2025 was a year for continuation and growth. We continued not to step foot on planes when traveling around the EU. We held our company retreat close to home, and in our cozy Munich office. We expanded our team. We expanded our client base. We worked closely with our partners. We supported our educational charities. We explored how to work with AI while attempting to find a balance with sustainability. We republished the Sustainable Hotel Handbook: Communications Guide to adhere to the new EU greenwashing.
Implementing Our Goals – from No EU Flights to Supporting NGOs
We can celebrate the fact that we were able to successfully implement four of our goals – no EU flights, continuation of our volunteer program, support for NGOs, adding new clients and partnerships. Moreover, we made progress on two others – compliance with EU accessibility for Rupp and our clients and providing clients with support for their supply chains and sustainability reports. We worked hard in 2025 and we are proud of our goals, our initiatives, and our actions.
One difference from 2024, is that our emissions went up this year. This was due to the organization and execution of a press trip for our client Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape.
„I’ll be honest: I went back and forth on the Bali press trip,” says Natascha, Rupp’s Founder and Managing Director. “The flight emissions for that press trip sat uncomfortably against everything we preach about staying grounded in the EU.”
“But being there, seeing Buahan, a Banyan Tree firsthand, let us tell that story properly,” she continues. “It lets us do our job well for the client. If that coverage nudges just a handful of travelers to choose a hotel like Buahan over one that’s cutting corners on sustainability, the impact of that choice outweighs the flight. It’s not a clean equation, and I don’t pretend it is. But it’s the one we made, and that CO2 emissions trade-off was worth making.”
Despite the increase in admissions, we continued to offset our CO2 and take responsibility for our impact on the environment.
We are so proud of our 2025 achievements and can’t wait to see what 2026 will bring. Our dedication to paving a more sustainable way for our business is at the core of everything we do. While we know we aren’t perfect, we are working hard to reach our goals and give back to our wonderful planet and the people that inhabit it. We hope that our “S-Word” report can act as a motivation for you to take responsibility for your own impact on our world because, as always, every action matters.
For the Planet
This year we were able to continue our goal to have zero business flights within the European Union. While taking the train isn’t always easy – nor is it as affordable – we did not compromise once on our no flights policy within the European continent. In fact, we’ve learned to love train travel, taking it as an opportunity to slow down, relax, and get a little work down as we watch the countryside fly by.
We also decided to stay local for our annual company retreat. We were able to enjoy our new office space, while exploring the city that we call home. Not only did it allow us to take advantage of the office, but playing tourist in your own city teaches you a lot about your own history, culture, and local community.
Unfortunately, our emissions went up this year due to the press trip we organized for our client, Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape located in Bali. This required us to book a flight to the island which we have offset in full.
Ultimately, we offset a total of 7,109.43 kg of CO2 emissions for 2025 – something that we hope shows our dedication to minimizing our impact on the environment. For more information on how we calculate our carbon emissions head to page 6 of the report.
For People
In 2025 we continued our support for Eunoia e.V., an NGO that is dedicated to helping children and their education. Our aid went to three separate communities in three countries. Firstly, we kept it local by hosting a Christmas event at our Munich office to raise money for the Movement Box project which helps children from immigrant families.
Secondly, we supported the Goal50 ECD Centre in South Africa with their initiative for a new school playground. Thirdly, we provided the costs for teacher salaries in Siem Reap, Cambodia to ensure access to education for the children.
Some of our smaller projects included:
- Natascha’s, our managing director, compilation of carbon literacy training with Tomorrow’s Air.
- Our compliance with the EU’s Accessibility Act which we worked on for both ourselves and our clients.
Finally, our team grew by one this year as we welcomed Sainey who brings over 25 years of industry experience and sustainability knowledge.
For Profit
With the new EU Anti-Greenwashing Directive rolling out, we republished our Sustainable Hotel Handbook: Communication guide together with MAp Boutique Consultancy, who we’ve continued our partnership with. Our new version provides hospitality brands with deeper guidance on EU regulations and greenwashing avoidance.
Alongside this, we create the Anti-Greenwashing Checklist which provides a comprehensive view of the directive and what brands can and can’t say.
We were also thrilled to add a new sustainable client to our portfolio, Camping Mistral. We handled all of their media relations, designed their press kit, and built up their visibility which culminated in a feature about the opening of the camp ground in Travel + Leisure (US).
Looking Ahead
We are extremely proud of our accomplishments in 2025 but we know this is only a sliver of what we hope to achieve when it comes to giving back to our planet and our people. We already have our goals set for 2026 and we are in the middle of working towards them.
2026 will focus on three main achievements:
- Website Migration – We will move our website to a certified carbon-neutral host.
- Education Initiatives – We will continue our support for our NGOs and contribute to children’s education.
- Compliance with EU Standards of Accessibility – We will ensure that both our company and our clients comply with the new EU accessibility standards.
That’s a wrap on 2025, we can’t wait to see how far we come in 2026! If this inspires you to create your own sustainability, don’t hesitate to reach out for guidance and support.
