EarthCheck
EarthCheck is a Brisbane-based sustainability certification and advisory firm founded in 1994, providing science-backed benchmarking, certification, advisory, and software exclusively to the global tourism and hospitality sector, with regulatory recognition across GSTC, SECTUR, and other national frameworks.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersSouth Brisbane, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What EarthCheck does
EarthCheck is a Brisbane, Australia-based sustainability certification and advisory firm founded in 1994, operating exclusively in the global tourism and hospitality sector. The company delivers science-backed benchmarking, third-party certification, professional advisory, training, and custom software, with the underlying methodology originating from the Australian Government Sustainable Tourism Co-operative Research Centre (STCRC). It serves hotels, resorts, destinations, and increasingly the business events sector, with named customers including Grupo Xcaret (Mexico), Four Seasons, Sindhorn Kempinski, Cinnamon Hotels, The Datai Langkawi, and Alila Shanghai.
The product portfolio spans recurring multi-year certification subscriptions, project-based advisory engagements, training programs, and bespoke software deployments, sold predominantly through an enterprise sales motion with bespoke pricing. The certification is recognized by multiple national and supranational regulatory frameworks — including GSTC, CNCA, CDP, EU Energy Directive, SECTUR (Mexico), London & Partners, and the City of Sydney — which positions EarthCheck as a standards-grade provider rather than a marketing label and embeds the offering in operators' ESG disclosure and government reporting obligations.
The company is privately held (EarthCheck Pty Limited) with no disclosed funding rounds. It is led by founder-CEO Stewart Moore, with Dr. Steve Newman as Chief Scientist and Professor David Simmons as Chair of the EarthCheck Research Institute. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales with government-channel partnerships and a distributed network of certified auditors and Design Advisory Partners (Design APs) that enable global delivery without proportional headcost growth. Recent strategic activity — including an ICCA partnership (Dec 2025), a Constellar / Singapore EXPO collaboration (May 2026), an SECTUR Mexico renewal aligned with PROSECTUR 2025-2030, and a Queensland Government ESG Toolkit launch (April 2026) — signals active expansion into the business events vertical, deeper APAC and Latin America penetration, and a broader product surface beyond certification.
EarthCheck firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- EarthCheck
- Legal name
- Earthcheck Pty Limited
- Website
- https://earthcheck.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- EarthCheck is a Brisbane-based sustainability certification and advisory firm founded in 1994, providing science-backed benchmarking, certification, advisory, and software exclusively to the global tourism and hospitality sector, with regulatory recognition across GSTC, SECTUR, and other national frameworks.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
EarthCheck industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sustainability Certification & Advisory for Tourism
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Eco-Certification, Auditing & Standards (Green Lodging, Tour Operator Certification) (THAAANAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Carbon Footprint Measurement, Reporting & Management (Travel Emissions Accounting) (THAAANAB), Sustainability Training, Consulting & ESG Advisory (Operational Playbooks, Staff Training) (THAAANAL)
Keywords
Where EarthCheck is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- South Brisbane
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
EarthCheck business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Certification Services: Science-backed sustainability certification for organizations and destinations. Includes annual benchmarking, third-party audit verification, and certification levels (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Master).
- Advisory Services: ESG advisory including environmental, social, and governance consulting. Market insights, destination management, disaster resilience, and sustainability planning.
- Training Programs: EarthCheck Training Academy, Auditor Training, and EDAP (EarthCheck Design Accredited Professional) certification programs.
- Custom Software: Bespoke software solutions for sustainability measurement and management tailored to client needs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Custom enterprise pricing based on scope |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
EarthCheck product offering
Product offeringCore offering
EarthCheck is a sustainability certification, consulting and advisory group that delivers science-backed benchmarking and tiered certification programs (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Master) for tourism businesses, destinations and events, together with ESG advisory, training, and custom sustainability software. Its methodology was developed through the Australian Government Sustainable Tourism Co-operative Research Centre and is reviewed annually against international greenhouse gas protocols and responsible tourism standards, with verification through independent third-party auditors.
Product overview
EarthCheck is a certification, consulting and advisory group for sustainable destinations and tourism organizations, offering a comprehensive portfolio of science-backed sustainability solutions. The core offering includes six certification programs (EarthCheck Certified, Sustainable Destinations, Design, Evaluate, ECO, and EarthSafe), supported by an ecosystem of training services (Training Academy, Auditor Training, EDAP), advisory services (ESG, Environmental, Social, Governance, Biodiversity, Market Insights, Tourism Business Planning, Event Management, Destination Management, Disaster Resilience), and custom software solutions. The company was developed from the Australian Government Sustainable Tourism Co-operative Research Centre (STCRC) and maintains alignment with international standards including GSTC recognition, CDP verification, and EU Energy Directive compliance.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- EarthCheck Certified
- EarthCheck Sustainable Destinations
- EarthCheck Design
- EarthCheck Evaluate
- EarthCheck ECO
- EarthSafe
- Distintivo S
- EarthCheck Training Academy
- EarthCheck Auditor Training
- EarthCheck Design Accredited Professional (EDAP)
- ESG Services
- Environmental Advisory Services
- Social Advisory Services
- Governance Advisory Services
- Market Insights and Data Services
- Tourism Business Planning and Feasibility
- Sustainable Event Management
- Leading Destinations of the World
- Destination Management
- Disaster Management and Resilience
- Sustainable Tourism Advisory
- EarthCheck Custom Software
Quantifiable outcome
- 106 certified properties in Mexico benchmarking against EarthCheck Standard
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use EarthCheck
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
EarthCheck technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
EarthCheck partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- Constellar (Venue Operator of Singapore EXPO)flagshipGlobal research collaboration to measure real impact of business events. Partnership develops practical framework for destinations, venues and organizers to assess, report and improve event outcomes. Singapore EXPO serves as live operational testbed using its 11.4 MWp solar system and 86% Scope 1 and 2 emissions reduction as demonstration case.
