The Stanhope Hotel in Brussels leads the way to sustainability in Belgium

The Stanhope Hotel, a 5-star boutique Hotel and awarded with the Green Key label since 3 years, continually works to be a Green symbol in Brussels. This year will not be an exception on this rule. The Green Team still has lots of ideas to reduce waste, water & energy and improve green communication.

Throughout the seasons, the Hotel always remains connected with ecologic initiatives by offering Green experiences to their visitors. During the winter, home made recycled heart-shaped candles are offered as a special attention during the Valentine’s dinner. In spring, guests enjoy a Happy Hour at recycled candle light to celebrate the ‘Earth Hour’. Summer is a great time to taste the bio menu during the Bio Week. Autumn is synonym of discovering recycled objects exposed at the Recycling Expo as the major action during the European week of waste reduction.

The Hotel offers permanent green visibility in the Green corner, an original recycled cardboard design; in the showcase with seasonal silhouettes of ‘Les Petits Riens’ (a social economy enterprise organizing second hand fashion shows and selling second hand equipment, for the benefit of homeless and unemployed persons); in the rooms with tips for a green stay; in the recently created biologic herbs garden and through a green guiding tour when booking a Green Package.

Green vouchers now accepted in Green Key sites in Belgium

The “green vouchers” system in Belgium, introduced to promote environmentally friendly products and services, has now included Green Key as one of their services where the vouchers can be used. A great way to introduce Green Key to a wide range of people.

These vouchers (called “ecochèques”) are given by employers to near 1.5 million workers in the country, as fringe benefits, and can be spent for products such as energy efficient light bulbs, organic food, more sustainable transportation, second hand items, etc.

Due to a specific request introduced by the Green Key national operators in Belgium, people will now be allowed to spend their green vouchers in Green Key establishments from the 1st June 2015 on. Green Key establishments have been accepted into this voucher system amongst others because the label is recognized by UN organisations and because it caters for an independent auditing system.

Green Key establishments willing to be eligible have to register with at least one of the two enterprises issuing the vouchers. By introducing the label into this well-known and popular scheme, the Green Key national operators in Belgium believe that they are making it more famous and therefore encouraging its promotion. 

5 year celebration and award ceremony for Green Key Ukraine

On 30 March 2015, Ekologitschna Initsiativa, celebrated 5 years of Green Key in Ukraine. For the first time the Vice-Head of Kyiv Municipal Tourism Dept. attended the ceremony. Even in these difficult times there was a good atmosphere and a positive glance at the future.

During the ceremony the Green Key programme as well as the Blue Flag programme were discussed. There was an interesting discussion about a cooperation with companies producing LED lights and drones for the army. Minds were put together on how to use these products to make the tourism industry in Ukraine more sustainable. Military drones, for example, carry thermo-sensors (as well as many others types of sensors). So they have huge spectrum of applications – for example imaging thermal leaks from buildings. Hotels were very happy to see how this technology works and a first cooperation with one of the hotels was discussed to be launched.

At the ceremony Green Key certificates were granted to the Radisson-Kyiv and 3 Maison-Blanche eco-hotels as the traditional leaders.

The event was fully financed by Baccara Art hotel, another Green Key site in Ukraine.

Halting the loss of biodiversity – how sustainable tourism can contribute to the millennium goal

ECOTRANS provides a set of recommendations which highlight in detail how responsible tourism companies, destinations and tour operators can make a difference on their standards concerning biodiversity and thereby boosting their contribution to the promotion of species diversity. Green Key welcomes this initiative.

The indicator report 2014 of the Federal Statistical Office on “Sustainable Development in Germany” reveals that the topic of species diversity lags far behind targets, with an increase in recreational activities e.g. along coastal regions, aggravating the threat to ecosystems. The tourism sector in Germany has a range of opportunities to mitigate such threats and to contribute to the strengthening of biodiversity in coastal regions and mountainous areas, in the countryside as well as in urban environments. In this regard, standards on biodiversity in the more than 20 national and international certificates and awards for environmental responsible and sustainable tourism in Germany could make a difference.

The initiatives on biodiversity could include:

- clearly defined actions with regards to biodiversity
- strive to cover all fundamental aspects of biodiversity with the criteria
- follow the no-net-loss target
- determine their impacts on biodiversity
- offer training on biodiversity for certifiers and certified establishments

International Green Key director Finn Bolding Thomsen welcomes this initiative: “We will have new Green Key hotel criteria taking effect by mid-2016 and we will seek to include some CSR and biodiversity related criteria, add specifications in the explanatory notes to the new criteria and share best practice examples also related to biodiversity issues”. 

“Some of these best practice examples like the Areias do Seixo with their nature based offer in the central Oeste region in Portugal, the Hoeve De Schapenkop with their biodiversity teaching of children or the Botel Ophoven with their regional and organic food purchase in the Flanders region in Belgium, and also several hotels in Morocco with their staff training and local community activities show how well the Green Key programme and biodiversity go together”, says Herbert Hamele, director of Ecotrans. “We are looking forward to include such best practice examples from Green Key in our global Atlas of Excellence and in our Travel Green Germany Map on DestiNet.eu as valuable information sources for the growing list of committed tour operators, booking platforms and marketing organisations.  

Download PDF (700 KB): Biodiversity criteria in Tourism: Recommendations for standards,certificates and awards

Green Key entering a partnership with BookGreener

Green Key is happy to announce that it has entered a partnership with the online booking website, BookGreener.com.

For travellers looking for eco-experiences, BookGreener give access to the world’s green hotels - and for every booking made, BookGreener ensures the planting of a tree.

