Our Programme
Green Key is a sustainability certification programme for tourism establishments.
The Green Key certificate recognises tourism establishments that have been assessed against Green Key’s published criteria stipulated by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and covering environmental performance, social responsibility.
Guests at Green Key-certified establishments are encouraged to participate in practical measures during their stay, including actions relating to energy, water and waste. In this way, guests can support the establishment’s efforts to improve its environmental practices.
Continued conformity with the applicable criteria is assessed through documented evidence and regular audits under the Green Key certification process.
For a short introduction video to Green Key, click on the image below:
Educate
We place strong emphasis on informing and involving visitors in the measures implemented by certified establishments to improve their environmental, social, and operational practices in line with the applicable Green Key criteria.
Our programme also requires establishments to inform and train relevant staff on the scope of the Green Key programme and the operational practices required by the applicable criteria.
Innovate
Green Key is constantly searching for new methods intended to improve performance in areas covered by the programme, including energy, water and waste management. By using resources more efficiently, establishments can strengthen their environmental performance, streamline operations and potentially reduce operating costs.
Add value
Information about an establishment’s environmental practices are becoming more and more important to travellers when choosing their tourism services. Booking.com’s 2025 Travel & Sustainability Research found that travelling more sustainably remained important to 84% of surveyed travellers. The research covered 32,000 respondents across 34 countries and territories.
Green Key demonstrates an establishment’s commitment to continuous improvement in the areas covered by the programme’s criteria.
Promote
Green Key-certified establishments can communicate their current certification status to guests, business partners, online travel agencies and other booking platforms. Green Key also shares certification data with selected platforms, including Booking.com, enabling eligible establishments to be identified as third-party sustainability certified, subject to each platform’s policies and display practices. A current list of participating platforms is available here: Green Key — Web Partners.
Our aims
Green Key officially aims to:
Support continuous improvement in the areas covered by the Green Key criteria, including environmental management, energy, water, waste, social responsibility, staff engagement and sustainability education.
Encourage the efficient use of resources by promoting relevant operational practices and technologies in participating establishments.
Raise awareness, inform, and create behavioural changes in guests, staff and suppliers of individual tourism establishments.
Build knowledge and capacity through criteria, guidance, training and examples of good practice.
Promote wider improvement across the hospitality and tourism sector by encouraging credible certification, knowledge-sharing and the adoption of more responsible operational practices.
More information about Green Key
The Green Key Brochure is a short overview of the programme, its history, structure, and criteria, intended for establishments and partners interested in the programme.
Educational principles
The Foundation for Environmental Education, has agreed upon these eight Educational Principles to guide (pdf file) our work towards excellence in Environmental Education/Education for Sustainable Development. We express our commitment to follow and champion these Principles in our programmes.
Ensure that participants are engaged in the learning/teaching process
Empower participants to take informed decisions and actions on real life sustainability issues
Encourage participants to work together actively and involve their communities in collaborative solutions
Support participants to examine their assumptions, knowledge, and experiences, in order to develop critical thinking, and to be open to change
Encourage participants to be aware of cultural practices as an integral part of sustainability issues
Encourage participants to share inspirational stories of their achievements, failures, and values, to learn from them, and to support each other
Continuously explore, test, and share innovative approaches, methodologies, and techniques
Ensure that continuous improvements through monitoring and evaluation are central to our programmes
Green Key and the Sustainable Development Goals
Green Key has mapped elements of its programme against the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the UN. Please find enclosed a PDF file with information about how Green Key contributes to the SDGs in general (Green Key and Sustainable Development Goals 2015-2030) or click on the SDG logos below to find out how Green Key contributes to each of the 17 goals:
Important Notice
Green Key certification is awarded following an audit by a competent third party that is independent of both the establishment and the Green Key scheme owner. The audit assesses a representative sample of evidence to determine whether the establishment meets the applicable Green Key criteria at the time of assessment. The findings are subsequently reviewed, and the certification decision is made by an independent Certification Body.
During the certification period, the establishments accept full responsibility to ensure continued conformity with the Green Key requirements.
The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), its officers, members, or partners do not have any responsibility to any person in the event of non-conformities with the Green Key criteria in a certified establishment. FEE excludes liability for all such matters to the fullest extent permitted by law.