This step forms the core of the company culture. In order to qualify for TREE certification the company must: 1. Have completed and met 100% of the criteria in the SAPLING level during an audit . 2. Have met no less than 70% of the required TREE criteria in an audit. 3. Where any criteria that have not been met (no more than 30%) the company will address these shortfalls within a period 3 months of the audit date and show evidence that the shortfalls have been rectified. 4. Have no complaints made on the company by other certification bodies that are partners with RTTZ (these are: Travelife, any member of the Sustainable Tourism Certification Alliance Africa). 5. A company can remain on TREE level indefinitely , the company must have a verification audit every 2 years to ensure that their management continues to fulfill the required standards.