Announcing the global launching of NaturCert

May 22, 2008 - PRLog -- NaturCert, the global independent organisation which has developed the NaturCert Certification Program for the environment and society, is announcing its launching.

The NaturCert team is very pleased to announce the official launch of NaturCert after almost a year of research & development as well as intensive global networking.
"Our vision to become a globally leading organisation in sustainability standards development for certification is now underway, starting from implementing standards for the hospitality and tourism sector. We are more than pleased to see it has already attracted a lot of interest even before our official launch with requests from various countries, amongst which, Croatia, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey, UK, Finland and other. Our team is composed by excellent professionals bringing together experience and know-how from different sectors, resulting in a dynamic management team, able to meet the challenges for making our vision a reality" says Akis Laopodis, the Managing Partner of NaturCert.

The NaturCert Certification Program which consists of distinct categories of criteria that cover all aspects related to the operation of companies wishing to become certified, is presently the most up-to-date and holistic independent certification program globally. "Corporate social responsibility and environmental protection are two sides of the same coin and need to be incorporated jointly in standards and certification systems that are tailored for distinct industries and sectors of activities" says Liza Boura, the Operations Manager of NaturCert.

"We have established an internal and external monitoring procedure ensuring that our certification programme will remain the most advanced and efficient certification program in the long run, as we consider that hospitality and tourism companies will not risk to bind their brand with certification programs having a short life cycle, possibly affecting negatively their own brand." "Additionally, certification is awarded to companies not through self-assessment or virtual third party auditors, but by a credible third party auditing body which will be published for each country or region. Integrity and continuous improvement regarding responsible companies is a top priority for us, parallel to the integration of global hospitality and tourism trends generating added value." says Akis.

The people of NaturCert strongly believe that standardisation of best practices and of minimal requirements, along with certification of complying companies, will promote sustainability within industries, while at the same time, will allow consumers and civil society to recognise and choose suppliers that care for the environment and society after having been verified. Standardisation and consumers' ability to distinguish, is evolving in to a core stream towards sustainability, as it can very likely serve as a useful tool to promote it. "Believing strongly in bottom-up approaches and the importance of demand-side management, we also intend to work closely with civil society and consumers, who are powering the move towards more sustainable production and consumption patterns." says Liza.

NaturCert is registered in Athens, Greece under the E.E. form of incorporation and has offices in Brussels, Belgium and Athens, Greece.

For more information visit NaturCert global website www.naturcert.com or send an email at the following address: info@naturcert.com

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NaturCert is a global independent organisation which has developed the NaturCert Certification Program for the environment and society.

The NaturCert Certification Program standards assess the environmental and social performance of companies wishing to become certified and is the only certification program aiming to bring individuals as well as civil society stakeholders, closer to the businesses whose products and services they choose to purchase.