Zero Emissions by 2050: Radisson Hotel Group Dedicates Itself Towards a Sustainable Future

Green Key’s partner, the Radisson Hotel Group, is now amongst the companies setting its carbon reduction targets based on scientific recommendations.

Radisson Hotel Group (RHG) defines its zero-emissions commitment by 2050. To reach this goal, RHG will join the UNFCCC global campaign called Race to Zero, supporting the global goal of reaching Net Zero emissions. RHG will also become part of the Business Ambition campaign, which aims to hold global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Among other activities that RHG does to reduce its carbon footprint is its transition to renewable energy solutions. This transition has shown its results in 30% gains in energy efficiency. Moreover, compared to 2019, the Group has reduced its carbon emissions by 22% and water footprint by 23%. Radisson Hotel Group expects these numbers to increase in the future even more, as their number of green building certified hotels is rising. All the new or rebuilt Radisson Hotel Group properties follow the framework for healthy, efficient, carbon, and cost-saving green buildings and are aligned with sustainable building certifications such as LEED, BREAM, and EDGE.

Additionally to the sustainable building certifications, RHG has specified its own guidelines for sustainable buildings named “Build Planet“. These guidelines are used as a framework that encourages the efficient use of resources and sustainable materials, both when building new hotels and when renovating buildings.

Here is what the CEO of Radisson Hotel Group, Federico J. González, stated on the importance of sustainable actions: 

“Radisson Hotel Group has a strong, long-standing history of pioneering sustainability initiatives in the hospitality industry. Our Responsible Business pillars of Think People, Think Community, and Think Planet play an important part not only in our transformation plan, but also of what we see as our duty as hoteliers to establish a better tomorrow. We are taking clear action and affirming our commitment to be net-zero by 2050, not for our commercial gain but to create concrete change and encourage others to join us on the journey to net-zero, and eventually net positive.”

To learn more about how Radisson Hotel Group commits to decarbonize its business by 2050, click here.

Posadas Group, in alliance with Green Key Mexico, launches the Meaningful Travel Programme

Posadas Group, a leading Mexican hospitality group, launched a new initiative that focuses on applying new practices for even more sustainable tourism.

©Posadas Group

The focus on social well-being of guests and employees, preserving natural resources and maintaining the natural environment for the future are just a few examples of actions taken by the Posadas Group. Currently, 150 Posadas Group hotels are Green Key certified, and the first three hotels have already been part of the Green Key programme for six years. Green Key Mexico, managed by the Foundation for Environmental Education in Mexico (FEE Mexico), is therefore a close allied partner when adopting measures and good practices that help to protect and care for the environment.

This alliance resulted in outstanding outcomes, such as:

• The measurement and regulation of the flow in 2,700 faucets and shower heads.

• The verification of more than 27,000 rooms for responsible use of water.

• The creation of 21 urban orchards-gardens as part of sustainable experiences for tourists.

• The generation of 700 kg of compost which was used to fertilise green areas.

• The segregation of coffee waste, with an annual average per hotel of 200 kg dry weight.

The verification of door seals and gaskets on 342 refrigeration and freezing equipment to save energy and ensure their energy efficiency. To achieve these results, the green committees of the various establishments of the Posadas Group are actively involved in the daily decisions towards more sustainability. These green committees currently consist of 500 very engaged staff members.

Recently, the Posadas Group has introduced the Meaningful Travel Programme. This programme focuses on enhancing sustainable tourism through, for example, the protection and promotion of human rights, caring for health and well-being of guests and employees, following international social norms, transparency and ethical behaviour, and working towards reaching the UN Sustainable Development Goals on all three levels of sustainability (environmental, social and economic).

During the launch event of the programme, José Carlos Azcárraga, CEO of Posada Group, said:

“ We have already accomplished a lot, but we know that there is still room for more. We will do this hand in hand with experts in the field of sustainability and education, such as the Foundation for Environmental Education."

To learn more about the Meaningful Travel Programme, click here.

Green Key signs a cooperation agreement with Aurinkomatkat to make the hospitality industry greener

Aurinkomatkat and Green Key have entered a cooperation agreement to increase the awareness about sustainable practices in the hospitality industry and to encourage hospitality businesses to take positive action. 

