Cotswold Green Leaf Tourism Scheme
Explanatory notes
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Keeping records of your energy consumption
Energy costs have increased significantly in recent years and are likely to continue going up.
A 20% cut in energy costs is the equivalent of a 5% increase in turnover (Carbon Trust).
Only businesses that read meters regularly and record results year-on-year are able to
quantify improvements in energy efficiency – they are also able to spot any unexplained
increase in energy consumption, notice billing errors, and negotiate better tariff rates.
Encouraging staff to adopt ‘green habits’
The success of any resource efficiency programme will depend upon the commitment of the
people who implement it. Staff that understand why green tourism is important will report
faults promptly, engage customers in positive debate, enthuse about it and become
ambassadors. Staff who consider it another chore are unlikely to fully participate or help the
programme achieve its potential. Switching equipment off at the wall rather than leaving it on
or on standby can reduce energy consumption considerably. If you have some equipment
should never be switched off at the wall including – e.g. emergency escape equipment or fax
machines - simple colour coding on switches can help to make sure that only essential
equipment is left on
Installing low energy bulbs
Low energy light bulbs are 80% more efficient than incandescent ones and have a life span
five times longer. All tourism businesses can benefit from using these – even if only in back
of house areas where they can save 10% of electricity consumption
Turning down thermostats
A thermostat turned down just one degree can cut as much as 10% off the cost of a room’s
heating
Nominating a ‘green champion’
Businesses that have a nominated member of staff with responsibility for managing all
environmental and social impacts generally make more significant cost savings and gain
greater benefits out of their ‘sustainable tourism’ programmes
Encouraging guests to adopt ‘green habits’
Guests are generally responsive to and supportive of initiatives provided that they aren’t
seen as merely initiatives to ‘save money’ but part of a wider ethos that can be seen in other
areas of the business’s activities: encouraging their participation can be very worthwhile
building positive attitudes towards your business as well as keeping down your costs!
Purchasing energy from a green supplier
Green energy generally means that your electricity supply is coming from renewable
sources, such as wind power or hydroelectric power. There are a variety of different green
tariffs and packages available through both mainstream energy suppliers and green energy
specialists. Some schemes will supply you with "pure" green energy directly generated by
renewable means such as wind turbines. Other schemes provide you with energy generated
from a traditional fossil-fuel based source but, in turn, put the equivalent amount of energy
you use back into the national grid elsewhere from renewable sources. Finally, some tariffs
will still supply you with conventionally-generated energy but make contributions to
environmental projects on a regular basis as a way of offsetting the energy you use.
Having temperature settings checked regularly
Temperature settings on heating systems can be adjusted to match seasonal patterns and it
is important to ensure that thermostat temperatures do not exceed those required to meet
health and safety and guest comfort criteria. Air conditioning can be wasteful and expensive
during the winter months if thermostats to start the air conditioning unit are set at
temperatures which are too close to maximum heating temperatures (there should be a gap
of 5C between the cut off temperature for the heating and the start up temperature for the
air conditioning)
Generating your own energy
Rising energy prices have combined with the reduced cost of manufacturing renewable
energy technologies to make many of these technologies more commercially viable. A
number of visitor attractions, hotels and guest facilities now generate a proportion of their
own heat or electricity through solar, biomass, ground source, air source or other means. If
you instal a renewable technology you may be able to get paid for the electricity it produces:
Feed-In Tariffs (FIT) provide a guaranteed rate for each unit of electricity generated and
exported. Businesses that generate renewable energy also report that customers are
interested in and supportive of their efforts
Buying energy efficient equipment
Resource efficiency is most easily and cost effectively achieved if considered from the start in
everything from a new kettle to a new building. By ensuring everything new is energy or
water efficient or can be recycled you can reinforce your commitment to green issues
among staff and customers and save money into the bargain.
