Number of Green Key establishments increase by 20% in France

In 2022, there are 855 accommodations and restaurants with the Green Key certificate in France.

On 20 January 2022, the Green Key team in France has proudly announced an increase of 20% in the number of certified establishments in 2022. According to the French Green Key National Operator, Nathalie Bel Baussant, there are now 855 accommodations and restaurants certified in France (including overseas territories), representing 25 million guest nights and 20,000 employees.

The increase has been continuous in the past four years and has even accelerated during the COVID-19 crisis. It concerns all regions and all types of establishments: hotels, campsites, holiday parks, hostels, small accommodations and restaurants.

This trend can be explained by several reasons:

• The national context encourages sustainable development: economy recovery plans after the COVID-19 crisis, ranking of hotels that including environmental actions, rising customer expectations;

• The Green Key team in France has an active partnership approach: with chains and groups, but also territories, institutional actors and representatives of the tourism industry;

• An increasing number of chains, territories and independent establishments consider sustainable development as a key success factor;

• The Green Key team in France proposes an application process that includes advice and strong support tools to ease the implementation of criteria.

Green Key France awards for region

Greek tour operator to be the first to reduce environmental impact on excursions

The Greek company Avra Tours has signed an agreement with the Green Key National Operator in Greece to reduce the environmental footprint of its transports and excursions to the minimum.

Avra Tours has now a new green strategy, aligned with the Green Key sustainable standard. The company, which is the largest Greek inbound tour operator in the country, has entered an agreement with The Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature, the body responsible for the Green Key programme management in Greece.

The collaboration agreement was officialised by Avra Tours CEO Ioannis L. Dimitriadis and the President of the Board of Directors of HSPN, Nikolaos G. Petrol, also Vice President of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). In a joint statement, both parties manifested their commitment and hope on this agreement, aligning with UN goals. They also emphasised the importance of joining synergies to create short and long term results for the tourism industry.

Avra Tours is further compromising to become the first Greek tour operator with the smallest environmental footprint on excursions and transports as part of this partnership. To achieve this goal, the Greek operator will offset its carbon footprint through the FEE Global Forest Fund, helping plant trees and educating new generations to become more sustainable in the near future.

Additionally, Avra Tours will also have stricter criteria for partnerships by only working with organisations and destinations actively engaging in sustainability practices or strategies. The Greek tour operator aims to encourage the businesses it collaborates with to reduce its environmental impact.

Green Key featured in The Historic Traveller magazine

The Historic Hotels of Europe publication has dedicated a page to the eco-label certificate, highlighting the recent changes in the Green Key programme.

Historic Hotels of Europe that promotes an incredible collection of hotels, manors and palaces throughout Europe has now published the third issue of its Historic Traveller magazine, with a page dedicated to the Green Key programme. In the article, the Green Key’s International Director, Finn Bolding Thomsen, reflects on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in the hospitality industry and Green Key’s role in supporting the certified hotels and other categories in the hospitality industry during these challenging latest years.

“During this uncertain time, we have supported our Green Key awarded establishments by showing flexibility in the certification process and by running campaigns that were tailored to the needs during the pandemic”, explains Finn Bolding Thomsen, adding that due to the recent worldwide events, the climate crisis is further becoming a top global concern.

The set of Green Key international standards for establishments is also highlighted in The Historic Traveller issue since the criteria have recently been strengthened to increasingly focus on the reduction of carbon emissions and pollution and the protection of biodiversity. Ultimately, the goal is to continue sharing the best practices of the certified establishments, as the Green Key International Director emphasises:

“Our ambition is to support our participating establishments through training, webinars, and other supporting tools […]. We also want to increase awareness of the guests visiting Green Key certified accommodation through information and involvement during the visit as well as promotion of the sustainability efforts through social media”.

Lastly, the Historic Traveller’s article on Green Key also addresses the intention of the eco-label organisation to join the Glasgow Declaration, which aims for a net-zero future by 2050.

More details on The Historic Hotels of Europe can be read here.

Belgium's Flanders region gets 13 new Green Key establishments

The northern region of Belgium has now a total of 139 sites with the Green Key eco-label.

Camping Houtum is one of the new establishments awarded with the Green Key eco-label.

Sustainability is an increasing concern for business owners in Flanders, a region in Belgium that continues to expand the number of establishments with a Green Key certificate. The organisation responsible for managing the Green Key programme in Belgium, Good Planet, has now announced that thirteen sites from Flanders have received the sustainable eco-label for the first time. The recognition was given in an event last week, which took place in the city of Mechelen. Overall, there are now 139 establishments in Flanders complying with the Green Key programme criteria.

