Climate Action Australia Certification Program

The impacts of climate change have become more clear, and sadly also more evident.  The immediacy and scale of our response to the challenge of climate change is the single biggest issue of our time.   The tourism industry is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. And yet, our industry has also long understood the need for a sustainable industry and for mitigating our impacts on the environment and our host communities.

Climate Action Australia (CAA) has been established by EA to provide the tourism industry with a timely response to this globally important issue. With the overwhelming volume of information available on climate change, Climate Action Australia will provide the industry with practical and applied tools for both adaptation and mitigation strategies.

CAA’s Climate Action Certification Program (CACP) has been developed in collaboration with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the South Australian Tourism Commission. It is designed for all sectors of the tourism industry and for aligned businesses both large and small.  Eligible organisations will include private sector businesses, tour operators, hotels, resorts and travel agents, in addition to government and industry bodies.

Click here to apply online now.

Climate Action Certification will provide businesses with:

• an understanding of climate change concepts and terminology;
• awareness of credible offsetting activities that can be undertaken;
• clear and practical ways of reducing their carbon footprint – reducing carbon emissions through design, equipment selection and changes in operational practices;
• best practice examples relevant to the business sector and operating environment;
• approaches to adaptation that will assist both the individual enterprise and the collective industry and community within its area of operation. 

Climate Action Businesses - Businesses have undertaken a set of adaption and emissions reduction actions but are not necessarily measuring their carbon footprint.
Climate Action Innovators - Businesses have undertaken a set of adaption and emissions reduction and are auditing and measuring their carbon footprint.
Climate Action Leaders - Businesses have incorporated strategic climate change responses across all relevant levels of business planning and operations. They are measuring and auditing their carbon footprint via a creditable system and have undertaken an advanced level of adaptation, emissions reduction and offsetting and are working towards becoming carbon neutral.

While the Climate Action certification program is completely stand alone, Climate Action Australia has actively sought to complement existing environmental certification schemes where overlaps may occur (e.g. with ECO Certification, Green Globe and Greenhouse Challenge plus). The Climate Action certification program has sought to recognise and give credit for relevant portions of these alternate schemes. 

The Climate Action program will be upgraded regularly as new technology and tools become available. A third party auditing process will be established to ensure the credibility of the program.

Businesses undergoing the program will be provided with comprehensive resource information and links to the most useful tools on the web, providing relevant and focused support to industry and reducing the time spent searching though the myriad of climate change information available.

How to Apply:

First Step:

You can order the Climate Action Workbook by clicking here or you can register online using the following link: Climate Action Online Application

When applying online, please keep your nominated user name and password in a safe place as you can stop and start your application as often as you require.  You will be required to enter your username and password each time you log into your application, or if you wish to certify further products in the future.

A registration and assessment fee will be required after registration.  Please refer to the fee calculator available in the registration process for your company’s applicable fees.

Application:

Once we have received your assessment fee, you will be granted access into the online portal to commence your application.  Payment by the secure e-commerce facility online means you will be granted immediate access to your application.  Other methods of payment are available and we will detail them in an email to you once we receive your registration. 

If you are paying by other methods, please note that we will not be able to approve your registration and give you access to your application until we receive your payment.

Please ensure you answer and fulfil all mandatory core criteria items and attach any relevant supporting materials.  It is recommended that you aim for the highest level of certification and attempt to fulfil as many criteria as possible.

You are able to contact our office at any time to seek assistance with your application.  The national office is open normal business hours Monday to Friday.

Assessment:

Once your completed application is received, it is forwarded to an independent, qualified assessor who reviews your application and occasionally seeks more information from you.

The assessment process is generally a 14 day timeframe, depending on the complexity of the application and the extent of the background information provided. Applications that are incomplete or are internally inconsistent will require further clarification by the assessor and may take longer to process.

If your application is successful, you will receive your certificate and logo.

Sustainable Tourism Australia will organise onsite audit of the criteria contained within the program sometime within the first twelve months after receiving your certification.  This is an essential step in maintaining the credibility of the program.

Click here to apply online now.
Click here to view a summary of the Climate Action Certification criteria.

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