As sustainability becomes a business imperative, companies in the travel and hospitality industry are increasingly highlighting their green credentials. But with the rise of environmental marketing comes the risk of greenwashing—making unverified or misleading claims about sustainability. To address this, the European Union is introducing the Green Claims Directive, a major piece of legislation that will reshape how businesses promote their environmental impact.

In this article, we break down what the directive means for business travel and events, who it applies to, and how companies can prepare.

What Is the Green Claims Directive?

The EU Green Claims Directive is a proposal aimed at eliminating greenwashing and ensuring that any environmental claims made by companies are truthful, science-based, and independently verified. It requires companies to back up any green claims with credible evidence and disclose clear, measurable information about the environmental performance of their products or services.

What It Means for Business Travel and Events

The travel and hospitality industry—particularly in the business travel and events sector—is directly affected. Companies organising conferences, corporate retreats, incentive trips, or sustainability-focused travel packages will need to verify every green claim they make, such as:

❌  Carbon-neutral events
❌  Eco-certified hotels
❌  Sustainable catering
❌  Low-emission travel options

Who Does the Directive Apply To?

Applies To:

✅  All businesses operating in the EU or selling into the EU market
✅  All industries, including travel, hospitality, and event services
✅  Any voluntary environmental claims, on packaging, ads, websites, proposals, or product descriptions

Key Takeaways

⭐️  Claims must be specific and backed by science
Vague terms like “green” or “eco-friendly” are no longer enough

⭐️  Third-party verification is required
Independent assessors must validate the environmental data behind each claim

⭐️  Marketing strategies will need updating
Companies must align promotional content with regulatory standards

⭐️  Increased transparency equals increased trust
Consumers will have more confidence in genuine green practices

Actionable Steps for Travel and Hospitality Businesses

To stay compliant and competitive, businesses should start preparing now. Here’s how:

➡️  Audit Your Green Claims
Review marketing, labels, and service descriptions. Remove or rephrase unverified claims.

➡️  Invest in Credible Certification
Use recognized third-party schemes (for example, EU Ecolabel, ISO 14001). Track carbon emissions for business travel and events.

➡️  Train Teams on Compliance
Educate marketing, sales, and event planning teams. Standardize language and sustainability metrics.

➡️  Adopt Sustainability Reporting Tools
Use frameworks like GRI or CDP to document and disclose your impacts. Include lifecycle analysis where appropriate.

➡️  Collaborate Across the Supply Chain
Work with hotels, venues, and transport providers to ensure shared compliance. Promote verified partners in your offerings.

Final Thoughts

The Green Claims Directive isn’t just a regulatory hurdle—it’s an opportunity for the business travel and events industry to lead with integrity and innovation. By investing in transparency, data-backed sustainability, and verified communication, companies can build long-term trust with clients and stakeholders.

As scrutiny increases, those who prepare early will stand out for the right reasons.

GSI centralises sustainability data across all accreditations and certifiers enabling event planners to easily access information and compare properties on 5 pillars of sustainability.

Build your profile today to make sure you have 100% of the opportunity when it comes to winning corporate business.

Want to win more business?

Book a call with us

On that call, we’ll:

✅  Understand your values and priorities

✅  Review your current communications

✅  Demonstrate how GSI can help you
win more business