Was ist Garda Green

Preliminary analysis service of a company's parameters and procedures to identify its level of environmental, social, and economic sustainability according to current legal regulations. The audit definition does not obligate subscription to the Garda Green protocol and can still be used to define a baseline or "zero point" for a company that intends to reduce its ecological footprint by following other protocols or regulations (ISO - GSTC - Legambiente Tourism).

Benefits:

• Competitive investment: €550 + VAT (compared to a market average of €2,500).
• Access to the Garda Green web app: simplified collection and storage of documents useful for sustainability.
• Operational support: assistance from Garda Green staff, both on-site and remotely.

Final audit:
• Clear outline of requirements already met according to the Garda Green protocol.
• Indication of requirements also satisfied for third-party certifications (e.g., Legambiente Tourism, GSTC).

At the beginning of the season, typically between March and April, on-site training is planned for owners, department heads, and employees. Topics cover environmental sustainability and correct procedures to follow to comply with the Garda Green protocol, such as proper waste management, consumption monitoring, and communication to guests about the good practices adopted by the facility. Depending on the department, the procedures explained and/or reviewed will be different.

Benefits:

• Trained and competent staff on sustainability principles according to the Garda Green protocol.

Training at the start of the season:
⁃ Ensures organization and integration of procedures into daily routines.
⁃ Allows identification and resolution of issues with the support of Garda Green staff, without the pressure of the high season.

Daily assistance (Mon-Fri) to accommodation staff in correctly carrying out daily procedures related to environmental sustainability and support for owners or managers and their professionals during supervision and control phases.

Benefits:

• Guaranteed remote assistance: 1 hour per week for project support and related activities.
• Daily operational optimization in sustainability areas.
• Documentary support for grants, certifications, permits, and verifications.
• Supervision and control of supplies and energy consumption.

Within Garda Green, there is a group of professional figures, each competent in a specific sustainability topic, whom structures adhering to the project can refer to for technical advice, services, or specific needs. The areas of expertise of the technical commission include categories such as: green energy and sustainable mobility, cleaning products, energy efficiency, food waste, digitalization and data collection, etc.

Benefits:

• Team of professionals and experts available to companies and their technicians.
• Competent technical assistance to avoid errors, save time and costs.
• Support always updated on market news and opportunities.
• Consultation free from purchase constraints, accessible at any time.

Once a facility joins Garda Green, it is provided with tools (customized and standard) that can be used to communicate sustainability to guests:
• Garda Green Card: a link is sent to arriving guests with the pre-stay email system where they can download and activate the card. Inside, they will find a series of low-impact experiences and services in the area.
• Tourist Handbook: a flyer/PDF with practical advice for guests on how to behave inside and outside the facility to help the environment.
• Facility's Environmental Policy: customized for each facility, describing the requirements of the environment section of the protocol (the one that provides the score) that the facility meets.
• Sustainability Questionnaire: if not already present, a questionnaire with questions specifically related to the sustainability aspects of the facility is provided. It can be used in full or in part if integrated into an existing hotel/campsite questionnaire.
• Check-out Certificate: at the time of guest departure, the Reception app can generate this certificate that communicates to the guest their CO2 savings during their stay.

Benefits
• Tools and procedures for tourist engagement:
⁃ Pre-stay (before the stay)
⁃ In-stay (during the stay)
⁃ Post-stay (after the stay)
• Active involvement of tourists in respecting the environment and reducing environmental impact.
• Awareness towards the territory, local community, and services offered.
• Tools recognized by certification bodies, communicating the facility's sustainable commitment.

Once the protocol is signed, a customized page about the facility is published on the Garda Green website. They are provided with a plaque to hang outside the facility. Once a year, the EIR (Environmental Impact Reduction) is prepared, a PDF that communicates the estimated annual environmental impact reduction of the facility, related to how many times around the earth by car that amount of CO2 corresponds to.

Benefits
• Clear and transparent communication to clients and stakeholders.
• Requalification of the company image according to sustainability principles.
• Repositioning of the tourism offer with a sustainable approach.
• Deseasonalization of the offer and greater attraction outside the season.
• Ready-to-use or adaptable communication material for the marketing team.