It was natural for Green Key International to team up with BookGreener, since both organisations aim at promoting hotels that are part of the solution not part of the problem, and that care about local communities and culture as well as wildlife conservation and the environment.

BookGreener is also growing a community-generated database of “hotSpots” – think spas, yoga retreats, health-food restaurants and children-friendly activities and destinations – all conveniently mapped so travellers know exactly what’s near their green hotel.

The BookGreener website is at an early stage and invite travelers to share hotspots they love and recommend sustainable hotels they have visited.

Green Key is recognised in a Memorandum of Understanding with the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association

Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) recognises and supports the Blue Flag and Green Key programmes of FEE

CHTA and FEE have signed a Memorandum of Understanding recognising FEE’s Green Key and Blue Flag programmes in the Caribbean as well as CHTA’s sustainability initiatives. The document was signed on 29 January 2015 during the Caribbean Travel Marketplace. The Memorandum of Understanding between CHTA and FEE has been entered to recognise the hospitality and tourism sustainability initiatives in the Caribbean brought forward by FEE through the Green Key and Blue Flag programmes and by CHTA through the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST) and programmes such as the Caribbean Hotel Energy Efficient Action (CHENACT) programme.

The Memorandum of Understanding provides a framework of cooperation with a view to contributing to more effective attainment of common objectives of both CHTA and FEE. Both organisations have agreed to a long-term cooperative relationship for the purpose of identifying and developing programmes and activities such as the Blue Flag and Green Key programmes as well as the initiatives developed by CHTA and CAST to attain common objectives on sustainable tourism and environmental education. This will include joint projects and activities on a regional level as well as local destination levels across the Caribbean.

The Memorandum of Understanding recognises CAST as the main resource for Caribbean enterprises to obtain training, education and implementation guidance of sustainable tourism best practises specific to the Caribbean region with the following three strategic focus areas: advocacy, environmental management and sustainable tourism support. As part of the agreement, CHTA recognises FEE and its programmes for inclusion in its sustainable tourism initiatives such as the Blue Flag programme for beaches and marinas and the Green Key programmes for hotels and other tourism facilities. The agreement will also be used to identify future cooperation between the two organisations promoting sustainable tourism projects and raising environmental awareness.

“By signing this cooperative agreement with FEE, CHTA reaffirms its commitment to sustainable development”, said Emil Lee, President of CHTA. “Certainly protecting our environment and being a responsible industry are important reasons to support sustainable development”, he said, adding: “However, there are even more profound reasons to integrate green policies into everything we do. The Caribbean is our home. Additionally, being efficient is good for our environment, but being efficient is also good for profitability, which translates into stronger economies, better infrastructure and more jobs. The partnership gives CHTA members an excellent road map for our members to follow. We welcome cooperation with an organisation like FEE with its programmes to further strengthen the sustainability agenda in the tourism and hospitality sector in the Caribbean region.”

Jan Eriksen, President of FEE, adds: “We already have a history of successful cooperation with CHTA/CAST in connection with the implementation of the Blue Flag programme in the Caribbean starting 15 years ago and we are happy now to formalise it and extend it to also include our fast growing Green Key programme.”

Park Inn Hotel in Sofia innovates with smart paint and ”Green Key” key cards”

In addition to the full compliance with the Green Key criteria Park Inn by Radisson Hotel – Sofia tries to introduce innovative and modern practices, which could successfully be copied by other hotels in the world.

The hotel has a busy conference program, often hosting eco events and meetings of environmental organizations. To respond accordingly to Green Key’s requirement for less paper in the conference rooms, the management of the hotel searched for ways to minimize the usage of flipchart pads. They found an interesting solution to that issue by painting walls with the so called Smart Paint. Now a wall can be used unlimited times as a writing board which can easily be wiped clean and used again.

As a courtesy and commitment to the Green Key Program the Park In by Radisson Hotel- Sofia changed all its key cards for the hotel rooms with specially produced Green Key branded cards.

Le Méridien Piccadilly in London shows the UK how it's done

Le Méridien Piccadilly in London, the first hotel in the UK to be awarded with the Green Key award, presents a very impressive list of actions they have set up to become more sustainable.

At Le Méridien Piccadilly, we aim to operate as sustainably as possible, confirming our commitment towards protecting the environment.  Our sustainability initiatives include introducing LED lighting throughout the hotel, putting in Passive Infrared Sensors in public areas so that lights automatically go out when not in use, introducing low flow filters on taps and shower heads and offering guests Starwood’s ‘Make a Green Choice’ programme, allowing them to opt out of housekeeping services in return for a £5 voucher to spend in our food and beverage outlets. We also have a Green Council within the hotel and organise an annual “Green Day” for our associates.

In recognition of our sustainability efforts, we became the first hotel in the UK to receive the Green Key Eco Label accreditation. Le Méridien Piccadilly is special as our associates recognise the impact that they can each make through seemingly small actions and understand that our guests want to know that we are doing everything we can to reduce the environmental impact of their hotel stay.

Food wasting strategy at Hilton Copenhagen Airport

At Hilton Copenhagen Airport they wanted to put the focus on food waste, as they found too much food was being wasted.

First of all they decided to measure the food being wasted during one week. The team measured the food waste in the team member restaurant for 1 normal week. The next week they arranged a “Food Reduction Week” in which special attention was given to food waste. They increased the awareness about food waste by arranging a separate large garbage bin just for food, making signs for awareness and focusing on how much food is being prepared. Just by doing these simple things, they managed to reduce the food waste by almost 60kg per week! This small effort has encouraged the whole team to keep up the good work.