New EU rules have raised the bar for sustainability labels, putting greater emphasis on transparency, governance and independent verification. But what does that mean for venues choosing an accreditation and the event buyers relying on them?
Sustainability accreditations have become an increasingly common sight across the venue and hotel sector, offering businesses a way to demonstrate their environmental credentials and giving event planners a useful point of reference when sourcing responsibly.
But with the number of labels continuing to grow, how can buyers tell which ones are credible? And does displaying a green badge necessarily mean a venue is delivering what it claims?
New EU anti-greenwashing rules, which took effect on 27 September 2026, are putting more focus on those questions.
The Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive, known as ECGT, introduces new requirements for voluntary sustainability labels displayed to consumers in the EU. Under the rules, labels must either be established by a public authority or underpinned by a certification scheme that meets criteria around transparency, governance and independent third-party verification.
Importantly, the legislation does not require venues or hotels to obtain sustainability certification. But where businesses choose to use a label in consumer-facing marketing, they need to ensure the scheme behind it meets the new requirements.
The rules apply to consumer communications rather than purely business-to-business marketing, but their influence is likely to be felt more widely across the international hospitality and events market.
Raising the bar
For Matilda Riley, sustainability consultant at From Now, part of the emc3 Collective, the shift reflects a growing need to distinguish robust certification schemes from less rigorous badges and self-created claims.
“At the moment, you could come up with an accreditation and there may be no one checking it,” she says. “Independent verification gives the accreditation more credibility. It is about checking that the schemes are doing what they should and that a venue isn’t simply saying, ‘We’ve got this badge, so we’re great.’”
That does not mean every certified venue is equally sustainable or that accreditation should replace buyers’ own due diligence. However, independent verification can provide greater confidence that the scheme’s criteria have been applied consistently and that evidence has been scrutinised by an organisation separate from both the certification provider and the business being assessed.
In April, Greengage appointed From Now to independently audit ECOsmart-certified properties. ECOsmart subsequently appeared on Travalyst’s list of accommodation certification schemes that have self-declared compliance with the ECGT criteria, with From Now named as its third-party auditor.
Travalyst provides a mechanism for eligible schemes to declare compliance and publishes the information as an industry reference point. Legal responsibility remains with the certification schemes and the accommodation providers using their labels.
What does independent verification involve?
The verification process will vary depending on the certification scheme and what it is designed to assess. From Now works with several certification providers, including Greengage and FuturePlus, reviewing applications against the methodology set by each scheme.
“We work to the accreditation’s methodology rather than coming in and imposing our own,” Riley explains. “The accreditation has been put together and tried and tested by that company, so we need to understand the different methodologies and how each scheme works.”
Most assessments can begin with a remote review of the evidence supplied by the venue. In some cases, however, an onsite inspection may also be required.
“Most of the audits are completed online, but if we need to, or if it is appropriate, we will go onsite as well,” she says. “It depends on the methodology of the accreditation.”
The purpose is not simply to accept a venue’s completed self-assessment, but to check the evidence behind it and confirm that the scheme’s requirements have been applied correctly.
Choosing the right accreditation
Venues that already hold a certification should check whether the scheme includes independent third-party verification, rather than assuming the badge automatically meets the new requirements.
“If you currently hold an accreditation, or you are thinking of going for one, you need to ask the certification provider about its independent verification,” says Riley. “These schemes often require a significant investment of both time and money, so venues need to do their due diligence before deciding which route to take.”
Beyond checking how a scheme is verified, Riley says venues should consider what they want the accreditation to achieve. “There isn’t really a tick-box answer. It depends on your client base and who you are trying to attract,” she says.
A venue with a strong pharmaceutical client base, for example, may find that its customers recognise and value EcoVadis, while ECOsmart is well established within the meetings and events sector. Other businesses may opt for a broader framework such as B Corp or ISO 14001.
Cost, resources and the scope of the assessment also need to be considered. Some schemes focus predominantly on environmental performance, while others look more widely at social impact, governance or the business as a whole. Venues should also ask how frequently they will be reassessed and what happens if they fail to meet the scheme’s criteria.
While the initial process can feel daunting, much of the evidence gathered may also support future assessments. “Once you achieve one accreditation, you often realise that a large proportion of the work needed for the next one has already been done,” Riley adds.
What should buyers look for?
For event buyers faced with tight deadlines and long venue lists, a recognised certification can provide a useful starting point.
“Having an accreditation makes it easier for buyers,” says Riley. “It can offer that initial stamp of approval and show that the venue has done its due diligence.”
But a badge alone should not be the end of the conversation.
Buyers should understand what the scheme actually assesses, whether it covers the venue’s entire operation and when the property was last independently verified. They may also need to ask whether the venue can provide the specific information required for an event, such as energy, waste, travel or carbon-emissions data.
A venue could perform strongly against the criteria of one scheme without necessarily meeting every sustainability priority set by a particular client. Equally, a smaller independent venue may be delivering strong environmental and social initiatives without yet having the resources to pursue formal certification.
The accreditation should therefore be treated as one piece of evidence rather than an automatic guarantee.
A wider shift towards scrutiny
Although ECGT is EU legislation, it is likely to have an impact beyond the EU.
The rules apply to labels displayed to European consumers, which could include non-EU businesses marketing services within the Single Market. International hotel groups, booking platforms and certification providers are also unlikely to operate entirely different systems for different territories.
In the UK, businesses are already required to ensure that environmental claims are accurate, clear and supported by evidence. The Competition and Markets Authority can now enforce consumer law directly and impose significant fines where businesses make misleading claims.
For venues, that means being able to substantiate the messages sitting behind a sustainability badge. For planners, it means asking more informed questions about what has been assessed and verified.
Ultimately, the value of an accreditation will depend less on the badge itself and more on the credibility of the process behind it.