Green Key Director Finn Bolding Thomsen interviewed for Eventplanner TV

The episode with an interview with Green Key International Director Finn Bolding Thomsen has aired today, on 13 November.

                                                                 Click on the image to play the full interview.

In August this year, Green Key and Eventplanner partnered up in order to promote sustainable event venues all over the world. Green practices, like reducing the environmental footprint of conferences, trade fairs and other events, are becoming increasingly important in the event industry, highlighting the importance and possibilities of the partnership.

Event venues can obtain the Green Key award by complying with easily understandable but strict criteria covering areas of environmental management, social responsibility and raising awareness on sustainability. To obtain the award, the applicant has to send in the application and have an onsite audit, and the desicion is always third-party verified. The award is received for one year at a time.

Having a Green Key award indicates that conference facilities and hotels have high sustainability standards, providing a recognizable symbol for event planners. As the CSR policies of event planners often include using sustainably managed event venues and accommodations, the cooperation between Green Key and Eventplanner facilitates the work of these organisers. 

The partnership now makes it easy to identify environmentally responsible venues by using Eventplanner’s venue search engine. Green Key regularly provides a list of its awarded establishments, and the venues are highlighted on Eventplanner’s websites with the Green Key logo.

eventplanner.be, eventplanner.nl and eventplanner.tv are the largest communities for eventplanners in Belgium, The Netherlands and the World, providing not only a search engine for venues and organisers, but also publishing news, tips and trends in the event industry.  

Global Action Days celebrated throughout the FEE network

The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) is once again celebrating Global Action Days – a weeklong showcase of the amazing work carried out by FEE members.

The day culminates today, on 10 November, when FEE Head Office personnel across the five FEE programmes spend the day working with our social media platforms, sharing and promoting all of the positive actions you have organized, promoted and participated in throughout the year. The Global Action Days are aimed at raising awareness and achieving recognition on the international stage for our members and the invaluable work that you all do on a daily basis.

Lesley Jones, our President, has the following message:

“We’re delighted to be celebrating Global Actions Days and raising awareness of the positive action that is taking place around the world to create a more sustainable society.  

We’re proud to work with members in 73 countries – reaching out across the globe to thousands of businesses and organisations, as well as millions of students. The commitment and innovation of those involved in FEE programmes can’t be underestimated and deserves to be showcased on the global stage.

Hundreds of stories have already been shared – from students in Turkey using insects to protect forests, to a Latvian holiday park making the switch to locally sourced energy. I’d encourage everyone to make the most of this opportunity and take part in Global Action Days; promote positive action, share learning with international partners and help inspire the rest of the world.

Finally, on behalf of FEE, I’d like to thank our members, partners and programme participants. Thank you for everything that you do to bring about positive change. By working together, we can ensure a sustainable world for us, our children and future generations.”

Green Key International is proud of the amazing work and great initiatives that our awarded establishments and National Operators carry out year-round across the globe! Best practice stories from our network are shared on a continual basis in our news and on our social media channels, and we encourage all awarded sites and National Operators to share your green initiatives, best practices and events promoting sustainability, so that we can share your inspirational stories with our global network not only during Global Action Days, but throughout the year.

The official Global Action Days page where all the actions will be shared can be found on Facebook. Have a look at the Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages of all the FEE programmes or follow the hashtags #FEEGAD #globalactiondays to see all the shared stories! 

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Green Key present at the international tourism fair, World Travel Market

Green Key International Director, Finn Bolding Thomsen, is attending the World Travel Market, one of the largest tourism fairs globally taking place in London (England) on 6-8 November 2017.

During the World Travel Market, there is a range of events and presentations dedicated to Responsible Tourism. The presentations of main interest for Green Key includes debates about the major environmental challenges: carbon and water, the next steps for certification schemes, the priorities for responsible tourism in the coming five years, how tourism businesses can embrace the UN Sustainable Development Goals, how to engage travellers and holidaymakers, how to market sustainable tourism, etc.

In the discussion about the main priorities for responsible tourism in the coming five years, the main focus areas identified were environmental responsibility (lower carbon emissions, good waste- and water management, etc.) as well as social responsibility (attention to vulnerable groups, inclusive tourism, etc.). In the discussion about certification schemes, the importance of staying focused in order to make certification relevant and affordance for the hospitality sector was highlighted. In the debate about engaging travellers, the importance of story-telling and personalised messages were emphasised.

During the World Travel Market, Green Key International also had a range of meetings with partners and other stakeholders relevant for Green Key, including researchers, consultants, major tour operators, leading hotel chains, tourism organisations, etc. 

In addition, World Responsible Tourism Day is celebrated on the last day of the fair, on 8 November and the Global Responsible Tourism Awards were once again handed out. As 2017 has been designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, the participants were challenged to report their progress against one or more of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. To learn more about the Awards, visit WTM Responsible Tourism Awards 2017. This year's awards were given for the categories Best for Accommodation, Best for Carbon Reduction, Best for Communication, Best Community Initiative, Best for Poverty Reduction and Best Tour Operator. Download the 'Leaders in Responsible Tourism Report' and see all the Winners here. 

