UN Tourism and the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance have launched an environmental, social and governance (ESG) framework for the sector.

The ESG Framework for Tourism Businesses was developed by UN Tourism and the University of Oxford SDG Impact Lab.

It aims to help enterprises in the sector consistently and reliably measure and report their sustainability efforts. UN Tourism will collaborate with the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance in testing and refining the framework, its indicators and tools while promoting stakeholder engagement.

“The ESG Framework for Tourism Businesses is set to transform the tourism sector by establishing harmonised and essential standards for companies to assess and report their sustainability efforts. The collaboration between UN Tourism and the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance highlights how commitment and strategic partnerships can drive alignment and significant ESG progress,” said Zoritsa Urosevic, Executive Director of UN Tourism.

The partnership addresses growing pressure on tourism businesses to disclose ESG actions. Rooted in the UN-endorsed Statistical Framework for Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism, the ESG framework aims to align private and public sector data. Additionally, the alliance’s Net Positive Hospitality Pathway seeks to standardise metrics, develop key performance indicators and streamline reporting in the hospitality industry.

“This partnership not only underscores our commitment to sustainability but also highlights the collective power of our industry to drive meaningful change. By establishing standardised metrics and fostering greater alignment between the private and public sectors, we are paving the way for a more sustainable and resilient future for tourism worldwide,” said Glenn Mandziuk, CEO of the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance.