Standards have existed since the beginning of recorded history and exist everywhere in the world around us. Standards often reflect humans’ desire to harmonize activities with important changes in the environment. Various civilizations have created commonplace “things” that really are “standards” including calendars, weights and measurements. Standards ensure desirable characteristics of products and services such as quality, environmental friendliness, safety, reliability, efficiency and interchangeability exist. Others standards are created in response to the needs of an increasingly complex society. For example, the use of standards in products as far ranging as railroad gauge to financial transactions allowed commerce to flourish. Thus, standards represent a coordinating mechanism in society. Standards can be either voluntary or mandatory and emerge either through market mechanisms or through agreements within standards bodies (Bunduchi, Gerst, Graham, Pollock, Procter & Voß, 2004). Standards, like eco labels or eco certifications, are considered a Voluntary Non-Regulatory Initiative (VNRI).
How Hotels Should Respond to Sustainability Standards
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