Tourism operators learn to measure carbon

A free online programme that began in July is teaching Southern African tourism businesses how to measure their carbon footprints using data from their own operations.

The Verified Impact Knowledge Series runs monthly until November 2026 and is open to lodge owners, hotel managers, sustainability teams, marketers, guides, travel agents and tour operators.

Verified Impact is a carbon-footprint measurement and benchmarking programme for eco-lodges and boutique properties. It collects information on areas such as electricity use, transport, food sourcing and waste, allowing properties to calculate their emissions and compare their performance with industry benchmarks.

The programme is also running the kimkim Climate Action Plan pilot with the Wilderness Leadership School, ETC Africa and The Eco Travel Boutique.

Around 25 properties across Southern Africa are taking part. They are receiving training in carbon measurement, learning how their results compare with other properties and finding ways to explain their environmental impact to guests and travel partners.

“It is important that the industry moves away from jargon, greenwashing, and theory that is divorced from what’s happening on the ground,” said programme lead Duncan Pritchard of ETC Africa.

“We will be sharing patterns that are showing up across scores of real operations we are working with, and the practical thinking that comes out of them.”

Moving beyond estimates

Carbon calculations in tourism are often based on industry averages, which may bear little resemblance to an individual property.

A remote lodge using solar power will have a different footprint from an urban hotel relying on the national electricity grid. Food waste, refrigeration, guest transfers, water heating and imported supplies can also change the result.

Verified Impact uses measured activity data from each property to identify where emissions are being produced and which changes are likely to have the greatest effect.

ETC Africa has spent several years gathering and benchmarking data from tourism properties in the region. It says this has created one of the most detailed views yet of carbon performance in Southern African ecotourism.

“The problem is, most of the industry is flying blind on this,” said Pritchard.

“Few properties actually measure their carbon footprint, let alone understand what it involves or how their footprint measures up against peers. Sustainability claims are often more marketing than substance.”

He said carbon accounting gave properties evidence to support claims made in brochures, on websites and to international travel partners.

“Carbon accounting is what ensures we keep sustainability claims honest and backed by verifiable data.”

From kitchens to guest experiences

The first session, held on 22 July, introduced the basics of carbon literacy, including carbon footprints, offsets, avoided emissions and emissions intensity.

The next session, on 5 August, will examine what data collected from tourism portfolios reveals about carbon performance. It will also cover common errors that undermine the quality of emissions figures.

A session on 26 August will focus on tourism kitchens, including food waste, sourcing and practical lessons from participating properties.

On 16 September, the programme will turn to the guest experience, examining how guides and front-of-house staff can discuss climate initiatives without exaggerating their impact.

Marketing teams will be the focus on 21 October. The session will look at how tourism businesses can communicate emissions data clearly and avoid environmental claims that cannot be supported.

The final session, presented with The Eco Travel Boutique on 18 November, will examine what travel agents and international buyers expect from tourism suppliers. It will cover responsible sourcing, carbon transparency and the role of sustainability certifications.

Each online session runs for about an hour and includes an opportunity for participants to ask questions and discuss their own experiences. Attendees can register for selected sessions instead of completing the full series.

“Climate literacy is fast becoming as essential to tourism as service standards or guest safety,” said Pritchard.

“Travellers are asking harder questions about the footprint of their trip. Agents and buyers are building carbon and sustainability credentials into how they choose who to work with. And properties that understand their own impact, and can talk about it with real confidence, are the ones building trust with both.”

Registration is open here. Attendees can select the sessions relevant to them and will receive meeting details directly. The following sessions are still scheduled:

• The Low-Carbon Kitchen: 26 August 2026 (11h00) Food-waste and sourcing wins from real properties, busting common myths, and how to bring your kitchen’s sustainability story to guests.
• Telling Your Climate Story: 16 September 2026 (11h00) Why guides and front-of-house are your most powerful storytellers — making climate part of the guest experience, without the greenwash.
• Speaking Climate Without Spin: 21 October 2026 (11h00) Communicating with credibility for marketing teams, taking the guilt out of travel, and turning numbers into a story guests actually connect with.
• What Agents & Buyers Want: 18 November 2026 (11h00) with The Eco Travel Boutique – Global trends in responsible sourcing and carbon transparency, what certifications really mean, and what agents and clients are actually asking for behind the scenes.