Scope 1
Direct emissions
Fuel burned in property-owned or controlled equipment and vehicles, generators, gas use and applicable refrigerant losses.
Verified Impact methodology
The method behind the measure.
Verified Impact turns operational information from tourism properties into a consistent greenhouse-gas inventory, a per-bed-night emissions figure and three clear public indicators.
The method is designed to make results useful without hiding the quality of the evidence, the context behind the number or the limitations of comparison.
What the method is designed to do.
Evidence-led
Results should be supported by the strongest operational evidence reasonably available.
Comparable
A common calculation method and reporting unit are applied across participating properties.
Context-aware
Location, grid supply, remoteness, property type and operating model affect performance and must be considered when interpreting results.
Transparent
Data limitations, assumptions and changes to the assessment are recorded rather than hidden.
Improvable
A first assessment establishes a baseline. Better evidence and operational changes should improve future reporting.
What is measured
Building the property inventory.
Each assessment establishes an operational reporting boundary for the property and records emissions across the greenhouse-gas scopes that apply to its activities.
Scope 2
Purchased energy
Emissions associated with purchased electricity used by the property.
Scope 3
Relevant indirect emissions
Relevant upstream and operational sources such as purchased goods, deliveries, waste, outsourced transport, business travel and staff commuting where these fall within the agreed assessment boundary.
The applicable sources differ between properties. A category is included because it is relevant to the operation—not merely because another property reports it.
From activity data to carbon intensity.
Step 01
Collect
The property supplies operational activity data such as electricity consumption, litres of fuel, refrigerant use, transport distances, waste quantities and bed nights.
Step 02
Apply
Activity data is multiplied by the relevant approved emission factor.
Step 03
Consolidate
Calculated emissions are grouped into Scope 1, Scope 2 and relevant Scope 3, then combined into the gross operational inventory.
Step 04
Normalise
Gross operational emissions are divided by occupied bed nights to make properties of different sizes more meaningfully comparable.
Activity data × emission factor = CO2e
Gross tCO2e ÷ bed nights × 1,000
= kg CO2e per bed night
A bed night represents one occupied guest bed for one night. It is used as the common intensity unit across the current property registry.
Using a consistent calculation basis.
Verified Impact uses an approved emissions-factor library appropriate to the reporting period and activity being assessed. The current portfolio analysis uses recognised government conversion factors together with relevant grid-specific or supplier-specific factors where appropriate.
Where the factor library is updated, the methodology version is recorded. Historical results may be recalculated when this is necessary to preserve a meaningful comparison.
- 01
Verified supplier-specific factor, where suitable
- 02
Relevant country or grid-specific factor
- 03
Approved standard conversion factor
- 04
Documented assumption where stronger evidence is unavailable
Gross impact and positive action are kept separate.
Gross operational emissions
The greenhouse gases associated with operating the property within the agreed reporting boundary.
Avoided emissions and positive action
Benefits associated with measures such as renewable energy, recycling, composting or other interventions may be reported separately where they can be supported.
Avoided emissions, offsets and estimated carbon sequestration are not automatically deducted from the gross operational inventory. Keeping them separate prevents a positive initiative from obscuring the emissions that still occurred.
Pillar 01
Data Quality
Not every tonne in an inventory is supported by the same kind of evidence. Verified Impact assigns an evidence maturity level to each emissions line and weights that level by its contribution to the total inventory.
Excellent
Score 4Direct primary evidence such as meter readings, invoices, delivery records, supplier statements or a service provider’s reported final emissions figure. No allocation or assumption is required.
Good
Score 3Calculated from primary evidence using a stated and confirmed conversion.
Acceptable
Score 2A reasonable, documented allocation or assumption is used where direct measurement is unavailable.
Uncertain
Score 1The result depends on extrapolation, limited records or a thin evidence chain.
The property’s overall evidence maturity score is emissions-weighted. Evidence supporting the largest emissions sources therefore has the greatest influence on the result.
Sum of
evidence score × associated emissions
÷ total assessed emissions
Public classification
High
3.00–4.00
Medium
2.00–2.99
Low
Below 2.00
Data Quality describes confidence in the supporting evidence. It does not indicate whether the property’s emissions are high or low.
Pillar 02
Benchmark
Benchmarking places a property’s carbon intensity in context. A lower kg CO₂e per bed night figure represents lower operational emissions intensity within the current comparison population.
- 01
Use the latest eligible assessment for each property.
- 02
Use the common kg CO₂e per bed night intensity measure.
- 03
Exclude records that are incomplete, anomalous or not sufficiently resolved for comparison.
- 04
Calculate the median of the included comparison population.
Below peer median
The property’s emissions intensity is lower than the median of the included comparison population.
Above peer median
The property’s emissions intensity is higher than the median of the included comparison population.
“Below” and “above” describe the property’s position relative to the median—they are not certification grades. Property type, geography, electricity supply, accessibility and operating model remain important when interpreting the result. Lower emissions intensity is the favourable direction.
Pillar 03
Trajectory
Trajectory shows the direction of change once two sufficiently comparable reporting periods are available.
Baseline
Only one comparable reporting period is currently available. The result establishes the property’s reference year.
Down
The latest comparable kg CO₂e per bed night figure is lower than the previous period.
Up
The latest comparable kg CO₂e per bed night figure is higher than the previous period.
(Current intensity − previous intensity)
÷ previous intensity × 100
A direction is only shown where the periods are sufficiently comparable. Material boundary or methodology changes should be disclosed and may require an earlier result to be recalculated.
Review, correction and version control.
Property input
Operational information and supporting records are supplied by the participating property.
Technical review
ETC Africa reviews evidence, applies the agreed boundary and calculation method, and records assumptions or outstanding limitations.
Consistency check
The assessment is checked against the common portfolio schema, approved emission factors and benchmark eligibility rules.
Correction
Where stronger source evidence becomes available, a verified value may replace an earlier estimate or outdated record.
Version control
Material calculation changes, factor updates and corrections are recorded. Public results should reflect the latest approved assessment version.
Transparency includes correcting a result when better evidence becomes available. A revised figure is not treated as a failure—it is part of maintaining a credible dataset.
Read the result for what it is.
- It is an operational property greenhouse-gas assessment.
- It is not a full life-cycle assessment of the guest’s entire journey.
- It does not include the traveller’s international flights unless explicitly within the agreed property boundary.
- It is not a carbon-neutrality or net-zero claim.
- It does not automatically deduct offsets, carbon sinks or avoided emissions.
- It should not be interpreted without considering the property’s operational context.
- It is an assessment rather than a certification or star-rating system.
Who is responsible for the method?
ETC Africa — Technical assessment
Responsible for the inventory method, technical review, calculation consistency, evidence assessment and benchmark dataset.
Eco Travel Foundation — Programme home
Responsible for the public Verified Impact platform, property registry, programme communication and participation framework.
The original programme was catalysed through the kimkim Climate Action Pilot, with implementation support from the Wilderness Leadership School and commercial participation support from Eco-Travel Boutique.
Measured. Benchmarked. Improving.
See the methodology in practice.
Explore the participating properties and see how Data Quality, Benchmark and Trajectory turn operational information into a clearer account of progress.