The high number of sites in Flanders with the Green Key eco-label results from a joint effort between business owners, who wish to implement more sustainable practices, and several municipalities from the region. As explained by Good Planet, the city of Ghent and the Province of Antwerp are examples of two public institutions that have been pushing a change for more sustainable tourism by financially supporting entrepreneurs obtaining the Green Key certificate.

The theme manager and board member of Tourism Flanders, Vincent Nijs, has discussed the organisation's role in promoting more sustainability in the region: "Flanders has already taken great steps in the field of sustainability, but there are still many challenges ahead. That is why Tourism Flanders is working on an ambitious vision and wants to contribute in a structural way to a sustainable and flourishing destination by supporting the sector even better in the future. That is why we want to encourage initiatives such as the Green Key and further implement them in our policy". 

The camping site Houtum has now more organic and fair trade products on its café menu.

Camping Houtum in Kasterlee and Porta Superia in Mechelen are two of the new Green Key establishments that have shared their experience obtaining the international eco-label. Vic Van Eyck from Camping Houtum feared a "mountain of paperwork" initially but was surprised by the application process, which went through effortlessly with the help of the Tourism Province Antwerp. Awarded with the Green Key label, Camping Houtum is already making some changes in its business.

"We were already doing, sometimes unconsciously, a lot of efforts but putting organic, fair trade and local products on our café menu was such an extra effort that without Green Key we might never or only to a limited extent have done”, explained Vic Van Eyck.

For Porta Superia owners in Mechelen, getting the sustainable certificate is proof that ecology and comfort can go hand in hand. The new Green Key awarded B&B has solid sustainable practices already implemented, that include using local suppliers and organic products, solar panels, and efficient water-saving systems, including a shower with NASA technology.

Radisson is the first hotel chain to make meetings and events carbon negative

The Radisson Hotel Group has shared some of its most significant responsible initiatives for 2021.

Radisson Collection Hotel in Georgia

In 2019, the Green Key partner had already set high standards for sustainability after deciding to offset the carbon footprint for every meeting and event from its hotels at a global level. In 2021, the Radisson group achieved a new benchmark by offsetting twice the CO2 emissions from all the events and meetings across more than 400 hotels in their EMEA portfolio, becoming the first hotel chain in the world to make its events and meetings carbon negative. According to the hotel group, the initiative that started in 2019 has allowed for offsetting more than 30,000 tons of CO2, equivalent to taking more than 6,500 fuel-powered cars off the road.

Among other responsible initiatives, the Radisson Hotel Group has also developed two new partnerships that reinforce its position as a green mobility leader. The new collaborations with pan-European Allego and the Indian Sunfuel focus on bringing new electric vehicle options and stations across Radisson establishments in Europe and India. Furthermore, the Group has also compromised to reduce the surplus food from all of its hotels across Europe in an effort to reduce food waste.

At a global level, the Radisson Hotel Group is also one of the 25,000 hotels worldwide that support the creation of the Basic Sustainability Framework, currently being developed by the WTTC and the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance. This new framework will be announced in March 2022, and it aims to provide shared knowledge about sustainability and sustainable practices in hotels across the world.

With a new year ahead, the Global Senior Vice President Sustainability, Security and Corporate Communications for Radisson Hotel Group, Inge Huijbrechts, has reinforced the importance of continuing to develop responsible initiatives in Radisson hotels in 2022:

“[…] Sustainability is a top priority for our industry and our customers. At Radisson Hotel Group, we continue to work on our roadmap to Net Zero and are proud of the milestones we have realized in a challenging year for our industry. 2021 marked an opportunity to harness our focus on responsible business initiatives for both our Group and collectively for the hospitality industry. We look forward to another year of establishing strong strategic partnerships as we all work towards a responsible recovery and return of travel”.

More details of Radisson Hotel Group’s achievements can be read here.

A holistic approach to sustainability at "The Hotel. Brussels"

The Sustainability Manager at “The Hotel. Brussels” explains that hotels must have a holistic approach to be truly sustainable.

In order to be truly sustainable, hotel properties need to take a balanced and holistic approach, says Abdel Jabbar, Facility and Sustainability Manager at The Hotel. Brussels.

Although protecting the environment is a critical part of upscale venue The Hotel. Brussels’ sustainability efforts, it’s only part of the picture.

