Germany is introducing stricter certification criteria for hotels to back up their climate commitments. The new criteria anticipate the European Green Claims Directive – a decree to ban misleading environmental claims across the European Union – effective as from September 2026. Hotels are required to comply with the new rules by March 2026.
According to the regulations, hotels are to provide detailed proof of emission reductions from energy consumption, waste disposal, and other sources. Apparently, only 15 percent of German hotels openly display their climate commitments through certification, considerably less than the 30 percent of French hotels with eco-certification. That’s why, the German hospitality sector is trying to anticipate the new EU ban on greenwashing.
Despite these efforts, questions arise about whether more could be done to meet the EU climate certification requirements. The EU emphasizes offsets but aims to rule out loopholes, such as financing emission-reduction projects overseas without reducing national emissions. While some German hotels continue to take considerable steps towards sustainability, the majority are only now starting their journey. Moritz Lehmkuhl – founder and managing director of Climate Partner – states that reaching net-zero emissions should be the global goal for the entire hospitality industry.