Exquisite boutique hotel Carrubba Tivat receives first Green Key Award in Montenegro

It is with great pleasure and a true honour to officially announce Hotel Carrubba Tivat as the first Green Key awarded hotel in Montenegro! 

Complying with the Green Key criteria for what is a traditional stone building dated from the 19th century could have been a challenge but the hotel's amazing team in charge of researching and implementing the programme proved the assumption wrong.

The entire staff put their minds, hearts and souls into finding ways of improving the hotel’s impact on the environment. 

The work includes turning the water valves down and saving on consumption, using old sheets for rags, making compost for the garden from coffee grains, heating water with solar panels, and using low power consuming bulbs for lighting wherever possible!

At the reception, the eco-friendly spirit of the hotel has its essence. Head of Reception “Marina” will offer wonderful bike rides along the coast and show hiking trails starting directly from the hotel. Green Key information will be passed on if questions arise and community events will be offered when they occur.

In the Kitchen, the chef prioritizes seasonal local products for the menu and these can always be savoured with Montenegro’s best wines.

The simple common sense was used very effectively on many occasions and this combined with some real practical solutions gave the momentum so the hotel could achieve their goals and ultimately and deservedly receive the Green Key Status and Award.

All is there, the staff and the location, the understanding of global issues and the enthusiasm, the prestige and the caring. We are proud to have Hotel Carrubba Tivat as new member of Green Key!

Green Key for hotels promoted during the Qatar Green Building Conference

During the Qatar Green Building Conference, a workshop dedicated to Green Key for interested hotels in Qatar was held on 31 October 2017.

W Doha Hotel & Residences has had the Green Key award since 2013. In June 2017, Qatar Green Building Council became an associate member of the Foundation for Environmental Education and took over the management of Green Key in Qatar.

The Green Key workshop on 31 October 2017 during the Qatar Green Building Conference will be the first opportunity for other hotels in Qatar to know about Green Key in Qatar under the management of Qatar Green Building Council.

Meshal al-Shamari, director of Qatar Green Building Council, says to Gulf Times: “We will be launching a dedicated session for hospitality during the conference. The Green Key programme aims to certify green hotels in Qatar. We are doing the first workshop in the conference, and we have plenty of hotels lined up at the conference and attending the workshop.”

Green Key at the Lanzarote Summit about Sustainable Tourism

From 19-20 October 2017 the world's leading experts in sustainable tourism from America and Europe gathered in Lanzarote (Spain) to discuss and exchange ideas about the latest trends in sustainable tourism.

The international conference with the title "Sustainability: A key factor of competitiveness in the tourism industry" took place on the island of Lanzarote, where the World Charter on Sustainable Tourism +20 was was adopted at the first World Conference on Sustainable Tourism  in 1995. 22 years later, in the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, sustainable tourism experts from all around the world met again in Lanzarote to discuss the progress made in sustainable tourism and to give a perspective for the future of the industry. Green Key attended the conference to follow the latest discussions in sustainable tourism. Among the panellists were representatives from World Tourism Organization, UNESCO, Global Sustainable Tourism Council, TUI Travel, Tripadvisor, Responsible Tourism Institute as well as other practitioners from the tourism industry and representatives from different governmental tourism agencies in Spain. 

Main areas of discussion where the tourism industry's perspective on sustainability, the marketing of sustainability, innovation and technology in sustainable tourism, models of the industry and benefits for the local community and the tourism industry and its relation to the 17 SDGs. Among the key factors of sustainable development for the tourism industry identified at the conference were multi-stakeholder involvement, the estimation of the value of tourism compared to competing, less sustainable industries, as well as making sustainability tangible for tourists by marketing it as a quality attribute. Certification and award programmes like Green Key were highlighted as effective tools for the tourism industry to achieve their sustainability goals. 

Read more about the conference here.

A month of Responsible Business Action - Radisson Hotel Group is making a difference

Hotels and corporate offices around the world organized over 1,200 events during the 14th year of the Responsible Business Action Month, a core pillar of the Hotel Group’s overarching Responsible Business program.

Every year, Radisson Hotel Group devotes September as its Responsible Business Action Month. The month is celebrated across the globe, with hotels and corporate offices coming together for various actions to reach out to the community and support those in need. Even though focus is placed on September, many of the global initiatives are taking place year-round. The month is also devoted to contributing to Radisson Hotel Group’s global charity partners such as Just a Drop (Radisson Blu), the Global Food Banking Network (Radisson), Read Indeed (Country Inns & Suites by Radisson Hotels) and Youth Career Initiative (Park Inn by Radisson).

“During September, we make every moment matter by creating a positive impact on local communities through fundraising activities, donations and enthusiastic volunteering by our hotel teams around the globe.” says Inge Huijbrechts, Global Vice President of Responsible Business. During the month, each of Radisson Hotel Group’s brands implement programs that have a positive and unique impact to their communities.