To me, being sustainable is about every action, every process, every department,” says Abdel Jabbar, The Hotel’s Facility and Sustainability Manager and real estate company Pandox’s Green Hero for 2020. “It’s about taking a broader view – for example, ensuring the partners we choose to work with share our outlook, and scrutinising our social impact, too.”

At The Hotel. Brussels, Abdel has overseen many developments to improve the property’s sustainability rating. One significant initiative is that 100% of the property’s energy is now generated by offshore wind turbines, as well as the installation of a cogeneration system to convert gas into sustainable heat and electricity.

Abdel’s team has also reduced water use, using smart pumps on circuits to adapt supply according to the hotel’s occupancy rate, and recycling waste water from air conditioning units to use in toilets. One of The Hotel’s most recent eco initiatives has seen the shower heads replaced in hotel bedrooms for a more sustainable model which uses only 9 litres of water per minute.

The property also benefits from a smart building digital tool which illustrates energy use in real time. Constant monitoring is a key part of their sustainability drive, with staff able to act quickly in the case of a leak or a system fault. 

The Hotel. Brussels has built its sustainability initiative on the principles of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the European Green Deal, and is committed to making a real, positive impact for the benefit of the planet. And their aims are ambitious: along with a goal to cut water use by 20% by 2023, it also intends to reduce gas use by 25%, electricity consumption by 35% and its overall CO2 footprint by 20% by the same deadline. Impressively, the property is already 85% of the way to achieving these goals. The Hotel. Brussels was awarded the Green Key certification in 2019, and is on course to be certified by BREEAM in 2022. 

Taking action to combat social inequality is also part of The Hotel’s sustainability mission. “For example, we choose to partner with companies like Grohe, for example, who donate €1 to Unicef for every shower head we purchase to improve access to water for children in the developing world,” Abdel explains.

Recently, The Hotel donated its old shower heads and bed linen to a community group promoting circular innovation. It has also restored computer hardware and donated it to a group of young people in training, who have access to the property’s meeting rooms free of charge.

“As The Hotel’s sustainability mission puts it, we want our planet here to stay,” says Abdel. “And we all have a role to play in safeguarding it.”

More information about The Hotel. Brussels can be found here: https://www.thehotel-brussels.be/.

Beirholm’s bed linen became finalist in the German Sustainability Award

Green Key’s partner, Beirholm, has been a finalist in the Design Category in the prestigious German Sustainability Award with its innovative and sustainable bed linen for the hotel market.

In Beirholm’s first participation in the German Sustainability Award in 2021, the company managed to be selected as a nominee, and then advance as a finalist. Although Beirholm did not win the final award, it showed that their innovative technology is among some of the most sustainable solutions currently on the market.

The sustainable ben linen is called BeirTex^® Q784 and offers revolutionary durability, a light-weight construction, and a sustainable raw materials blend of Fairtrade organic cotton, virgin polyester and 20 recycled PET bottles. Consequently, this bed linen reduces CO2-equivalent emissions by up to more than 70% over its entire lifecycle compared to the average hotel bed linen in the industry.

With its Green Button, Oeko-Tex^® Made in Green, and Fairtrade certifications, the supply chain lives up to some of the strictest environmental and social standards - from the cotton farmer and all the way to the finished bed linen.

It is woven in an exclusive, breathable, and soft satin binding quality, which is available in 13 unique designs enabling the laundry partners to cover individual hotel needs while minimizing stop-and-go processing. In addition, the BeirTex^® Q784 bed linen is designed to be upcycle-ready at the end of its usable life enabling it to be turned into fashionable tote bags for shopping purposes.

In the evaluation of Beirholm’s BeirTex^® Q784 hotel bed linen, the Jury of the German Sustainability Award concluded that “… Beirholm not only offers an exceptionally high-quality and modern-looking product that meets even the highest demands, but also assumes a high degree of social and ecological responsibility by adhering to high standards along the entire value chain.”

Beirholm has produced a short movie explaining the sustainable bed linen for the hotel industry: 

Andreas Beirholm, Business Development Manager at Beirholm, says:

“To be recognized for the hard work and extensive research and development of the next generation of BeirTex^® bed linen textiles and have it acknowledged as a holistically sustainable solution by Germany’s most prestigious sustainability award is nothing less than an exceptional achievement. It gives us a unique opportunity to provide our partners with sustainable performance textiles that can further advance the sustainable agenda in the hotel industry.”

