Sustainable Awards
Sustainable stays and visits
Sustainable travel is about making choices that help protect the planet, support local communities, and preserve the beauty of the places we love to explore. From eco-conscious hotels to low-impact experiences, every decision you make as a traveller can have a positive impact.
Look for the green credentials
When planning your next trip, look out for trusted sustainability accreditations on RatedTrips.com. You can find them on the individual profile pages or by selecting the 'Sustainable' filter when you search the UK.
Green Tourism: one of the UK’s leading certification programmes, rating businesses on their environmental and ethical practices – read more below.
EarthCheck: A global benchmark for sustainable tourism, used by destinations and hotels committed to reducing their footprint – read more below.
AA Sustainable Hotel Award: awarded each year to a hotel or hotel group for their sustainable practices – read more below.
Green Tourism
Green Tourism uses a tiered accreditation system where businesses are awarded Bronze, Silver or Gold levels based on their sustainability performance, assessed against 15 sustainability criteria covering people, places and the planet.
The accreditation levels
Bronze: a basic level recognising good sustainability practices across a number of goals, demonstrating a commitment to continuous improvement.
Silver: a higher level awarded to businesses with good sustainability practices across the majority of goals, including examples of continuous improvement.
Gold: awarded to businesses with over 80% of actions in place, a strong sustainability ethos and excellent examples of continuous improvement across all goals.
EarthCheck
EarthCheck helps businesses prove they’re serious about sustainability. To get certified, an organisation first shares data on things like energy use, water consumption, and waste. This is reviewed against global benchmarks to see how they’re doing. Then, an independent auditor visits to verify the information and check that the business meets EarthCheck’s standards.
The certification levels
If successful, the organization earns a certification level – starting with Bronze and progressing to Silver, Gold, or Platinum through ongoing improvements.
Businesses must continue to improve and pass yearly audits to maintain or upgrade their status. EarthCheck certification shows customers and communities that a business is committed to reducing its environmental impact and operating responsibly.
AA Sustainable Hotels of the Year
Handpicked by our inspectors and awarded annually at the AA Hospitality Awards, these standout properties go the extra mile, whether it’s cutting carbon, supporting local suppliers or educating guests on greener choices.