Taking steps to conserve heat
Insulation can reduce energy consumption significantly - up to 25% of heat can escape from a
building through uninsulated roof spaces and cavity wall insulation can also be a quick and
effective way to reduce energy costs. If you are not sure that key areas of your property are
properly insulated,, a quick check can help reduce utility costs instantly
Additional points
It has been estimated that line drying rather than using the tumble dryer in the summer
could save 65kg of CO2 per year per household
RECYCLING and RESOURCE USE
Keeping a record of water usage
Water costs are on the rise and businesses pay for each unit of water they use twice
(initially to purchase it and then to dispose of it). Businesses that monitor water
consumption on a regular basis are well placed to track leakage and billing errors and
increase profitability
Fair Trade products
Unfortunately not everything can be grown in the Cotswolds! The Fairtrade system includes
environmental standards as part of producer certification. The standard requires producers
to work to protect the natural environment and make environmental protection a part of
farm management. Producers are also encouraged to minimize the use of energy, especially
energy from non-renewable sources
Paints, furnishing and fabrics
Many paints, furnishings and fabrics contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), air
pollutants that can remain in the air for many months after a finish has been applied and
which are detrimental to local air quality. Concerns over allergies and air pollution have
made many consumers choose products with a low VOC content. Natural dyes and organic
cottons are also increasingly in demand by some consumers and can make an important
point about the philosophy of the business
Cleaning products
Chemicals such as chlorine and phosphate can have a detrimental effect on water courses
and harm wildlife. A rise in allergies has driven a recent trend towards choosing cleaning
products with low environmental impacts (especially phosphate-free cleaners and nonchlorine bleaches). Significant cost savings can be made by purchasing fewer chemical
cleaning products and using micro-fibre cloths, or vinegar as a degreaser etc
Recycling
Up to three quarters of all waste disposed of by tourism businesses could be recycled
through existing services or composted. The volume of waste can also be reduced
significantly by asking suppliers to remove unnecessary packaging and by buying in bulk
Recycling by customers
Many guests would welcome the opportunity to play their part but often don’t have the
opportunity!
Recycled products
Many products can be specified from responsible sources including paper products with a
minimum recycled pulp content
Water Butts
Thousands of litres of rainwater fall on the average roof every year. Collecting this water
and using it on your garden is better for your lawn and plants as well as for the environment
Refillable products
Many businesses now choose to offer guests toiletries in good quality refillable containers,
instead of or alongside individually packaged products. This reduces waste and packaging.
Locally made products such as soap and lotions can also be provided, giving guests a flavour
of the local area
Water saving devices
A huge volume of water can quite literally be flushed down the toilet! A combination of
minimising the number of times toilets are flushed during routine cleaning, and installing
devices to reduce the amount of water used per flush, can produce significant saving
Garden compost bins
30% of the average waste is organic and could be composted – if all the suitable food waste
produced by UK households was composted we could avoid the equivalent of 2m tonnes of
CO2 emissions every year
CAR FREE TOURISM
Discounts and incentives
Transport is one of the most obvious environmental impacts associated with tourism, and
promoting public transport is an easy option for those businesses that are within reach of
public transport. Incentives (such as a small discount or a free bottle of wine) can be very
effective at encouraging take-up
Providing transport
Not all businesses are easily accessed by public transport but providing transport to the local
train or bus station makes leaving the car behind a more attractive option for visitors, as
well as being an excellent opportunity to highlight your business’s exemplary customer care!
Car free transport information
Whether travelling for business or pleasure, more and more people are looking for
opportunities to leave the car behind once they get to their destination. Businesses can
encourage guests to participate in ‘car free days’. If customers are aware of the options for
alternative transport, they may consider using their car less, helping to reduce noise,
congestion and air pollution
Car free activities
Cycling and walking have become increasingly popular among tourists and information about
walking and cycling opportunities or about cycle hire can provide a useful extension to the
product offer. Market research shows these activities add to the perception of the value of
the visitor experience, help customers to relax, enhance personal well being and reduce
carbon emissions to boot
Cycle friendly facilities
Make sure the information is on your website and in any literature so that guests know that
you have the facilities and information when they are planning their trip
LOCAL PRODUCE
Using local produce
Many of the impacts of tourism businesses are associated with the products they purchase
and not with the direct impacts of operating the business. Food production in particular is
very carbon intensive and steps that you can take to use food that is locally sourced will
stand you in good stead with your customers – remember to promote them to your
customers as they will often enhance perceptions of quality!
Promoting local produce
Local produce adds to the unique sense of place and enhances the likelihood that a customer
will return. Money spent by your customers stays within the local economy - £10 spent at a
local business benefits the local economy by £25 compared to only £14 for the equivalent
spend at a chain store
NATURE and CONSERVATION
Clients are often very receptive to environmental programmes and will often make
comments to support their further development
COMMUNICATION
‘Be a perfect visitor’ cards
A great way of helping customers understand what they can do to keep your business and its
environment special
Visitor ‘pay back’ schemes
A number of businesses now consider better environmental and community engagement as a
top priority and are establishing marketing profiles that are becoming more and more
recognised and appreciated by visitors
Promoting the scheme
Better environmental engagement and a strong local network will help establish a marketing
profile that will become more and more recognised by visitors
Environmental message
Circa 70% of tourists say that they would prefer to patronise a tourism business that
protects the environment and the destination community
LOCAL AWARENESS
Promoting the Cotswolds AONB
Tourism will only be sustainable if it makes a positive contribution to the conservation of the
area’s natural and cultural heritage. Improving visitor awareness and appreciation of the local
area is a vital first step in this process
Cotswolds Green Leaf events
The events will cover a wide spectrum of interests – from familiarisation visits to local
producers to ‘green’ seminars and ‘best practice’ demonstrations – and will provide an
opportunity for local networking.