© Aurinkomatkat

Aurinkomatkat is Finland’s largest tour operator, and the goal of Aurinkomatkat is to assure that future generations can continue to enjoy the diversity of the world. There are various sustainable actions that Aurinkomatkat are taking to reach this goal. One of them is to establish long-term local partnerships with local hotels, tour operators and entrepreneurs to create a source of livelihood for the local community. Another very important aspect of Aurinkomatkat's sustainability work is to cooperate with stakeholders who are taking actions toward sustainability.

Aurinkomatkat has a wide range of hotels holding an environmental certification.  The object of the cooperation agreement between Green Key and Aurinkomatkat is to further increase the awareness about the sustainability certification among Aurinkomatkat hotel partners, staff and customers.

Green Key is a leading eco-certification programme for hotels and other establishment categories with currently more than 3,700 certified establishments in 60 countries worldwide. The certification is based on compliance with a strict set of internationally recognised criteria that are regularly confirmed through on-site audits and a subsequent independent third-party verification. The Green Key programme is managed by the international charity, the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), and its national member organisations in 40+ countries.

“We are excited to start this cooperation with Green Key to increase the awareness about the sustainability certification among hotels. We have over 200 environmentally certified hotels in our selection and our aim is to increase the amount going forward,” says Annika Rusanen, Sustainability Manager at Aurinkomatkat.

Green Key International Director, Finn Bolding Thomsen, added a few words about this cooperation agreement:

“We are very happy to have the cooperation with Aurinkomatkat, which gives us the possibility to increase the awareness about Green Key and the importance of our certification in the hospitality industry. We appreciate this opportunity to further ensuring a greener hospitality industry. The importance of joining a certification programme, such as Green Key, not only shows the commitment of the hospitality and tourism operators towards sustainability but also raises awareness and creates behavioural changes among staff, suppliers and guests.”

To learn more about Aurinkomatkat, click here. 

To learn more about Green Key, click here.

Green Key partner Werner & Mertz Professional undergoing Green Transformation

Werner & Mertz is transforming their professional products to more sustainable versions, by changing their formulas, packaging material, and applying a circular economy model. The importance of the adequate use of cleaning products within the tourism and hospitality sector has already been a part of the Green Key for years, and the recent developments within the company Werner & Mertz are therefore considered as another important step for a more sustainable industry.

© Werner & Mertz Professional

The Professional Division of Werner & Mertz was established in 1971 and specializes in providing high-quality cleaning and sanitizing products for professional sectors, such as Building Care, Kitchen Hygiene, Facility Care or the Hospitality Sector. Their professional products are offered under the brand names Green Care Professional and Tana Professional. The company has already pursued a comprehensive, forward-looking sustainability strategy for years, featuring environmentally compatible and biodegradable ingredients for cleaning products, as well as innovative, recyclable packaging.

In the process of applying the circular economy model, the company has steadily been modifying its Tana Professional products. The next big development of the company is happening in 2022.  As Part of the “Go Green” project, the formulas and packaging of several Tana Professional brand products are being reworked and optimised for a sustainable circular economy.

Green Key International Director, Finn Bolding Thomsen, added a few words on the importance of circular economy for Green Key:

“ The circular economy model is also one of the sub-goals of Green Key’s GAIA 2030 strategic plan, which addresses the encouragement of positive actions on critical environmental issues. We are very happy that Green Key partners are applying this model and showing the importance of the circularity of natural resources and energy. “

The new product formulas contain a greater share of plant-based raw materials, which are biologically degradable and are, therefore, suitable for a return to the biological cycle.

“With our choice of ingredients for Green Care Professional, we are setting standards today for ecological products that often deliver better cleaning performance,” said Dr. Paula Barreleiro, Head of Formula Development at Werner & Mertz Professional.

“We are following this path with “Go Green”. In pursuit of our goals, we are applying our experience and technology of our closed loop sustainability concept for the Green Care Professional brand.”  

In the future, many of the reworked products will bear the respected eco credentials such as the Cradle-to-Cradle certificate, EU Ecolabel and the Austrian Ecolabel.

“These certifications are a visible sign that we are raising the sustainability of our customers to a new level with our product conversions. We see this as the most promising way to a circular future,” says Xiaoming Bai.