At the Radisson Blu hotels, the Blu Planet program was supported through participation in volunteer activities related to water scarcity and water mindfulness. This included for instance Walks for Water and ocean and river clean-up activities that you can read about in our previous news feature as well as other initiatives. The highlight was the launch of Radisson Blu’s pilot Blu Planet for Housekeeping, which gives guests the opportunity to forego housekeeping services. More than 60 hotels participated in the initiative and for every night a guest opted in, the hotels donated on the guests’ behalf to the charity Just a Drop, which funds drinking water projects in Guatemala, Kenya and India.

Park Inn by Radisson continued with its award-winning initiative Adding Color to Lives with activities in support of helping youths at risk. The initiative was partnered by a world-famous street artist, Joel Bergner, and guided by him, Park Inn by Radisson employees and local youth designed and painted murals in the cities of Stuttgart (Germany), Riga (Latvia), St Petersburg (Russia), Bucharest (Romania) and Sharon, Pa. (U.S.).

Radisson Hotels focused to care and give back to communities by supporting the fight against hunger, serving meals to people in need and through food drives and fundraisers held for local foodbanks while Radisson Hotel Group’s lifestyle select brand Radisson RED had a focus on the sharing economy.  The RED hotels held swapping events for fashion, books and tools and collected donations via the pay forward principle.

Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts continued the work on the “Save Tomorrow’s Trees Today” campaign while Country Inns & Suites by Radisson Hotels collected books for children in need and worked together with local communities on literacy activities.

In response to the series of devastating hurricanes that hit communities in the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean in August and September, Radisson Hotel Group teams also came together to raise funds for employees affected and Radisson Hotels deployed a campaign to their members who helped raise 93,000 USD in donations for the American Red Cross.

Source: Radisson Hotel Group

Mon Arbre à Moi – A story of reforestation

The runner-up to the Green Key Best Practice Competition 2017, Hôtel Métropole Monte-Carlo, inspires with their determined initiative of reforestation.

In January 2017, Hôtel Métropole Monte-Carlo launched its project Mon Arbre à Moi – My Very Own Tree to reforest a hillside that had been burnt down by an act of arson. The hillside in question overlooks the town of Menton, which borders with the principality of Monaco. As an important number of the staff members live in Menton, the Green Committee at Hôtel Métropole Monte-Carlo decided to take action and get involved in an important cause for the area.

Mon Arbre à Moi is a significant symbolic initiative that was jointly crafted by the Metropole, the municipality of Menton and the Office National des Forêts (National Forests Office) involving partnerships between several actors. On event day, olive-tree seeds were given to the staff members´ children so that they, together, could plant the first new trees on the burned-out site. A local association, Les Ânes Maritimes, participated by lending their donkeys to help carry the jerry cans needed to water the trees.

The initiative is a long-term project uniting the participants annually on 21 March, celebrated as the International Day of Forests, to visit their trees, to water them and to see how they have grown. Once the trees start to produce olives, the project participants will be invited to harvest them. The olives will then be sent to a local olive oil producer, L´huile Saint Michel, and once produced the olive oil will be given to the guests at the Metropole. Guests will also have a chance to directly participate in the ongoing project by planting their own seeds and thereby help with the reforestation.

Mon Arbre à Moi proves that it is perfectly possible to be a luxury hotel while cultivating real ecological authenticity and take a stand for the environment. The initiative has helped nature rebuild itself and to recreate the hillside landscape of Menton, and as a long-term act for the planet, only recycled water is used to water the olive trees. The initiative has also been warmly welcomed by guests at the hotel and it has helped in raising awareness on the Metropole’s environmental pledge and green policy.

The reforestation initiative is a strong showcase of different stakeholders coming together and creating partnerships for a central environmental cause, and it is the reason Hôtel Métropole Monte-Carlo was awarded second place at the 2017 Green Key Best Practice Competition.

Green Key establishments featured in SAS in-flight magazine

Green Key awarded Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers, Hotel Kong Arthur and Axel Guldsmeden are listed as sustainable luxury hotels in Copenhagen in the Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) in-flight magazine Scandinavian Traveler.

The article featuring sustainable luxury in Copenhagen, Denmark presents the three hotels as luxurious sustainable hotels well worth a visit. 

Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers offers organic food, organic personal care products and the only lounge in the city with an indoor forest combined with luxurious and ultramodern surroundings.

The family-run boutique hotel, Hotel Kong Arthur, has an organic menu, a lovely courtyard, an elegant spa and is beautifully located between the lakes and the city center. Both Copenhagen Towers and Kong Arthur have been proud holders of the Green Key, the leading standard of excellence in environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry, for several years.

In the central district of Vesterbro you can find Axel Guldsmeden, offering cozy rooms and an atmospheric spa in addition to being an organic hotel. Axel Guldsmeden is one of the newest members to the Green Key family, having received its first award in October this year.

The article also mentions other sustainable attributes of Copenhagen; the city being named the world’s best city for cyclists and the fact that it has some of the purest bathing and drinking water as well as a thriving organic gourmet food scene.

You can read the full article in the SAS in-flight magazine Scandinavian Traveler online, on board or in the magazine app. 

This is the second time within a short period that Green Key has been mentioned in an in-flight magazine. Green Key on board of Brussels Airlines was featured in the July issue of b.inpired magazine, which focused on sustainable development.  

Source: Scandinavian Traveler