Our History
The Green Key certificate for tourism facilities has been in existence for more than 30 years and has developed from a national initiative in Denmark to a certification programme involving more than 9,000 tourism establishments as of August 2026.
Below you can find some important dates in relation to the history of Green Key:
1994: Green Key launched in Denmark by HORESTA (Association of the hotel, restaurant and tourism industry in Denmark), the Danish Outdoor Council and the Association of Danish Tourism Executives.
1998: FEEE France created a Clef Verte programme based on the Danish Green Key programme.
2000: HORESTA exported the Green Key concept to Sweden, Estonia and Greenland.
2002: Green Key was formally approved as an international programme of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), and the Green Key programme was offered to all FEE member organisations for implementation.
2010: Green Key became eligible for hotels in international hotel chains, allowing Green Key International to manage hotels in international hotel chains also in countries without Green Key National Operators.
2014: Green Key became eligible for all applicant establishments, allowing Green Key International to manage sites in countries without Green Key National Operators. In most cases, a third-party auditor is in charge of the audits.
2016: Green Key’s criteria are recognised by GSTC (Global Sustainable Tourism Council).
2020: Green Key is recommended as an eco-label by HOTREC (Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Cafés in Europe).
2021: New Green Key criteria/explanatory notes for 2022-2026 are released.
2026: New Green Key criteria/explanatory notes for 2026-2031 are released. New Green Key certification processes take effect 1 October 2026 aligning with the ISO 17065 standard. Green Key is applying for scheme approval by DANAK (Danish National Accreditation Body) for its new criteria and certification processes.