Grow IN Green!

Green Key awarded "IN Hotel Belgrade" from Serbia participates in the World Environment Day.

During 10 years of existence, IN Hotel Belgrade was aware that a hotel of their size effects environment significantly, so they gave their best efforts in trying to minimize this effect by caring of comfort of the guests, and at the same time, preserving nearby nature.

In honour of the World Environment Day on 5 June, the Green Team led by the General Manager, organised planting action in order to make green areas around hotel even greener and to reduce necessity of air-conditioning and support the planet with CO2 compensation efforts.

In order to mark this day and raise awareness in taking positive environmental action, IN Hotel Belgrade enriched their Sunday brunch offer with an "eco-friendly station" of special selected organic food. At their great pleasure, the hotel was honoured with supportive presence of the Green Key national operator from Serbia, the Environmental Ambassadors for Sustainable Development.

Congratulations to The Royal Pacific Hotel & Towers being first Green Key awarded hotel in China (Hong Kong)

The Royal Pacific Hotel & Towers has received the Green Key award based on excellent work on environmental protection, sustainability awareness raising and corporate social responsibility.

Finn Bolding Thomsen, Green Key International Director, says: “At Green Key International, we are impressed with the sustainability work of The Royal Pacific Hotel & Towers demonstrated through the very well prepared application material and the onsite audit performed by SGS Hong Kong. We would like to extend a warm welcome to the first Green Key hotel in China (Hong Kong).”

In order to gain the Green Key certification, The Royal Pacific Hotel & Towers has fulfilled a list of environmental requirements that cover a wide range of criteria from environmental demands to action plans, sustainability education and communications. The hotel has an outstanding performance in the following areas:

1. Strategic environmental management: Aligned with the Sino Hotels’ Group Sustainability Policy, the hotel established its own Sustainability Team, which aims to review the green hospitality practices and to strategically improve its environmental performance on a continuous basis.   
2. Excellent performance in energy conservation and efficiency: The hotel installed high-efficiency energy lighting and appliances (e.g LED lighting, induction cookers, heat pump system), water control systems and key card system throughout the hotel.   
3. Leadership in waste management: The hotel is the pioneer in Hong Kong to initiate the Food Wise Programme and Hotel Amenities Recycling Programme, donating its surplus food and unused amenities (e.g. soap bars) to local charities and food banks on a weekly basis.
4. Strong commitment to sustainability: The hotel has banned shark’s fin on all menus since 2012, and adheres to the local Sustainable Seafood Guide issued by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Hong Kong to protect marine biodiversity.
5. Proactive community involvement: For five consecutive years, volunteers from the hotel have joined hands with a local student group to design themed ‘Green Christmas decorations’ made of up-cycled materials, conveying the message of sustainable resources to the public.
6. Working hand-in-hand with guests to build a better world: Guests staying more than one night are encouraged to participate in the hotel’s linen reuse programme, reducing the water consumption while minimising impacts of chemicals to Mother Earth.    
7. Continual green education: The hotel cultivates a sustainable and collaborative green culture in the working environment, facilitating staff to put green practice in their daily lives via regular trainings, green reminders and staff activities.                     

The Royal Pacific Hotel & Towers will continue to embrace environmental protection and corporate social responsibility within operations and will dedicate in promoting sustainability development with stakeholders.

The hotel has established an employee-led taskforce to regularly review the food waste management since 2012. The team makes on-going recommendations to minimize food waste in the areas of food production, processing and final disposal. 

With the guests’ support, the hotel has successfully implemented a “Towel & Linen Green Programme” – encouraging guests to change the bed linens every 2 days and towels are changed upon request, since 2014. The programme reduces water consumption and chemicals.

To promote recycling to next generation, the volunteers from the hotel joined local students to develop some creative Christmas decorations made of up-cycled materials.

Hilton Hotel Milan continues to impress with its environmental management and social engagement

Green Key awarded Hilton Hotel Milan is a four star hotel demonstrating a high commitment to sustainability work.

Hilton Hotel Milan in Italy has had the Green Key award since 2013, but the hotel does not rest on its success within the fields of environmental management and social responsibility.

On top of its current building management system with the daily control of the water, gas and energy consumption at the hotel, Hilton Hotel Milan is working on implementing the “Room Energy Management System”. As part of the new system, sensors will detect personal movement and thereby be able to even better adjust the use of light as well as the ventilation and air-condition system in the guest rooms.

In the hotel restaurant, the chef is preparing the dishes with more than 50% locally produced ingredients and thereby support a lowering of the environmental footprint through decreased transportation of products.