 For more information about the “Go Green” project, click here.  

The Hotel Association of Canada and The Foundation for Environmental Education sign a Co-Existence Agreement to streamline Sustainability Certification

The agreement was established to increase awareness about the two sustainability programmes globally and to support the hospitality industry to make more sustainable choices.

The Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) and The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) are pleased to announce that they have entered into a Co-Existence Agreement allowing both parties to collaborate in servicing the sustainability certification needs of hotel companies and corporations under the name of HAC’s Green Key Global in the USA & Canada and FEE’s Green Key in countries outside USA & Canada.

“We are delighted to be working alongside FEE in this game-changing agreement,”  said Susie Grynol President & CEO of The Hotel Association Canada. “This will simplify the  sustainability certification process for brands, eliminating the need to duplicate efforts, and allowing all hotels to benefit from third-party certification.”

“ We are proud to be entering into a closer cooperation with HAC that will better accommodate the needs of international hotel chains, thereby strengthening the sustainability of the global hospitality industry“, added Daniel Schaffer, CEO of FEE.

For more information on HAC’s Green Key Global, click here.

For more information on FEE’s Green Key, click here.

HUONE Copenhagen receives a Green Key certificate

HUONE Copenhagen, the most creative event and meeting venue in Copenhagen, has now joined the Green Key network of certified establishments. HUONE Copenhagen is part of the HUONE group, which operates in 3 different countries, Finland, Singapore and Denmark.

(Image: Strand Room in HUONE Copenhagen, which is one of the newly certified Green Key establishments in Denmark.)

HUONE offers creative spaces for business meetings and events and caters to business guests from all over the world. Originally from Finland, the group has a strong focus on people, culture and the environment the venue is part of, hence in recent years, it has taken even more significant steps towards hosting sustainable events.

Opened its doors in the autumn of 2019, HUONE Copenhagen transformed the old SAS airplane hangar into 20 fantastic full-service meeting and event rooms–aims to become the “Business Hub of Copenhagen.” It’s designed to provide a space and full-service needed  for collaboration and innovation.

HUONE Copenhagen is the first out of the four HUONE units becoming the Green Key certified conference facility. On the importance of receiving the Green Key certificate, Louise Adolph, the CEO of HUONE Copenhagen explains:

"[…] As a new player in Copenhagen business meeting and event sector, we strive for excellence in everything we do. It has always been our priority to do the best we can in order to promote sustainability in the event industry. I am truly proud of our first Green Key certification, especially after a long delay with the pandemic.

 Following the Green Key criteria has allowed us to review our operational procedures and encouraged us to communicate about the topic more in depth with the whole team. We were also able to come up with many initiatives to integrate our guests and customers for raising awareness on the importance of integrating environmental and social factors into operations. "[…]

(Image: Evon Blomstedt, speaking at HUONE Copenhagen HUONE & Friends event)

Evon Blomstedt, the founder of HUONE, also shared the excitement of the news:

“HUONE Copenhagen is our newest and proudest HUONE unit. It is the essence of our experience of hosting almost 20k meetings, rightly so, for the No.1 meeting city in the Nordics.

Although we are still a small player compared to big hotels, we have been striving to do our part for a more sustainable meeting industry such as excluding beef from daily menus and paying extra attention to our communication. I’m very excited to see HUONE Copenhagen officially join Green Key certified conference facilities and being part of the city’s effort of becoming the front runner in hosting green meetings, conferences and events ”

HUONE Copenhagen’s effort towards more sustainable events focuses on the environmental impact of the services it provides as well as the social and economic commitment for the local community.

As for the environmental commitment, HUONE Copenhagen is located in a facility that aims to be one of Copenhagen’s most sustainable buildings with solar panels, waste sorting/recycling and district heating and cooling. Water and energy consumption are monthly monitored to control and create an action plan for future improvement. Waste management effort is in place for recycling, communication with guests, no single-use tableware and more. Moreover, the venue has focused on the actions to reduce carbon footprint with procurement/menu design, for instance, ‘No Beef Policy.’ 

Finally, as for the social and economic commitment, HUONE’s creative DNA is founded on a strong belief in the individual’s strengths and personality. The company has a strong emphasis on diversity and inclusion as well as paying attention to the well-being of employees and creating a safe work atmosphere for the team.

