideGlobal standardThe GSTC Hotel Standard, explained
Why you cannot be 'GSTC certified' directly, and what that means for you.
Read the guideUK lawUK sustainability regulations for hotels
Waste separation, plastics, EPCs, energy reporting and green claims — with the official sources.
Read the guideWhat the free diagnostic covers.
45 questions across 8 weighted impact areas. The percentage is how much of your overall score each area carries; the weights and the full scoring method are published, and the same answers always produce the same score.
- 10%Governance & policyPolicy, accountability, targets and data collection — the management foundation.
- 19%EnergyConsumption monitoring, efficiency measures, renewable sourcing and plant maintenance.
- 10%Carbon & emissionsEmissions measurement, reduction targets and travel or offset initiatives.
- 14%WaterConsumption monitoring, efficient fixtures, reuse and guest linen programmes.
- 19%Waste & circularitySeparation, measurement, food waste, single-use plastics and circular partnerships.
- 10%Procurement & supply chainLocal sourcing, supplier standards, packaging and contractual requirements.
- 14%People, guests & communityStaff training, guest communication, community support and fair employment.
- 4%Biodiversity & communityHabitat awareness, wildlife-friendly grounds, chemical and peat avoidance, lighting that does not disrupt nocturnal species, and support for local conservation and community projects.
Start with a baseline you can defend.
45 questions across 8 impact areas, a score you can hand to anyone, and the gaps ranked by what to fix first. No card, no login to start.