Before you begin · GSTC Hotel Standard v4.0
Know where the hotel stands against GSTC-H
The GSTC Hotel Standard has 40 criteria and 205 performance indicators. Fundamentally, GSTC Hotel Certification is process-based, i.e. it sets out what should be done, not how to do it or whether the goal has been achieved. To address this, GSTC has introduced the baseline performance requirements, where certified hotels demonstrate real, measurable actions and results, and continuous improvements.
It has 16 requirements, made up from 12 indicators, covering 4 criteria.
These are not guidelines. Hotels must demonstrate conformity, and will be audited.
The baseline performance requirements
Compare and see how prepared the hotel is for GSTC Hotel certification — and identify the areas that need attention.
| How many | What is it | What it means for hotel |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | Total number of performance requirements | They set a minimum level of measurable performance, and come in two types: qualitative conformity with policies and procedures, and quantitative targets with performance that increases over the certification cycles. |
| 12 | Number of Indicators selected | The 12 indicators are A13.1, A13.5, A13.6, A13.8, A13.9, A13.10, B9.4, D1.3, D1.4, D2.5, D2.6 and D2.7. However, A13.9 and D1.4 carry two requirements each - A13.9[5], A13.9[6], D1.4[2], D1.4[3], while D2.5 carries three - D2.5[1], D2.5[2], D2.5[3]. Thus, the total number of performance requirements derived from 12 indicators is 16. |
| 8 | Number of requirements that tighten at renewal | A13.6[3], A13.9[5], B9.4[1], D1.3, D1.4[2], D2.5[1], D2.5[2], and D2.7. These requirements have increasing performance thresholds over certification cycles with specific quantitative targets. |
| 5 | Number of requirements with consistent performance level | A13.1, A13.5, A13.8, D2.5[3], and D2.6. The performance of these requirements is to be maintained consistently throughout the certification cycles. |
Requirements that tighten at renewal
The following requirements have specific progression targets for initial certification, first renewal and second renewal. They are an important long-term commitment for any hotel pursuing GSTC-H certification.
| Baseline Performance Requirement | Initial Certification | First Renewal | Second Renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eliminate single-use itemsA13.6[3] | No single-use plastic | Expand elimination | Efficient purchasing |
| Fresh goods from local area, by expenditureA13.9[5] | Minimum 25% | At least 50% | Further increased % |
| Staff wage with annual reviewB9.4[1] | Legal minimum, plus a plan | Living wage, benchmarked | Living wage, increment |
| Renewable energy sourcesD1.3 | Increased use | Transitioned to sustainable sources | Further increased use |
| LED lighting, including back-of-houseD1.4[2] | At least 30% | At least 50% | At least 80% |
| Toilets at 6 litres per flush or lessD2.5[1] | Low-volume systems | Low-volume systems | at least 90% of toilets |
| Water-efficient faucets and showerheadsD2.5[2] | Documented plan | Increased % | Increased again |
| Linen reuse program for water conservationD2.7 | Implementation evidence | Include monitoring and evaluating results | Include monitoring and evaluating results |
Renewal asks you to show progress
Several requirements are written as comparisons — increased in share of expenditure since the prior audit, increased % of water-efficient equipment, wages increased over time. Your evidence at renewal needs to show improvements from the audit before it. Keeping record of performance today is necessary to show the improvements later.
Some of these are capital projects
LED lighting to 80%, 90% of cisterns at 6 litres, faucet and showerhead replacement, keycard switches in 90% of HVAC rooms. These are procurement and refurbishment programmes rather than policy changes, and need to be budgeted ahead of the audit.
Full GSTC Hotel Certification 16 baseline performance-based requirements, April 2026
Click to expand the full details of the performance-based requirement.