On the social responsibility side, the hotel has entered a collaboration with the non-profit organisation, Equoevento, on donating meals to persons in need. The hotel is donating more than 5000 meals annually and the cooperation at the same time means that the hotel can reduce its food waste significantly.

Etstur and Green Key in Turkey entering a collaboration agreement

Etstur which is the most popular tourism and travel agency in Turkey creates a page for Green Key awarded hotels in Turkey in its websites.

At this page there are Green Key awarded hotels list and general information about Green Key. In addition, at web page of these hotels Green Key is highlighted. Thus, people can search and book such hotels on Etstur’s website easily.

Also a slogan is created by Etstur for this page: ‘Accommodate in the Green Key awarded hotels which protects environment and experience nature during your stay’.

On this website the knowledge of environmentally friendly hotels plays an important role in terms of effect to the preferences of visitors by highlighting environmental protection. It is also enable to raise environmental awareness and create behavioral changes.

Green Key's achievements are proudly featured in the FEE Annual Report 2015

The FEE Annual Report 2015 informing about the activities of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) includes a summary of the achievements in Green Key programme.

The FEE Annual Report 2015 summarises the highlights in the Green Key programme during last year:

• New Green Key criteria and explanatory notes for hotels and hostels, campsites and holiday parks, small accommodations, conference centres, restaurants and attractions were developed to take effect from July 2016
• Recognition by Global Sustainable Tourism Council of the new criteria and explanatory notes for hotels and hostels
• Growth in the programme to 2,350 establishments in 52 countries (with five new countries having their first Green Key establishments in 2015)
• New cooperation agreements with SGS, Lucart Group and various online booking and travel companies and a renewed cooperation agreement with the Starwood Hotel Chain
• Managers from Green Key awarded establishments expressing satisfaction with the participation in the programme in a large survey

In the FEE Annual Report 2015, there is as well information about the activities in Green Key Key’s sister programmes: Blue Flag (eco-label for beaches, marinas and boats) and FEE’s three school-based programmes: Eco-Schools, Young Reporters for the Environment and Learning about Forests.

You can download the FEE Annual Report 2015 here: http://www.fee.global/our-annual-reports/.

Green Key awarded hotel in Greenland takes environmental and social responsibility

Hotel Arctic in Ilulissat in Greenland, having had the Green Key award since 2000, is very committed towards reducing its environmental footprint using new technologies, raising the environmental awareness among staff and using locally produced food in the kitchen. The hotel is also deeply engaged in social responsibility by supporting employment of local people.

At Hotel Arctic, the commitment to the environment is wired into the DNA – as the hotel is located surrounded by the powerful forces of nature and with the front row seat to some of the most fantastic scenery on Earth.

Hotel Arctic is reducing its environmental impact through education of staff and by using new technology. Twice a year, all employees at the hotel take part in an environmental theme day focusing on daily routines across the hotel to find green solutions to the challenges. Everywhere in the hotel, there are sensors and thermostats together with energy-efficient solutions ensuring that no more electricity, water and heating than necessary are used. In 2013, the hotel became 100% carbon neutral in 2013, and in 2014, solar panels were installed producing around 20% of the electricity. It is calculated that the investment in solar panels will break even in less than seven years. The hotel has its electricity and also hot water for heating and for tap water based on hydropower.

In the kitchen at Hotel Arctic, the chiefs are working hard to serve as much local food as possible. Ingredients such as musk ox, reindeer, Greenland halibut, Arctic hare, wolfish, mussels, sea urchins, redfish and much more are on the menu daily. The hotel kitchen staff also collects own herbs in the area, and they use seasonal vegetables grown in the fields south of the capital, Nuuk. A few years ago, Hotel Arctic won the prestigious New Nordic food award.

The hotel is employing 60-70 staff members making it an important working place in the town of Ilulissat with around 5,000 inhabitants. The hotel is taking social responsibility through training of around ten young local people. The training takes place in different positions, e.g. in the kitchen, restaurant and in the reception. The training typically takes 3-4 years combining the practical work at the hotel with periods at tourism management schools in Greenland or Denmark. The Greenlandic trade union movement has recognised the work of “having contributed to inspiring and encouraging the people of Greenland to educate and better themselves, not just for their own benefit but also for the benefit of progress in Greenland.”

Green Key Event on solar energy and sustainable renewable energy in Finland

Green Key Finland aims to provide Green Key sites, excursions and workshops to highlight the latest developments and new opportunities in environmentally friendly practices.

