Green Certifying Iceland
A community on the west coast of Iceland has taken it upon themselves to get green certified as a sustainable and eco-friendly place. With the growing amount of tourism hitting Iceland every year, having sustainable development of towns in response is important to allow for economic growth without compromising the environment. Eco-certification can help tourist destinations adapt better sustainability practices, and in return use the certification to gain tourist interest (3).
“Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” – International Institute for Sustainable Development
Striving for Sustainability
Snæfellsnes peninsula is a 1,500km2 area with a population of 4000 individuals encompassing several municipalities (1) all with one goal in mind: becoming sustainable. To achieve such a task, leaders of the movement first had to choose how they would get certified green to set a standard to strive towards. EarthCheck was the answer. This benchmarking certification and advising company started in Australia in 1987 and has certified businesses, governments, and communities alike to become sustainable tourist destinations (2). Their platform is based on the Agenda 21 principles for sustainable development and they create internationally recognized standards in environmental and social management (2).
What’s been achieved?
Achieving EathCheck certification is no easy task. Snæfellsnes peninsula were not certified in the first few years of this initiative but by 2008 it became the first place in Europe to receive EarthCheck certification. Audit reports are available online for certification details in this area and they report on practices, compliance, planning, areas of non-conformance, and other observations. Some community initiatives mentioned in the 2015 EarthCheck Audit include the plastic bag free project, Earth hour, and waste management practices (3). However they also noted minor non-conformance issues such as management of pesticide products, no meter for water usage, and the time between audits (4).
Thoughts on Eco-Certifying
A study done on whether eco-labelling and certification influence tourists’ purchase decisions found that although it does not have a demand effect on all tourists it can create a niche segment that caters to more environmentally-friendly tourists (3). As for the Snæfellsnes peninsula having this Eco-certification can benefit the community in by developing tourism in a sustainable manner. Although most community members are supportive of these ‘green’ initiatives not all business owners believe in the economic viability of it. The town leaders promoting EarthCheck are pushing for tourism operators within the area to achieve some level of eco-certification, however they are unable to force them to follow suit. This could be a major setback in achieving their sustainability goals in the future and leaders continue to brainstorm ways to incentivize these companies.
Setting the Trend
The story of the Snæfellsnes peninsula community is a good example of ways in which Iceland deals with the concerns of tourism. Perhaps they will pave the way for more communities to become eco-certified around the country and bring more eco-friendly and environmentally conscious visitors to Iceland. We can only hope this becomes the new trend.
Sources Cited
- “EarthCheck.” Visit West Iceland. N.p., n.d. Web. <https://www.west.is/en/west-iceland-regions/earthcheck>.
- “Benchmarking and Certification.” EarthCheck. N.p., n.d. Web. <https://earthcheck.org/products-services/certification/benchmarking-and-certification/>.
- Karlsson, Logi, and Sara Dolnicar. “Does Eco Certification Sell Tourism Services? Evidence from a Quasi-experimental Observation Study in Iceland.” Journal of Sustainable Tourism24.5 (2015): 694-714.
- Haraldsson, Haukur Tór. “Onsite Certification Audit Report for Communities: Snaefellsnes Community.” EarthCheck, 25 Mar. 2015. Web. <http://nesvottun.is/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Authorised-Onsite-Certification-Audit-Report-Snaefellsnes-Peninsula-4-May-2015.pdf>.