Consistent— Identical in every cycle — maintain continuouslyTightens— Harder at a later renewal than at earlier cycleNot at initial— Not assessed at initial certification
Responsible & Local Procurement
7 requirementsA13.1ConsistentResponsible Procurement - Environmentally preferable purchasing
| Initial certification | First renewal | Second renewal |
|---|---|---|
| ① CB shall verify that the business has all of the following: A documented purchasing policy that prioritizes environmental sustainability. Evidence that the business prefers products and suppliers with sustainability certification. Where certified products and suppliers are not available, there is documented evidence of considering the origin and growing or production methods for purchases. | ① The requirement is identical to the initial certification. | ① The requirement is identical to the initial certification. |
A13.5ConsistentResponsible Procurement - Efficient Purchasing
| Initial certification | First renewal | Second renewal |
|---|---|---|
| ② CB shall verify that there is evidence that the property has replaced single-use/individual guest amenities, e.g., shampoo, soap, lotion, etc., with bulk dispensers, except when the law requires otherwise. | ② The requirement is identical to the initial certification. | ② The requirement is identical to the initial certification. |
A13.6TightensResponsible Procurement - Efficient Purchasing
| Initial certification | First renewal | Second renewal |
|---|---|---|
| ③ CB shall verify that single-use plastics have been eliminated, where feasible. Examples of single-use plastic practices include: ● No single-use plastic straws and stirrers. ● No plastic water bottles. ● No single-use polypropylene (PP) or Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) container in disposable food service items. ● No plastic packaging around dry room amenities. Note 1: Futouris offers a single-use plastic tool with excellent decision trees to evaluate alternatives to plastic. Also, the Global Tourism Plastics Initiatives is a reference for alternatives to plastic. Note 2: Use of permanent, washable alternatives is prioritized over single-use plastic consumables where local hygiene regulations and local statutes permit. | ③ CB shall verify that single-use plastics have been eliminated, where feasible. Additional practices include: No sachets or packets for single-serve condiments except when required by law. No single-use table mat. Elimination of garbage bags for small in-room bins. | ③ CB shall verify that single-use plastics have been eliminated, where feasible. Also, CB shall look for actions that show the efforts to have efficient purchasing. |
A13.8ConsistentResponsible Procurement - Environmentally preferable purchasing
| Initial certification | First renewal | Second renewal |
|---|---|---|
| ④ CB shall verify that there is evidence that the business does not offer unregulated, threatened, or endangered species as part of its food and beverage offerings, souvenirs, or entertainment. This may include, e.g., civet coffee, shark fin soup*, ortolan bunting, etc. Note: GSTC's Interpretation and requirements on shark fin is available in the 'GSTC Requirements of Environmental Purchasing of Protected Species (2026INTD01)'. | ④ The requirement is identical to the initial certification. | ④ The requirement is identical to the initial certification. |
A13.9[5]TightensLocal Procurement
| Initial certification | First renewal | Second renewal |
|---|---|---|
| ⑤ CB shall verify that there is evidence, documented or otherwise, showing that fresh goods have been purchased from the local area, amounting to a minimum of 25% by expenditure, if applicable. Note: if it is not applicable, the business shall provide evidence of the non-applicability. | ⑤ CB shall verify evidence showing that at least 50% (by expenditure) of fresh goods have been purchased from the local area since the prior audit, if applicable. | ⑤ CB shall verify evidence showing that fresh goods purchased from the local area have increased in % of expenditure since the prior audit. |
A13.9[6]Not at initialResponsible Procurement - Environmentally preferable purchasing
| Initial certification | First renewal | Second renewal |
|---|---|---|
| Not assessed at this cycle | ⑥ CB shall verify that there is evidence that sustainable product purchases have increased in share in expenditure and product category since the prior audit. | ⑥ CB shall verify that there is evidence that sustainable product purchases have increased in share and product category since the prior audit. |
A13.10Not at initialResponsible Procurement - Environmentally preferable purchasing
| Initial certification | First renewal | Second renewal |
|---|---|---|
| Not assessed at this cycle | ⑦ The CB shall verify that there is evidence, documented or otherwise, that the business has evaluated its suppliers' sustainability performance. | ⑦ The requirement is identical to the first renewal. |
Decent Work
1 requirementB9.4TightensDecent Work
| Initial certification | First renewal | Second renewal |
|---|---|---|