Solar energy and sustainable renewable energy are one of the most important topics being discussed in energy right now.Therefore Green Key’s first event focused on these topics and a natural venue for the event was Restaurant Faro, which itself is a forerunner in using solar power. The audience had the opportunity to hear the latest news from the Finnish Solar Technical Association. Solnet Green Energy presented the the innovative solution for solar energy that they have provided for Faro. The panels on the roof-top have been installed in an optimal position for producing electricity for the restaurant. The solution feeds solar generated electricity directly into the restaurant for their use, and currently produces 15% of their electricity.

Another big topic was sustainably produced renewable energy. Especially after the Paris climate negotiations, many business sectors have started to take into account the rapid growth of renewables. Consequently, the huge variety of renewable energy sources and their environmental impacts have made it into the public debate. As all electricity production impacts nature, strict sustainability criteria ensures that renewable power plants do as little damage as possible to the local biodiversity. For example, with hydropower plants it might be necessary to construct fish passes and spawning areas to protect the local wildlife.

EKOenergy presented the easiest way for hotels to pick the right type of power, which is to search for an ecolabel that guarantees the sustainability of electricity production by an independent third party. The additional cost of ecolabelled electricity typically varies between only 1-2 %, but the impact for both the climate and the local environment is significant.

EKOenergy is an NGO and part of the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation, and they do not sell electricity, but help hotels to switch to renewable electricity with sustainability criteria. They also provide support to communicate the hotel’s choice for sustainable energy and it’s impact for the environment. This is extremely important, as the maximal publicity they help to create is a simple and highly effective way to communicate about the user’s environmental values, and additionally increases public awareness of the importance of making sustainable energy choices. EKOenergy is the only pan-European ecolabel for electricity, supported by 40 environmental NGOs from over 30 countries and widely available for Green Key Hotels.

If you want to find out more on the subjects:

www.ekoenergy.org 
www.solnet.fi/en/

Green hospitality event in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

On 11 May 2016, Emirates Green Building Council and the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Authority (SCTA) joined hands to raise awareness for green hospitality in Sharjah.

His Excellency Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of SCTA, opened the event by sharing the Authority’s commitment to position Sharjah in the forefront of family and eco- friendly tourism.

Marie-Helene Westholm-Knebel, Senior Technical Officer and Green Key national operator from Emirates Green Building Council, then conducted a workshop with more than 40 hoteliers to identify the first steps to start their green journey, using Green Key as a base to identify and implement best practices.

Radisson awarded "World's Most Ethical Company" for the 7th consequtive year in 2016

The Radisson Hotel Group, one of the most dynamic hotel companies in the world, member of the Radisson Hotel Group and Green Key partner, has been recognized by the Ethisphere Institute, the global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, as a 2016 World’s Most Ethical Company® for the 7th consecutive year. Additionally, since four years it is the only Belgium company who has achieved this status.  

 This year marks the tenth anniversary of Ethisphere and the World’s Most Ethical Companies designation, which recognizes those companies who align principle with action, work tirelessly to make trust part of their corporate DNA, and in doing so, they shape future industry standards by introducing tomorrow’s best practices today.

Being a seven consecutive year honoree underscores Radisson’s commitment to leading ethical business standards and practices, ensuring long-term value to key stakeholders including customers, employees, suppliers, regulators and investors.

“The Ethisphere award is a great recognition of our efforts in creating and maintaining strong corporate compliance standards, governance procedures and an inspiring work environment for our people to thrive in. It salutes our robust responsible business program built around three key focus: Think Planet, Think People, Think Together. Receiving the World’s Most Ethical Hotel Company award for the 7th consecutive year is an honor for all 40,000 Radissonians.”– said Wolfgang M. Neumann, President and CEO of the Radisson Hotel Group.

"Companies rely on Ethisphere to continually raise and measure the standards of corporate behavior. Those that demonstrate leadership in areas like citizenship, integrity and transparency create more value for their investors, communities, customers and employees, thus solidifying a sustainable business advantage," explained Ethisphere’s Chief Executive Officer, Timothy Erblich. "Congratulations to everyone at the Radisson Hotel Group for being recognized as a World's Most Ethical Company."

The World's Most Ethical Company assessment is based upon the Ethisphere Institute’s Ethics Quotient™ (EQ) framework developed over years of research and vetted and refined by the expert advice from Ethisphere’s World’s Most Ethical Company Methodology Advisory Panel. The EQ offers a quantitative way to assess a company’s performance in an objective, consistent and standardized way. The information collected provides a comprehensive sampling of definitive criteria of core competencies, rather than all aspects of corporate governance, risk, sustainability, compliance and ethics.

The full list of the 2016 World's Most Ethical Companies can be found at http://ethisphere.com/worlds-most-ethical/wme-honorees/ .