Selva Verde Lodge and Rainforest Reserve was awarded four out of five leafs from Costa Rica’s Certificate for Sustainable Travel (CST). The lodge has moved up in the rankings, initially being awarded three leafs. Selva Verde is proud to carry and support Costa Rica's CST standards of excellence as it works to continually strive to minimize its impact on the environment.

Costa Rica has been at the forefront of this global movement for more sustainable travel attracting conscientious consumers, and the country continues to strive to develop sustainable initiatives.
The Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST) program was established by the Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT) in 1999 to provide guidelines for hotel properties and service providers to build their business model based on the best sustainable tourism practices including the management and impact of the natural, cultural and social resources of the country.

Today, the CST program is recognized by the United Nations World Tourism Organization as the model for sustainable tourism practices in Latin America. The CST program currently has 178 hotels, 58 tour operators and four rental car companies throughout the country.

The certification system awards organizations “leaves” on a scale of one to five based on their sustainability achievements. The CST bases its judgments on four main criteria:

• Biological-physical: How does the property impact and/or protect its surrounding environment?
• Services and Infrastructure: How do the property’s operations (including product use and disposal, water and energy management, etc.) affect the environment?
• Social-Economic environment: What impact does the property have on nearby communities to promote or provide education to its staff and community and to work with community service providers?
• External client: How does the property promote and teach responsible tourism?

By supporting organizations that are CST certified, people know where their money is being spent and are showing support for fair, honest and sustainable business practices. Visit selvaverde.com for more information.