| ① CB shall verify that there is documented evidence that the business pays all employees, including sub-contracted employees, at least a wage complying with national wage legislation. If the business pays at least the minimum wage according to national legislation, the CB shall verify whether there is evidence of a plan to reach the living wage for all employees. Where legislation is silent, living wage levels for the destination may be obtained from the IDH Salary Matrix or another international living wage benchmark. | ① CB shall verify that there is documented evidence that the business pays a living wage to its employees based on a living wage benchmark tool. | ① CB shall verify that there is documented evidence that the business pays a living wage to its employees based on a living wage benchmark tool, or evidence showing that they have been increasing wages over time. |
Energy Conservation
3 requirementsD1.3TightensEnergy Conservation
| Initial certification | First renewal | Second renewal |
|---|---|---|
| ① CB shall verify that there is evidence of a business plan for increasing the use of electricity from renewable sources. | ① CB shall verify that there is evidence of efforts to transition to sustainable energy sources for heating/cooling purposes, where possible. | ① CB shall verify that there is evidence that the business increased the use of electricity from renewable sources. |
D1.4[2]TightensEnergy Conservation
| Initial certification | First renewal | Second renewal |
|---|---|---|
| ② CB shall verify that there is evidence that the business has at least 30% LED lighting in its property, including back-of-house areas, and when LED lighting is appropriate. | ② CB shall verify evidence that the business has at least 50% LED lighting in its property, including back-of-house areas. | ② CB shall verify evidence that the business has at least 80% LED lighting in its property, including back-of-house areas. |
D1.4[3]Not at initialEnergy Conservation
| Initial certification | First renewal | Second renewal |
|---|---|---|
| Not assessed at this cycle | Not assessed at this cycle | ③ For properties that use keycard switches, the CB shall verify that at least 90% of guest rooms that have HVAC systems are fitted with key card switches. |
Water Conservation
5 requirementsD2.5[1]TightensWater Conservation
| Initial certification | First renewal | Second renewal |
|---|---|---|
| ① CB shall verify that the business has low volume water use systems in place for toilet cisterns. | ① The requirement is identical to the initial certification. | ① CB shall verify that there is evidence that at least 90% of toilets at the property consume 6 liters per flush or less. |
D2.5[2]TightensWater Conservation
| Initial certification | First renewal | Second renewal |
|---|---|---|
| ② CB shall verify that there is documented evidence that the business plans to replace faucets and showerheads with water-efficient ones (e.g., smart showers or low-flow showerheads), following national guidelines or international guidelines if there are no national ones. | ② CB shall verify that there is evidence that the business has increased % of its water efficient equipment. | ② The requirement is identical to the first renewal. |
D2.5[3]ConsistentWater Conservation
| Initial certification | First renewal | Second renewal |
|---|---|---|
| ③ CB shall verify if cleaning procedures take into account minimizing water consumption. | ③ The requirement is identical to the initial certification. | ③ The requirement is identical to the initial certification. |
D2.6ConsistentWater Conservation
| Initial certification | First renewal | Second renewal |
|---|---|---|
| ④ CB shall verify that there are documented guidelines for watering all outdoor plants. | ④ The requirement is identical to the initial certification. | ④ The requirement is identical to the initial certification. |
D2.7TightensWater Conservation
| Initial certification | First renewal | Second renewal |
|---|---|---|
| ⑤ CB shall verify that there is evidence that the business is implementing a linen reuse program for multi-night stays, and actively engages guests regarding water conservation practices in the room. | ⑤ CB shall verify that there is evidence that the business is implementing a linen reuse program for multi-night stays, and is monitoring and evaluating the results of said program. | ⑤ The requirement is identical to the first renewal. |
Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas tracking is not one of these 16. It is criterion D3, and it is mandatory in its own right: annual reduction targets for Scope 1 and 2, reported in your annual sustainability report. We mention it here because this is where most people expect to find it.
If you hold WTTC Hotel Sustainability Basics
These baseline requirements and the twelve HSB actions cover different ground. The work you have done for Basics or Basics Plus is useful preparation here, but it is assessed separately.
Where to verify this
- Requirement wording: GSTC Hotel Standard v4.0 (30 December 2025), reproduced here as published.
- Nonconformity handling and the certification decision: GSTC Accreditation Manual for Certification Bodies — Industry, v5.0 (1 March 2026), clauses 8.15 and 8.16.
- Transition from the retired GSTC Industry Standard: GSTC transition guidance — v4.0 certification only, from 30 December 2028.
TavaSIS organises and evidences your documentation. It does not certify, and nothing here is a determination about your property — certification decisions are made independently by a GSTC-accredited Certification Body.