The Green Key is an eco-label for tourism facilities that aims to contribute to prevention of climate change and sustainable tourism by awarding and promoting good initiatives. The Green Key aims to change the practices and behaviours of tourism actors including enterprises, authorities, guests, local communities, and to involve them in increasing their responsibility towards their own environment.
The Green Key programme started in 1994 in Denmark and was in 2002 adopted by the FEE to become the fifth international programme. It has since spread to 12 countries and continues to grow.
International and National Criteria
The Green Key criteria consist of a number of standardized international criteria, which are mandatory in each country, and more specialized national criteria, adjusted to national legislation, infrastructure and culture. The criteria focus on environmental management, technical demands, and the involvement of guests, staff, and suppliers. The award is voluntarily applied for and granted for one year at a time, during which control visits are made to check that certain standards are upheld and that all criteria are met.
The criteria have been designed so as to be easily understood by tourists, feasible for the tourism industry, and clearly verifiable through control checks. Some of the fields covered are: Water, Waste, Energy, Involvement and Awareness of Guests, Environmental Management, Staff Involvement, Use of Chemicals, Open Spaces, and Food and Beverages.
Different sets of international criteria have also been developed for different categories of tourism facilities, including hotels, camp sites, hostels, conference centres and holiday centres.
Benefits of the Programme
Benefits for involved tourism businesses include cost savings on water, energy and waste, a better environmental image, marketing advantages and a better environment for guests and staff. The Green Key is also acts as a management tool, and many consider this a major advantage of the scheme.
Each country involved in the Programme will have a National Operator. An international website has been created as a tool for National Operators, applicant companies and the public. International meetings will take place regularly to answer National Operators’ questions and needs, and also to assure international coherence and standards among each Green Key member.
For more information about this programme please go to our website at: www.green-key.org.
About Green Key
