The Azores are the first archipelago in the world certified as a sustainable tourist destination by the international certifying entity EarthCheck, under the criteria of the Global Council for Sustainable Tourism.
Sustainability Policy
We believe in the commitment between people and nature
It is the way to follow in the region, in order to increase, every day, the quality of life of all the azoreans.
For more than two decades, initiatives that lead to the protection and preservation of the Azores have been privileged. This path led the destination to the continuous development of sustainability policies, such as:
Energy production and management
Environmental education actions
Nature conservation and biodiversity protection
Management and supervision of noise, air quality, waste and water
Enhancement of native products, Azorean heritage and culture
A transparent commitment
with the sustainable developmentof the Azores
Although we are an internationally certified tourist destination, we know that this is a process of continuous improvement, where it is necessary to measure, analyze the impacts and identify the inherent risks, in order to adjust the processes and the way we operate. Only, through visionary, ambitious and collaborative work – integrating all the stakeholders of the destination – will be possible to achieve our ambitious goals: to become the most sustainable archipelago in the world!
We constantly monitor all actions and initiatives. This way can we progress, innovate and raise our sustainability standards, always seeking to do more and better.
Key performance areas:
Energy efficiency
Air quality and light and noise pollution
Society and
culture
Ecosystem and biodiversity
Water
Greenhousegases
Spatial planning
Waste
Wastewater and sewage
Transports
Economy
Substances harmful to theenvironment
Sustainability Working Groups
9 islands - 9 Green Teams
Previous
Next
Meet the process
Get to know the Earthcheck Certification phases
01
Registo
Start the process;
02
Commitment
Take on a mission
Establishing a team;
Involve stakeholders;
Develop, adopt, and promote an environmental and social sustainability policy.
03
Evaluation
Analyzing the destination's sustainability performance
Collect quantitative and qualitative data;
Access to real-time information;
Identifying critical points.
04
Planning, consultation and reporting
Getting involved to evolve
Prioritization of challenges;
Co-creation of the Azores sustainability action plan;
Performance report;
Measuring the success of implementing measures.
05
Communication
Raising awareness of the process
06
Auditing
Verifying commitments
Independent, experienced, and credible evaluation to verify the commitments made.
07
Success
Fulfilling the journey
Celebration of the results achieved
1-4 years I Silver Certification
5-9 years I Gold Certification
10-14 years I Platinum Certification
+ 15 years I Master Certification
08
Renewal
Update the process
Process renewal every 12 months
Meet local certified tourism companies
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