Sustainability Matters

Committed to responsible practices that protect our planet for future generations.

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Committed to reducing our footprint and nurturing a greener future for all.

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Hands planting a young tree in rich soil, symbolizing growth and care.
Hands planting a young tree in rich soil, symbolizing growth and care.

Our Impact

Snapshots of our journey toward a greener future.

People gathered around a whiteboard during a presentation.
People gathered around a whiteboard during a presentation.
Solar panels gleaming under a bright blue sky on a company rooftop.
Solar panels gleaming under a bright blue sky on a company rooftop.
Employees planting young trees in a local park during a sunny afternoon.
Employees planting young trees in a local park during a sunny afternoon.
Close-up of hands holding rich soil with a small green seedling sprouting.
Close-up of hands holding rich soil with a small green seedling sprouting.
A colorful recycling station filled with sorted materials in an office space.
A colorful recycling station filled with sorted materials in an office space.
An aerial view of a resort with a swimming pool
An aerial view of a resort with a swimming pool

FAQs

What exactly is GSTC certification, and how is it different from GSTC membership or recognition?

GSTC certification is issued to an individual hotel or accommodation business by an independent, accredited Certification Body (CB), confirming that the property has been audited against the GSTC Hotel Standard and found compliant. GSTC itself does not certify hotels — it owns and maintains the Standard, and accredits the CBs (such as those working under GSTC-Accredited Certification schemes) who perform audits. GSTC membership is simply a subscription that gives an organisation access to resources, training and community; it carries no compliance verification. GSTC recognition applies to third-party certification schemes (not individual hotels) that have demonstrated their own standard is equivalent to the GSTC Criteria. A hotel's marketing claim of "GSTC certified" is only accurate once an accredited CB has issued a certificate.

Why has GSTC split its Industry Standard into separate Hotel and Tour Operator Standards under Version 4.0?

The previous single GSTC Industry Standard v3.0 used one set of criteria with two separate suggested-indicator sets (one for hotels, one for tour operators), which created ambiguity during audits. Effective 30 December 2025, GSTC published two distinct standards — the GSTC Hotel Standard v4.0 and the GSTC Tour Operator Standard v4.0 — each with its own dedicated, more granular indicator set. The change was driven by industry feedback that indicators needed to be more measurable and sector-specific, rather than generic across very different business models.

What are the four pillars of the GSTC Hotel Standard?

The Standard remains structured around the same four pillars that have anchored GSTC since its inception, now expressed with more granular indicators under v4.0:

● A. Sustainable Management — the hotel's overarching management system, policies, legal compliance and continuous improvement framework.

● B. Socioeconomic — maximising benefits to the local community and economy, including local hiring, local purchasing and fair labour practices.

● C. Cultural Heritage — protecting and promoting local culture, heritage sites, and authentic experiences.

● D. Environmental — reducing negative impacts through energy, water, waste, emissions and biodiversity management.

How many criteria and indicators are in the Hotel Standard, and what actually changed from v3.0 to v4.0?

Version 3.0 held 42 shared criteria with 167 suggested indicators for hotels. Version 4.0 moves to an indicator-based compliance model — meaning audits now verify conformity at the indicator level rather than only at the higher-level criterion level, closing a long-standing gap where two very different operations could both claim "compliance" with a broad criterion. In parallel, GSTC's Accreditation Manual v5.0 (effective 5 March 2026) formalises audit duration methodology, surveillance audit execution for both single-site and multi-site groups, and updated auditor competence requirements. In practice, this means CBs now hold more detailed evidence checklists per property, and audit reports are more granular and defensible.

What is the transition timeline for hotels already certified under GSTC Industry Standard v3.0?

GSTC has set a three-year transition period running to 30 December 2028. Certified hotels move to v4.0 progressively — either at their next scheduled surveillance audit or at recertification, whichever comes first — rather than requiring an immediate re-audit. All new (first-time) certifications issued from the publication date are already assessed directly against v4.0. After 30 December 2028, only v4.0 certificates will be considered valid.

How does GSTC certification differ from ISO 14001, LEED, Green Key or EarthCheck?

ISO 14001 certifies an environmental management system only, with no social, cultural or economic criteria, and no hotel-specific indicators — many hotels hold both ISO 14001 and GSTC-recognised certification for complementary purposes.

● Green Key and EarthCheck are GSTC-Recognised Standards — meaning their own criteria have been benchmarked as equivalent to the GSTC Criteria, so certification against either satisfies GSTC-alignment expectations without a separate GSTC audit.

● LEED is a building-design and construction certification (largely a one-time capital project assessment), whereas GSTC is an ongoing operational management standard reassessed via annual surveillance.

● GSTC is the only standard of the group governed under ISEAL's Code of Good Practice specifically for tourism, and is the reference point that STB, many OTAs and corporate travel buyers point to when asking "which certification counts."

The commercial case runs through several channels: (1) an increasing share of corporate and MICE RFPs now use recognised sustainability certification as a shortlisting or scoring criterion; (2) OTAs including Booking.com and Expedia surface sustainability badges tied to recognised certification schemes, which visitor research shows a meaningful share of travellers actively factor into booking decisions; (3) operational efficiency gains from energy, water and waste programmes typically generate direct cost savings that partly offset the certification investment; and (4) certification strengthens a property's position in destination marketing and any future access to sustainability-linked financing. The size of the effect varies by segment and property type, and should be sized conservatively rather than assumed.

How does GSTC certification actually affect commercial performance — is there a measurable return?

Get in Touch

Questions or ideas about sustainability? We’re here to listen and collaborate.

Phone

+65 9618 9998 or +65 9739 1319

Email

contact@thegreen.sg