 Click here, to read more about the sustainable events at HUONE Copenhagen.

Green Key establishment, Sani Resort, publishes their Environmental, Social and Governance Report

The Sani Resort continuous its tireless work to minimise its environmental footprint, by dedicating their work to the protection of local biodiversity, supporting the local community, and setting a triple Zero Goal: net zero of carbon emissions by 2030 zero single-use plastic and produce zero waste by 2024. In 2020, it therefore became the first certified carbon neutral resort in Greece running in 100% renewable electricity

As part of the Sani/Ikos hotel group, the Sani Resort is encompassing five hotels spread across a 1,000-acre ecological reserve on the Kassandra Peninsula. It is surrounded by seven kilometres of Blue Flag beaches, 20km of forest trails and 270 acres of wetlands, encouraging guests to reconnect with nature within a sustainable mini self-contained world.

In 2020, Sani Resort became the first certified carbon neutral resort in Greece running in 100% renewable energy and was recently awarded as the World’s Leading Luxury Green Resort at the World Travel Awards for the second year in a row. From its commitment to the local community, to its dedication to biodiversity and its efforts to operate sustainably, Sani works tirelessly to minimise its environmental footprint. With sustainability at heart, in 2008, Sani Resort has launched “Sani Green”, a programme focusing on improving the sustainability performance of the resort, from energy efficiency and use of renewable energy sources to water conservation and sustainable procurement. Each Sani Green initiative is supported by well-defined policies and measurable targets, in line with UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Therefore, the resort is powered by 100% renewable electricity, energy consumption has been reduced by 3% in 2019, water consumption per guest has been reduced by 48% since 2016, and 2,000,000kg of materials have been recycled in the last five years, with a recycling performance of 290,000kg planned for 2021.Furthermore,the Sani Resort has set a triple Zero Goal; net zero of carbon emissions by 2030, zero plastic and produce zero waste by 2024. As a result, the Sani/Ikos group has already banned the EU single-use plastic list. Furthermore, electric car charging stations with are offered within the resort, and all club cars are electric. In addition, Sani is reducing food waste via AI technology and launching its first zero waste restaurant, the Tomata restaurant at the Sani Marina.

The pollinator hotel of the Sani Resort

Over 60% of Sani’s products come from within 100miles of the resort, with in-resort botanical gardens supporting the farm-to-table approach of its restaurants. Sani’s food and wine range, Land of Grace, produced exclusively by local artisans, is available to taste or purchase-all profits donated to local food banks for vulnerable communities. Guests immerse in nature through guided eco-activities like Sani Wetlands, birdwatching, forest walk, beekeeping, olive harvesting and day farm trips. Home to 225 bird species (total 456 species found in Greece), the complimentary birdwatching tours in Sani Wetlands have seen a 680% increase in participation since 2013.

The Sani Resort furthermore actively works on the protection of the local biodiversity. Together with the not-for profit organisation, Bee Camp, the Sani Resort just launched the largest Bee Spot in Greece, to give shelter to pollinators and host educational activities about the importance of bees in the local eco-system. Adults and kids have the chance to have an eco-trip to the bee spot and learn more about the importance of the pollinators in the local eco-system. In addition, Sani teamed up with ISea to monitor the resident dolphin population and create the first catalogue of cetaceans in Halkidiki. Teenagers and kids participate in educational activities about the rich biodiversity in the Greek seas and the human interaction. Finally, Sani supports further biodiversity projects, such as the Sani Wetlands Project and tree-planting, as well as encourages local farmers to farm more sustainably.

On the importance of receiving the Green Key certificate, Eleni Andreadis, Director of Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility explains;

"For more than 50 years, Sani Resort has placed sustainability at the center of its activities. We have been recipients and supporters of the Green Key award since its early days. Our cooperation has helped us build and develop our commitment to sustainability as a vital part of our philosophy in pursuing the Sustainable Development Goals that serve as a blueprint for a better and more sustainable hospitality industry in Greece."

The hotel group’s recently published Environmental, Social and Governance Report 2021, which summarises all their environmental and social sustainability actions in greater detail, can be downloaded here. For more information about the Sani Resort in general, please visit their website, by clicking here.