Annual report prepared by Garda Green for each facility that summarizes all the data and factors that Garda Green monitors and detects, which contribute to CO2 emissions. The data is then processed using conversion coefficients to obtain a comparable result with the same unit of measurement, which will then be correlated with the number of guests, arriving at an estimate of the CO2 emitted per person (guest) during the year.

Benefits
• Single processing of environmental data valid for certifications beyond the Garda Green protocol.
• One reprocessing for different objectives: GSTC, Legambiente Tourism, ISO 14001, ISO 14064-7-8.
• Simple and complete interface with all emissions produced and monitored.
• Reusable data for obtaining or maintaining third-party certifications.
• Annual history to compare data over time and evaluate improvements in environmental impact.

The data monitoring center is hardware that is installed (normally in the technical rooms of the facility) capable of monitoring a series of environmental data through the installation of sensors. It can be integrated with various systems and different software.

Benefits
• Automatic collection and monitoring of environmental data.
• Time and human resource savings thanks to automation.
• Control and supervision of energy and water supplies.
• Monitoring of energy production.

Greater efficiency:
⁃ Accurate and precise data to identify faults or leaks.
⁃ Analysis of trends to optimize consumption.
⁃ Improvement of business processes thanks to detailed historical data.

The Garda Green staff conducts careful non-profit selection aimed at identifying concrete actions by third-party entities in the Garda area that support social or cultural promotion initiatives. The Garda Green staff organizes initiatives related to environmental sustainability that respect international parameters in this regard, ensuring the widest possible participation, including third-party entities.

Benefits
• Economic or operational contribution to initiatives protecting Lake Garda and its social fabric.
• Feeling part of a community, with direct or indirect commitment.
• Concrete actions for preserving the territory and supporting local realities.
• Necessary campaigns (often mandatory) to obtain third-party certifications.

• Things to do: have a monthly and interactive summary (downloadable PDFs, email sending, etc.) with activities and updates scheduled for the following month. It's a tool that allows us to take stock of the situation and give precise and programmed inputs to facilities in a uniform way.
• Newspaper: a monthly edited press review that collects news related to sustainability on Lake Garda and "special" sections for technical advice.
• Newsletter: currently, the newsletter reprints articles written in the newspaper, but in the future, it could be structured as a call to action to join Garda Green (for example, listing 2 benefits, publishing a video of a facility on why it joined the project).
• Webinars: organized both with external figures if there are topics or opportunities that may interest facilities, and for technical or tourist in-depth studies related to the Garda Green project.

Benefits
• 1 monthly informative newsletter on news and updates.
• 1 monthly operational newsletter with opportunities and concrete actions.
• 1 weekly email for verification and control of environmental parameters.
• 1 newspaper dedicated to news about the Lake Garda system.

Constant institutional communication:
⁃ To stay updated on opportunities.
⁃ To correctly follow the steps of the network project.
⁃ To have a monthly summary of activities and news.

Garda Green is the Product Club, also recognized by the Veneto Region, that gathers and welcomes Lake Garda facilities that share and respect environmental sustainability criteria. It's the place where modern entrepreneurs who care about their territory meet and discuss solutions to common problems regarding sustainability, promotion of the territory, and their offer in terms of deseasonalization.

Benefits
• Exchange and collaboration with other Garda entrepreneurs.
• Integrated promotion of one's offer within the project.
• Active participation in defining project objectives and dynamics.
• Networking opportunities among hoteliers: getting to know each other, comparing notes, and networking.
• Periodic meetings (1-2 times a year) to update, discuss common issues, and grow together.

The website and Reception app are integrated with Deskline, the official platform of the Region for tourism promotion and marketing, a sort of regional "Booking" that allows the management and visibility of offers in a B2C approach.

Additionally, Garda Green has developed structured tourism packages, complete with thematic itineraries, prices, and organizational details, designed to enhance the territory and facilitate the sale of authentic experiences. The packages are divided by theme (e.g., nature, culture, food and wine, sports), to respond in a targeted way to the interests of different visitor targets.

Benefits
• Digitalization and deseasonalization of the tourism offer.
• Requalification of the proposal in a smart & green approach.
• Promotion of the facility through Deskline, the regional platform.
• Ready-made and purchasable vacation packages, organized for immediate sale.