Guides and best practices

Global Reporting Initiative: Sustainability Reporting

https://www.globalreporting.org/information/sustai...

Since 1999, GRI has provided a comprehensive Sustainability Reporting Framework that is widely used around the world. The cornerstone of the Framework is the Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. As a result of the credibility, consistency and comparability it offers, GRI’s Framework has become a de facto standard in sustainability reporting.

Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GTSC)

http://new.gstcouncil.org

The GSTC Criteria are the result of a worldwide effort to develop a common language about sustainability in tourism. Focusing on social and environmental responsibility, as well as the positive and negative economic and cultural impacts of tourism, the criteria are organized into four topics:

• Sustainable management
• Socioeconomic impacts
• Cultural impacts
• Environmental impacts (including consumption of resources, reducing pollution, and conserving biodiversity and landscapes)

Specifically, two sets of criteria have been developed: one for hotels and tour operators, and one for destinations.

Globe Foundation

http://globe.ca/

The GLOBE Foundation is a Vancouver-based, not-for-profit organization dedicated to finding practical business-oriented solutions to the world's environmental problems. GLOBE believes that companies can do well by doing good without sacrificing the bottom line, and environmental challenges bring enormous opportunity for the business sector.

Their three guiding principles are:

1. Environmental problems are business opportunities.
2. Companies that can provide clean technologies and solutions will prosper.
3. Proactive organizations that embrace environmental sustainability will be more competitive.

Green Development Initiative Certification

http://gdi.earthmind.net/certification/

The Green Development Initiative (GDI) is an international response to the 10th Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP10), particularly with respect to the strategies for resource mobilisation and business engagement. It aims to establish an international green development certification scheme for land management. Such a scheme will enable land managers to be recognised for their efforts to conserve biodiversity and use biological resources sustainably and equitably. In so doing, the GDI intends to stimulate new market-based financing of conservation and development on the ground.

Green Economy Initiative

http://www.unep.org/greeneconomy/

The Green Economy Initiative is designed to assist governments in “greening” their economies by reshaping and refocusing policies, investments, and spending towards a range of sectors such as clean technologies, renewable energies, water services, green transportation, waste management, green buildings, and sustainable agriculture and forests.

Green Economy, Green Business

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/economy/

The transition to a Green Economy is essential for delivering sustainable development and long term growth. The Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)’s commitment will be met through leading by example in our own operations as well as working with business and consumers. DEFRA’s policies around waste, valuing the natural environment, and adapting to and mitigating climate change all play an important role in delivering a green economy.

GRI Food Processing Sector Supplement

https://www.globalreporting.org/reporting/sector-g...

The GRI Food Processing Sector Supplement is a version of GRI’s G3 Guidelines tailored for the food processing sector. The G3 Guidelines are to be used by organizations for measuring and reporting on the economic, environmental, social, and governance dimensions of their activities, products, and services.

GRI Oil & Gas sector supplement

https://www.globalreporting.org/reporting/sector-g...

Guidelines for Community-based Ecotourism Development (WWF)

http://www.zeitzfoundation.org/userfiles/WWFGuidel...

These guidelines identify some general principles, and highlight some practical considerations for community-based ecotourism. They seek to provide a reference point for field project staff, and to encourage a consistent approach. Since the prevailing conditions and levels of knowledge about ecotourism vary considerably between countries and projects, the guidelines are not intended to be a detailed 'how to' manual, but rather stand as a collection of issues and topics to be considered and addressed.

Guidelines for the management of tropical forests (FAO, 1998)

http://www.fao.org/docrep/w8212e/w8212e00.htm

These voluntary guidelines focus mainly on the criterion of maintaining the productive functions of the forest, and more specifically to the production of wood and non-wood products, provide practical advice on how to operationally plan and manage tropical forests for the sustainable production of wood.