Berlin, February 2022 – Sustainability has now become a key issue across all sectors, and an increasing number of companies are aware of their responsibility to operate in a responsible manner. Furthermore, a commitment to sustainability is becoming increasingly important for investors, partners, policy-makers and customers. However, as the transition of processes poses a challenge for many businesses, there has so far been a lack of guidance on how to create and develop a sustainability strategy, as well as a means of communicating with all stakeholders.
The GreenSign Office certification
addresses precisely this issue and offers an ideal, transparent and efficient solution. The certificate is awarded by InfraCert – Institute for Sustainable Development, which has established itself as one of the leading sustainability certifiers since 2015 with the GreenSign for Hotels. With over 300 certified hotels to date, InfraCert has made the integrative, practical and GSTC-compliant environmental management programme the market leader in the German-speaking hotel industry.
The hotel booking platform ehotel® is delighted to have successfully completed GreenSign Office certification and achieved GreenSign Level 3. The Berlin-based company brings together accommodation offers from providers worldwide on a single platform using META-SEARCH technology. The hotel booking platform has received multiple awards for its service quality, including from the German Institute for Service Quality and the market research institute ServiceValue. ehotel®’s sustainability management covers all areas. For all external orders, the company prioritises climate-neutral suppliers, from green electricity providers to the provision of regional water in glass bottles. In addition, employees are offered travel passes for public transport, journeys are organised to be as climate-neutral as possible, energy-efficient appliances and LEDs are used, and care is taken to heat buildings sensibly and avoid waste. Through many small steps, ehotel® aims to become carbon-neutral in the near future. In terms of human resources management, the company focuses on modern workplaces, further training, honesty and transparency, openness and good communication structures, equality and a pleasant working atmosphere, as well as fair salaries.
“At ehotel®, we believe that climate protection and social commitment are not just buzzwords, but require action. It is about nothing less than the future of us all. We therefore consider it a matter of course not only to feature more green-certified hotels, but also to make our company environmentally friendly and to support our employees fairly and on an equal footing.”
Credible certification with an integrated environmental management system helps to strengthen a positive image, offers a valuable competitive advantage and assists companies in successfully acquiring customers, as well as in effectively conserving resources, saving costs and optimising internal processes. Additionally, it serves to increase employee satisfaction and provides greater opportunities when recruiting young staff.
The certification process begins with a self-assessment of the business using the online certification tool from InfraCert – Institute for Sustainable Development. The certification assesses management and communication, the environment (energy, water, waste, building structure), procurement, mobility, quality management and sustainable development, social responsibility, economic responsibility and, optionally, catering. Assessment is based on a weighting factor and the classification of sustainability performance into GreenSign Office Level 1 to GreenSign Office Level 5. All businesses or offices are then audited by an independent assessor, resulting in a qualified report, known as a sustainability declaration. The certification is valid for three years and enables transparent documentation and credible communication of the company’s sustainability performance during this period.GreenSign Office / InfraCert – Institute for Sustainable Development
The GreenSign Office sustainability seal is awarded by InfraCert – Institute for Sustainable Development. The certification is designed to be practical, and quality assurance is carried out using recognised frameworks such as ISO 14001 (Environmental Management), ISO 26000 (CSR – Corporate Social Responsibility) and EMAS. The criteria assessed are based on internal processes and underscore the need to integrate the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out by the UN in the 2030 Agenda. With the GreenSign seal, InfraCert offers companies with offices an integrated and sophisticated assessment system that structures, evaluates and documents environmental, social and economic aspects. The company’s sustainability performance is classified according to the results of the completed certification tool in GreenSign Office Levels 1 to 5. All businesses or offices are subsequently assessed by an independent auditor in the form of an on-site audit.
The hotel booking platform ehotel®
aggregates accommodation offers from all providers worldwide on a single platform using META-SEARCH technology. The Berlin-based company focuses its business strategy on providing comprehensive support for hotel bookings and the associated services for business customers. By integrating tools and services into the systems of the respective companies, alongside proprietary payment and billing solutions, ehotel® ensures optimised processes, seamless expenditure control, compliance and cost savings for its clients. The booking platform has repeatedly been recognised for its service quality by, among others, the German Institute for Service Quality and the market research institute ServiceValue.