- Queensland Government (Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning)coreDeveloped ESG Toolkit for Tourism to help Queensland operators understand, measure and improve environmental, social and governance performance. Practical step-by-step resource with Foundation, Advanced and Expert levels tailored for small and medium-sized tourism operators.
- SECTUR (Secretaría de Turismo Mexico)flagshipRenewed and strengthened sector agreement directly aligned with PROSECTUR 2025-2030 objectives. EarthCheck provides technical advisory on sustainable tourism planning and continues as certification partner for Distintivo S national sustainability recognition program. Three successive agreements formalize this long-standing government partnership.
- ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association)flagshipTwo-year strategic sustainability partnership making EarthCheck ICCA's preferred sustainability partner. EarthCheck will apply its EventCalculator tool to measure carbon footprint of ICCA Congresses. Partnership supports ICCA's mission to reduce environmental impact and strengthen best practice across the global business events community.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
EarthCheck competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Green Key Global: Direct competitor offering eco-certification for hotels, resorts, and tourism businesses globally. Operates a similar voluntary certification program with tiered recognition, targeting the same hospitality buyer as EarthCheck.
- Biosphere Sustainable: Direct competitor providing sustainable tourism certification, with comparable benchmarking methodology and tiered recognition for hotels, destinations, and tour operators competing directly with EarthCheck.
- Travelife: Direct competitor offering sustainability certification for hotels, tour operators, and destinations, with GSTC recognition comparable to EarthCheck. Targets the same hospitality and destination customer base.
- Green Globe Certification: Direct competitor providing sustainability certification and benchmarking for travel, tourism, and hospitality operators. Overlaps directly with EarthCheck Certified in scope and customer profile.
Others
- Verra (Verified Carbon Standard): Standards body governing carbon credit verification globally. Adjacent ecosystem participant that interacts with EarthCheck's carbon measurement work via shared hospitality and destination clients.
- South Pole Group: Climate solutions provider offering carbon credit development, ESG advisory, and sustainability certification support. Adjacent competitor to EarthCheck's advisory and carbon-measurement services for tourism clients.
Broad incumbents
- B Lab (B Corporation): Broad sustainability certification covering social and environmental performance for businesses across industries. Competes indirectly with EarthCheck for corporate ESG credentials among hospitality and tourism operators.
- BREEAM (BRE Group): Large incumbent sustainability rating scheme for buildings and communities. While broader than tourism, BREEAM competes with EarthCheck Design for new-build hotel and resort projects globally.
Emerging players
- Preferred by Nature: Sustainability certification and standards organization active in tourism, forestry, and land use. Overlaps with EarthCheck on destination-level and hospitality sustainability certification in adjacent sustainability verticals.
- Climate Neutral: Emerging certification brand focused on carbon neutrality across travel and hospitality. Competes with EarthCheck on climate-focused sustainability credentials sought by corporate travel buyers and operators.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
EarthCheck social profiles
Digital presenceEarthCheck compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance9 records
EarthCheck financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
EarthCheck leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
EarthCheck funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
EarthCheck M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about EarthCheck
What does EarthCheck do?
EarthCheck is a sustainability certification, consulting and advisory group that delivers science-backed benchmarking and tiered certification programs (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Master) for tourism businesses, destinations and events, together with ESG advisory, training, and custom sustainability software. Its methodology was developed through the Australian Government Sustainable Tourism Co-operative Research Centre and is reviewed annually against international greenhouse gas protocols and responsible tourism standards, with verification through independent third-party auditors.
Is EarthCheck a public or private company?
EarthCheck is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was EarthCheck founded?
EarthCheck was founded in 1994. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is EarthCheck based?
EarthCheck is headquartered in South Brisbane, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does EarthCheck make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Certification Services are the primary driver. The others are advisory Services, training Programs and custom Software.
Who are EarthCheck's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Green Key Global, Biosphere Sustainable, Travelife and Green Globe Certification. Others are Verra (Verified Carbon Standard) and South Pole Group. Broad incumbents are B Lab (B Corporation) and BREEAM (BRE Group). Emerging players are Preferred by Nature and Climate Neutral.
Does EarthCheck have an API?
No public API is recorded for EarthCheck.
What industry is EarthCheck in?
EarthCheck's product category is Sustainability Certification & Advisory for Tourism. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAAANAA, Eco-Certification, Auditing & Standards (Green Lodging, Tour Operator Certification), with a secondary code of THAAANAB, Carbon Footprint Measurement, Reporting & Management (Travel Emissions Accounting). Its SIC code is 8731.