The GDS-Index is a destination-level programme that measures, benchmarks, and improves the sustainability strategy and performance of tourism and events destinations.
The GDS-Index is aligned with international standards; UN SDGs, GSTC Destination Criteria, UNWTO.
Click here to read more about the benchmarking methodology including data collection and verification, the four benchmarking categories, governance and criteria development and performance scoring methods.
This page highlights each destinations sustainability journey and will showcase their journey.
The 2023 GDS-Index comprises 69 indicators across four categories. Here is the total score and the score for the four categories for this destination.
Environmental
Social
Supplier
Destination Management Organisation
Environmental
Includes a city's performance pertaining to its policies and infrastructure, such as climate change commitment, carbon emissions, renewable energies, resource and water management, public transport, and air pollution levels.
Social
Indicates the performance of the city against indicators of SDG integration, Corruption, Personal Safety, Access to Information and Communications, Health and Wellness, and Inclusivity, using external sources such as the Social Progress Imperative Index, and Corruption Perceptions Index.
Supplier
Addresses the sustainability commitment and performance of the local meetings' industry supply chain, including airports, events agencies, hotels, venues, and restaurants.
Destination Management Organisation
Indicates the sustainability commitment, including questions pertaining to maturity of a destination's sustainability and regeneration strategy, leadership, communication of sustainability initiatives (to support client planners), and the accuracy of their reporting on sustainability operations.
In 2018, Copenhagen’s DMO, Wonderful Copenhagen launched its sustainability strategy ‘Tourism for Good’ with an ambition to ensure that tourism has a positive impact on local and global sustainable development. Contributing to the realisation of UN SDGs, the strategy consists of four focus areas: Broadening tourism, Tourism choices matter, Partnerships for good and Leading by example. The same year, the strategy won the ICCA Innovation Award. In the beginning of 2019, Wonderful Copenhagen became the first DMO to receive the Green Tourism Organization certification – a certification that focuses on supporting destinations and organisations that make an extra effort for sustainability.
Does Wonderful Copenhagen have a Sustainability Strategy?
Does Copenhagen have a sustainable destination certificate?
Does Wonderful Copenhagen report on its sustainability performance?
Copenhagen is known as one of the most environmentally friendly cities in the world aiming to become the world’s first carbon neutral capital city in 2025. As of September 2019, 72% of the city’s hotel rooms have a third-party sustainability certification, with many more rooms currently under construction expected to become certified at time of completion. Copenhagen is also known for its clean water in the harbors, inviting the locals to swim in the canals every summer. CNN, for instance, rated Copenhagen as the world’s best city for swimming in May 2018. Furthermore, Copenhagen received a score of 99.9 out of 100 in the Social Progress Index’s 2019 water & sanitation category and 95% of Copenhagen’s waste water receives centralized treatment. Just 4% of solid waste in Copenhagen is disposed of in landfills, while 66% of the city’s waste is recycled. 74% of the city’s electricity comes from sustainable sources, which helps limit the city’s emission of green house gasses to just 2.2 tonnes per capita (2017). Additionally, the city has low levels of particulate matter in the city’s air, at just 10 ug/m3 for PM2.5 and 20 ug/m3 for PM10.
OF ELECTRICITY
FROM RENEWABLES
OF WASTE
RECYCLED
HECTARES OF GREEN
AREA PER 100 000
POPULATION
Copenhagen is known as a sustainable MICE-destination, having hosted a number of high-profile events such as the first ever eco-certified political COP15 in 2009 and the most sustainable EU Presidency in 2012 (certified to ISO-20121). In addition, the city hosted the international climate summit, C40 World Mayors Summit in 2019, which brought together mayors and leaders from 90+ of the world’s most environmentally conscious cities. But it is not only events held in Copenhagen that have a sustainable focus. A majority of Copenhagen’s suppliers have placed sustainability at the forefront of their business. Thus, nearly 70 % of the hotel rooms in Copenhagen and 91% of the city’s venues are currently eco-certified with a 3rd party certification. As Copenhagen’s hotel capacity continues to grow, expecting to reach nearly 30,000 rooms in 2021, the aim is that 90 % of large hotel rooms will be eco-certified by then.
OF HOTEL ROOMS
SUSTAINABILITY
CERTIFIED
OF VENUES
SUSTAINABILITY
CERTIFIED
OF PCOS/DMCS
SUSTAINABILITY
CERTIFIED
Copenhagen is the capital of a country that is listed in the absolute top of several rankings. For instance, Denmark is ranked as the least corrupt country in the world accordingly to the transparency corruption perception index 2019 (tied for first place with New Zealand). Denmark has also managed to rank top 2 according to The World Happiness Report 2019, rank 2 in the Gender Inequality Index 2018 and is the number 1 most gay-friendly place on the planet according to Lonely Planet (2019). Additionally, Denmark is ranked as the most prosperous country according to the Legatum Prosperity Index 2019 and amongst the top 5 most peaceful countries according to the Global Peace Index 2019 (GPI). In Denmark we have high level of welfare and healthcare. For instance Danes don't pay for hospital or education, and even at university level, there is no tuition fee. In fact every Danish student receives around 900$ per month from the state.
The GDS-Movement is a pioneering, data-driven international change agency that acts to catalyse socio-economic and environmental transformation in cities and regions across the world. Our mission is to empower tourism and events professionals with the mindsets, skill sets, and toolsets to co-create more regenerative and resilient destinations to visit, meet, and live in.
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