The German Sustainability Award is one of the most coveted awards of its kind. According to a recent study by the University of Hohenheim on the importance of sustainability and environmental competitions in Germany, the German Sustainability Award is both the best-known and most coveted award in this field (ranking first in each case).

Green Key signs cooperation agreement with Iceland‘s largest hotel chain

Green Key Iceland has signed an agreement with Islandshotel hf. with the aim that all 18 hotels join Green Key.

Attending the signing, from left to right: Anton Birkir Sigfússon from Klappir Green Solutions, Stefán Karl Snorrason, Erna Dís Ingólfsdóttir, Guðlaugur Sæmundsson from Íslandshótel and Gunnar Á. Gunnarsson from Vottunarstofan Tún. Photo: Islandshotel

At a signing ceremony on 19 January 2022, Íslandshótel hf and Green Key Iceland signed a cooperation agreement to apply for the Green Key in all of their hotels.  

Islandshotel hf. (www.islandshotel.is , translates to ”Iceland‘s hotel“) is Iceland‘s largest hotel chain with 18 hotels and close to 2000 rooms located all around Iceland, most under the name ”Fosshotel“.

Erna Dís Ingólfsdóttir, head of Islandshotel’s HR and quality department, says: “it’s a pleasure signing the agreement with Green Key since responsible tourism is the foundation of Islandshotel’s policies and we wish to lead the promotion of sustainable tourism in Iceland, that is our responsibility”.

This agreement will transform the national availability of sustainably awarded accommodations by making it a choice all around Iceland for the very first time.

Islandshotel hf.‘s CPO, Guðlaugur Sæmundsson says: “The Green Key is an excellent continuation of the work we started a decade ago when our Grand Hotel Reykjavik received the Nordic Swan, in 2012. It is my belief that the Green Key award will make our hotel chain an even better and more desirable choice for our guests.”

Islandshotel hf. is 30 years old this year and has for the past ten years been a pioneer in sustainability and environmental matters in the Icelandic hospitality sector.

Green Key National Operator, Mr Ragnar Thórdarson, says: “We are happy to be entering into this agreement with Islandshotel hf., and we believe that their confidence in Green Key can be a major step forward for the entire hospitality sector in Iceland with regards to responsible and sustainable tourism.”

Denmark's largest hotel chain Small Danish Hotels has entered into an agreement with Green Key

Currently 14 hotels from the Small Danish Hotels group have been awarded with Green Key, and more hotels are joining the programme.

Hotel Vejlefjord

In December 2021, two Small Danish Hotels hotels - Fuglsangcentret and Hotel Vejlefjord - received the Green Key at the latest hotels in the Chain joining the programme.

Fuglsangcentret receives the Green Key

Fuglsangcentret is located in the city of Fredericia, and owned by the Danish Society for the Blind. The establishment is designed for the blind to navigate the building using sounds such as, running water and canaries.

The establishment has earned the Green Key after an application process with great commitment. It is important for Fuglsangcentret to take care of their surroundings and take the environment into account.

The hotel has established solar cells on the roof, completely phased out all weed control and increased the amount of organic food to over 30%. In connection with the renovation of rooms, all light bulbs were changed to LED.

Fuglsangcentret

Green Key to Hotel Vejlefjord

The iconic Hotel Vejlefjord is located outside the city of Vejle. When the establishment was built in 1901, fresh air and exercise were important elements in the treatment of tuberculosis patients, and therefore the large park was laid out in a romantic landscape style with bridges, streams and lakes in the strongly hilly landscape right down to Vejle Fjord. The green areas now benefit the hotel's guests.

The staff at the hotel has been at the forefront with help and ideas when the hotel applied for the Green Key. The National Jury deciding on the award found that the hotel's current efforts and plans for future activities have made it eligible for this certification.

Sustainability and Green Key Workshops in 2022

At the beginning of 2022, Small Danish Hotels and Green Key have arranged a number of workshops for hotels in the chain. The intention is to support the hotels moving forward with the sustainable work so that more hotels of the chain can join Green Key.

At the upcoming workshops, the hotels' knowledge about sustainability and Green Key will be strengthened. At the same time, the aim is to build cooperation and network between the hotels so that they continue to inspire each other and work together on sustainability after achieving Green Key.

The themes include: Workshop 1 - Save money on energy, water, and environmental management. Workshop 2 - Sustainable procurement and waste management. Workshop 3 - The good meal and preventing food waste. Workshop 4 - Sustainability and collaborate with the local area

For more information, please visit: Hotel in Denmark | hotel deals and offers | Small Danish Hotels.