The European Union is introducing a new wave of sustainability requirements that will reshape the hotel industry starting 2026. These regulations aim to boost transparency, curb greenwashing, and standardize how hotels measure and communicate their environmental impact.

• Standardized environmental footprint measurement for hotel services (life-cycle based, PEFCR framework)
• Tighter rules on sustainability and carbon claims, requiring data, third-party verification, and real emissions reduction (not offset-only declarations)
• Stronger transparency and reporting requirements, especially under CSRD
• Prohibition of vague or unsubstantiated environmental marketing

Now is the time to prepare, measure, validate, and transform.

Hotels should begin preparing now by building a solid sustainability foundation. This means auditing and verifying all environmental claims, avoiding vague terms unless they can be proven. Key metric shall be measured such as energy, water, waste, and emissions per guest-night, adopt recognized third-party certifications instead of self-created labels, and align reporting with CSRD requirements if applicable. It’s equally important to monitor the upcoming PEFCR methodology for calculating hotel environmental footprint and ensure that sustainability messaging, from marketing materials to booking pages, can withstand a “show the data” test.