Australia – Image: Nadia Levenets/Unsplash
Global scrutiny of environmental marketing claims is increasing and rapidly driven by a rise in greenwashing and stronger regulatory enforcement, reports Ecotourism Australia.
Regulators such as the ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) and European authorities are taking action against vague or unsubstantiated claims, with general terms like “green”, “eco-friendly” and “sustainable” now considered misleading unless they are clearly defined, evidence-based and independently verified.
This shift is most advanced in Europe. The European Union’s Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive will come into force on 27 September 2026, requiring all environmental claims made to EU consumers to be substantiated through recognised, third-party verification schemes. Generic or unverified claims, including those relating to environmental impact or carbon neutrality, will be prohibited.
“While Australia is not directly subject to EU law, the impact on our sector is significant”, says Ecotourism Australia CEP Elissa Keenan. “Any tourism business marketing to European consumers, including through global booking platforms, will need to meet these requirements. This means operators must be able to demonstrate that their sustainability claims are credible, verified and aligned with recognised standards”.
Australia – Image: Liam Burley/Unsplash
Ecotourism Australia well prepared
“We have been proactively working towards this evolving regulatory environment for more than two years, ensuring our certification programs remain aligned with global best practice and emerging international requirements”, underscores Keenan.
“Our certification programs align with rigorous global standards and include independent third party audit to validate claims. Importantly, Ecotourism Australia is an active member of the Tourism Sustainability Certifications Alliance (TSCA), which is working to align certification frameworks globally and support recognition within the European market. Through this work, we are helping ensure that our certification continues to provide a robust, credible pathway for operators to validate their sustainability claims.”
“Our programs are already recognised by leading global platforms including Booking.com; and international organisations such Travalyst who continue to assess and promote validity of certification labels, and we are actively working with these partners to ensure ongoing recognition as regulatory requirements evolve”, says the Ecotourism Australia CEO.
“We will continue to provide practical guidance and updates over the coming months as these international changes take place. We also have a summary of global recognition for Ecotourism Australia’s ECO and Sustainable Tourism Certification on our website.”
NAN/ETA 20-3-26
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