Carbon Calculator Pilot

The Northern Ireland Climate Change Act (NI) 2022 sets legally binding targets of 48% carbon reduction by 2030 and Net Zero by 2050.  
Calculating a business’ carbon footprint can appear challenging and complex at first.  To this end, Tourism NI is working in conjunction with world-leading certification consultancy EarthCheck to roll out a sector specific Carbon Calculator, created with tourism and hospitality businesses in mind. 

Sustainability is both a priority for businesses and increasingly so for visitors. Tourism NI’s Consumer Sentiment surveys indicate that more than two thirds of travellers from Northern Ireland and ROI are prioritising sustainability when choosing destinations.  

As visitors increasingly prioritise sustainability, tourism businesses that demonstrate environmental leadership can gain a competitive edge. From a practical perspective however, energy is one of the largest costs that most tourism businesses face.  

A carbon calculator is therefore a practical tool to help businesses measure, manage, and reduce their carbon footprint while unlocking financial, operational, and marketing benefits. 

Tourism NI seeks up to 10 tourism businesses to participate in this pilot initiative over a period of up to 12 months. 

Business Benefits 

1. Be Learner and Greener 

Using a carbon calculator doesn’t just measure emissions, it can identify inefficiencies that cost money. By tracking energy, waste, transport, and water usage, businesses can pinpoint opportunities to lower utility and fuel bills, reduce waste disposal costs and ultimately reduce emissions. 

2. Future-Proof your Business  

Climate regulation is increasing across the UK and EU, and travel buyers regularly request carbon data from the businesses they work with. By adopting a carbon calculator now, your business can be prepared for emerging reporting, compliance and pitching requirements of tour operators, hospitality groups, and corporate clients.   

3. Support Local, Sustainable Growth  

When tourism businesses measure and reduce emissions, the entire region benefits. Using a carbon calculator will help protect Northern Ireland’s unique natural assets and strengthen its appeal as a world-class sustainable destination. 

What Outcomes can you expect? 

For businesses participating 

• You will have greater capacity to take action to reduce carbon footprint and become more sustainable,
• You will be managing operating costs more efficiently, leading to more profitability. 

For the tourism industry in NI 

• It will help to embed good practice across the tourism industry, 
• It will strengthen our appeal as a world-class sustainable destination, 
• It will contribute towards a range of strategic Climate goals and actions across a number of Government departments.  

What the Programme involves 

• The Carbon Calculator Pilot will provide targeted support for a cohort of tourism businesses to access a sector specific Carbon Calculator. 
• The overall Programme Objective is to support the calculation of a business’ carbon footprint, by establishing a baseline year and then supporting ongoing tracking and benchmarking.  
• Full training on onboarding and data entry will be provided as well as a useful Calculator Guide to support work on the project.  
• Businesses will onboard to the Earthcheck Carbon Calculator platform.  
• As this is a pilot, businesses will be required to critically review and provide feedback on the progress to support future refinement.  

Selection Criteria 

As a business participating in this pilot initiative, you will be required to play an active role and commit an appropriate resource who has authority/responsibility for this business area.  

Programme dates are detailed below so please ensure that you or your representative has availability on these dates before considering expressing your interest. 

If you believe you meet the criteria, please complete the following Expression of Interest Form. Click here.

Please note that EOIs must be returned no later than 05/01/2016. 

If you have any queries regarding eligibility, please contact industry.development@tourismni.com 

Eligibility Criteria 

• Be a tourism business located in Northern Ireland 
• Have a current sustainability policy or action plan in place (evidence required)
• Have a minimum of 1 year of operational data on energy, water, and waste management to input into the Calculator. Note that this data should ideally be from 2022 onwards to establish a baseline year. Priority may be given to businesses with additional year’s data.  

For those businesses that do not meet all of the criteria above, consideration will be given if they have participated in any other Sustainable Tourism programmes such as Tourism NI’s Sustainable Tourism Business Programme, Invest NI supports, Carbon Trust or hold a third-party Sustainable accreditation.  

Programme Timetable 

Group 1 – Hotels/ Accommodation 

Introductory Session Online:      09:00-10:00am Wednesday 14th January  

Session overview: This workshop will focus on introducing the programme and use of the carbon calculator.  The online group workshop will introduce the programme and the benefits for tourism businesses. In addition to introducing key terminology on emissions reduction and related issues on energy and water usage and waste reduction, the session will focus on use of the calculator – key data inputs, identifying common issues with gathering data, and tips for making the most of the support tools available to businesses. 

The workshop is suitable for tourism operators with varying levels of experience on emissions reduction and measuring energy consumption.  At the end of the workshop, businesses should feel confident to start using the calculator. 

Group Mentoring Session Online:     09:00-11:00am Wednesday 28th January 

Session overview: This workshop will focus on troubleshooting any common issues experienced in using the calculator and on building an understanding what the data means for tourism businesses.  The online group workshop will provide practical solutions to common problems businesses have had in gathering data and using the calculator.  With data entered into the calculators, this workshop provides the opportunity to discuss key issues for businesses, understand emerging patterns of energy and water usage, and identify potential actions that businesses can take. 

The workshop is suitable for tourism operators with varying levels of experience on emissions reduction and measuring energy consumption.  At the end of the workshop, businesses should feel better equipped in understanding their resource usage and the resulting implications for their carbon footprint. 

Follow Up 1:1 Sessions:   

February/March 2026 

2 x 1 hour one to one support sessions with a mentor if required/requested. 

Group 2 – Tourist attractions/experiences 

Introductory Session Online:  09:00-10:00am Thursday 15th January 

Session Content: This workshop will focus on introducing the programme and use of the carbon calculator.  The online group workshop will introduce the programme and the benefits for tourism businesses. In addition to introducing key terminology on emissions reduction and related issues on energy and water usage and waste reduction, the session will focus on use of the calculator – key data inputs, identifying common issues with gathering data, and tips for making the most of the support tools available to businesses. 

The workshop is suitable for tourism operators with varying levels of experience on emissions reduction and measuring energy consumption.  At the end of the workshop, businesses should feel confident to start using the calculator. 

Mentoring Session Online:      09:00-11:00am Thursday 29th January 

Session Content: This workshop will focus on troubleshooting any common issues experienced in using the calculator and on building an understanding what the data means for tourism businesses. The online group workshop will provide practical solutions to common problems businesses have had in gathering data and using the calculator.  With data entered into the calculators, this workshop provides the opportunity to discuss key issues for businesses, understand emerging patterns of energy and water usage, and identify potential actions that businesses can take. 

The workshop is suitable for tourism operators with varying levels of experience on emissions reduction and measuring energy consumption.  At the end of the workshop, businesses should feel better equipped in understanding their resource usage and the resulting implications for their carbon footprint. 

Follow Up 1:1 Sessions:   

February/March 2026 

2 x 1 hour one to one support sessions with a mentor if required/requested.