Simplifying Sustainability Management and reporting
- WEEVA MD , JULIE CHEETHAM -
Julie Cheetham , co-founder and Managing Director of sustainability tech tool Weeva , and Head of Sustainability at Nianova Advisors , was recently voted Change Maker of the Year at the Regenerative Travel Impact Awards 2023 , hosted alongside Climate Week in New York .
The Impact Award coincided beautifully with Weeva ’ s first anniversary since its official launch in the tourism industry , celebrated on the annual UN World Tourism Day on 27 September .
Weeva , a pioneering Software-as-a-Service platform , provides travel businesses with affordable , datadriven sustainability practices that catalyse profound change . Weeva has secured some strategic partnerships with like-minded , driven purpose associations including the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance , The Long Run , Preferred by Nature , The ATTA ®, Small Luxury Hotels , Design Hotels , The Conscious Travel Foundation and Regenerative Travel to drive resilience and sustainability in the industry through collaboration .
Weeva ’ s vision was to democratise sustainability - making it affordable and accessible for all . The tourism industry employs around 10 % of the world but is also responsible for a significant portion of its carbon emissions , so we need to all be working together to do our bit to ensure tourism remains , overall , a force for good .
Weeva is not an accreditation or stamp . It ’ s a data management tool which combines some of the motivational features of a Fitbit with those of accounting software to show an accurate , real-time picture of your business ’ s operational health - from the internal diversity and staff engagement of your team to the impact of your social and conservation projects on rural communities and biodiversity . It highlights where changes need to be made to improve efficiency and save vital resources and costs .
Created during the pandemic , Weeva has been built by the tourism industry , for the tourism industry . Weeva ’ s 360 ° framework was modelled on The Long Run ’ s 4Cs , namely Conservation , Community , Culture , and Commerce , a well-established foundation for sustainable change .
Within the 4Cs are Weeva ’ s parameters – 18 interconnected areas that need to be managed holistically for a business to be sustainable and resilient . This diversity of parameters provides users with a more nuanced marker for impact that goes far beyond the myopic focus on carbon emissions which misses other key aspects of sustainable operations .
Weeva works to shift behaviour in four steps :
• Learn about the topic ,
• Measure and upload data ,
“ Sustainable tourism is more than just a buzzword . It is a responsibility to support claims through data , to report honestly , and to keep improving ”.
- Julie Cheetham
• Manage to see changes and set targets , then
• Meet and Exceed to continuously improve .
Weeva is the “ sus-tech ” the tourism industry has been waiting for to operate in a more responsible , transparent way for the good of people , planet and profit - the so-called “ triple bottom line ”. It is also an invaluable central repository to collate and report data for certification bodies such as B-Corp and GSTC - or simply to provide impact statements for tour operators and suppliers .
Hotels , lodges and resorts can sign up for a free 21-day trial on www . weeva . earth
No obligation , no payment or credit card needed .
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