Sani Resort Properties

Sani Resort Natural Reserve

Sani Resort Rooms

Radisson BLU Hotel Alexandria in Egypt keeps setting high standards in environmental and social sustainability

The Radisson BLU Hotel Alexandria in Egypt has again been certified with the Green Key. With that achievement, the hotel has now been part of the programme for the seventh year in a row!

The Radisson Blu Hotel Alexandria

The Radisson BLU Hotel Alexandria has entered the hospitality market with a well-thought-out strategy to meet the needs of a variety of target groups while maintaining high standards of environmental and social sustainability. This includes continuously reducing the energy and water consumption of its guests while maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction. The Radisson BLU Hotel Alexandria is part of the Radisson Hotel Group, one of the world's largest hotel groups with nine distinctive hotel brands and more than 1,700 hotels in operation or under development in 120 countries. The group's overarching brand promise is "Every Moment Matters" with a signature service ethos of "Yes I Can!".

After opening its doors in 2010, the owners of the establishment have worked hard to achieve the Green Key certificate for the first time in the year 2015. Since then, the establishments efforts to go the extra mile for our environment has not stopped, which is why they now achieved to be certified with the Green Key for the seventh year in a row.

Sustainable development has therefore been part of the hotel’s strategy since the beginning. As a result, the Radisson BLU Hotel Alexandria regularly joins different activities focusing on environmental or social sustainability. For example, in the past years, the hotel joined hundreds of cities around the world that turned off their lights for one hour during the international Earth Hour to show that global warming can be reduced by joint efforts of individuals, companies, and politicians. In 2022, the Radisson BLU Alexandria furthermore organised a bike day for their team members to promote the use of sustainable means of transportation amongst the staff.

On the importance of receiving the Green Key certificate, the General Manager of the establishment explains;

“We are passionate about helping others, and that extends beyond the boundaries of our hotel. We believe in acting ethically in everything we do and strive to be a thriving, sustainable and responsible business for people, the community and our planet.

Our team members live Responsible Business every day alongside their hotel colleagues and in their local communities, where we work to create a better future and a better planet for all.”

Please visit the Radisson BLU Hotel Alexandria’s website to learn more about the establishment.

Green Key International and Reza Hygiene enter collaboration agreement

The new Green Key corporate partner Reza Hygiene specialises in a high-quality range of products and services, which can be used by the hospitality sector. Their main products include food and beverage processing, ambient scenting, catering, fine dining, and fabric care.

Credits: Cottonbro (Pexels)

With almost 25 years of experience in providing hygiene and cleaning solutions for all industries, Reza Hygiene is a company with a strong regional heritage in Saudi Arabia that takes a highly responsible approach to chemical production. In line with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, which aims for a vibrant society, a thriving economy and an ambitious nation, Reza Hygiene has also strengthened its sustainable commitment through several international accreditations. In addition, the company has invested in a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant that produces more than 40,000 tones of hygiene chemical products per year under license from leading international partners.

Furthermore, Reza Hygiene has pioneered the use of effective green chemical machinery and products in the housekeeping sectors, some of which include LEED accreditation. As part of its commitment to a more sustainable future, Reza Hygiene favors local and regional manufacturers whenever possible, as well as more natural bio-based and less harmful raw material substitutes. In addition, all products used by the Saudi Arabian company are packaged with locally sourced, recyclable materials. The packaging waste is then separated, returned and recycled by Reza Hygiene.

Finally, the enterprise has also been focusing on reducing its energy consumption through implementing long-lasting LED lights in all its facilities, as well as solar-heated water systems and solar-powered lighting.

The company's cooperation agreement with Green Key International aims to inform about the services and products Reza Hygiene can offer to the hospitality industry in the Middle East, but also to raise awareness about the Green Key certification programme in the Kingdom. Green Key International recognizes Reza Hygiene's high quality services and products for hotels, hostels and restaurants, covering areas such as food and beverage processing, room fragrancing, catering and fine dining, and textile care. About the partnership with Reza Hygiene, the Green Key International Director Finn Bolding Thomsen says:

"Green Key International is happy to enter a collaboration agreement with Reza Hygiene to increase the sustainability in the hospitality sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Middle East.”

Please visit our partner’s website to learn more about the services and products offered by Reza Hygiene.