The Green Key is an eco-label for tourism operated by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). It operates in 6 countries and certifies accommodations for their environmental impacts related to electricity, water, waste, chemicals and more. The Green Key criteria evaluate accommodations on their environmental management, policies, objectives, plans and staff involvement. It focuses on direct measures to save energy, water and reduce waste as well as communication of environmental efforts. Certification requires accommodations to establish an environmental policy and objectives, action plans to meet goals, and efforts from staff to conserve resources and inform guests about sustainable practices. The Green Key aims to promote environmental efforts, savings and marketing benefits for certified businesses.

1. THEGREENKEY
- an ecolabel for tourism

2. We are many things

3. The Green Key
around the world via FEE
FEE, Foundation for environmental education is an
NGO devoted to Environmental Education
FEE runs 5 international campaigns:
• Green Key and Blue Flag where the target group is
tourists
• Eco-Schools, Young Reporters for the Environment, and
Learning about Forest where the target group is children
• More information on FEE and its five campaigns:
www.fee-international.org

4. We are 6 countries
France
Sweden
Estonia
Lithuania
The Netherlands
Denmark – Greenland

5. Environmental impacts by
tourism accommodations
The very important ones
• Electricity
• Heat
• Water
• Waste
The less important ones
• Noise and odour
• Emissions to water and air
• Hazardous waste
• Transportation
The important ones
• Cleaning agents and
chemicals
• Foodstuffs
• Single dose packages and
disposable items

6. The Green Key Criteria
• Environmental
management
• Guest information
• Staff involvement
• Water savings
• Cleaning and washing
• Waste
• Energy savings
• Foods
• Indoor climate
• Administration
• Green activities
• Parking areas and parks

7. Three kinds of criteria
• Direct measures
• Environmental
management
• Communication
All the measures concerning
energy, water, waste,
chemicals, outdoor activities
etc.
Policy, targets, action plans, and
measurements
Staff involvement, involving the
guests, sub-contractors and
suppliers

8. Environmental Management

9. Environmental Policy
As a responsible business we will try to choose options, which
continuously contributes to the protection of the environment
and the natural resources.
We want to:
Keep up and develop our environmental efforts by saving
energy and water and by using products which have low impact
on the environment
Discuss environmental questions in an open and positive
dialogue with customers, staff, authorities, suppliers,
organisations and other who have an interest
Prompt our suppliers to deliver services and products that
comply with environmental level

10. Environmental Objectives
We have decided to work with the following environmental
objectives:
 Save 10 % on the water consumption before the end of the year
 Reduce the energy consumption per guest by 5 % before the end of
the year
 Purchase organically produced foods for 10 % of the total budget for
foods
 Inform all our suppliers about our environmental activities by sending
out a letter in December
 Inform all our staff about our environmental activities by arranging a
project day on October the 10th . In the future we will arrange meetings
every quarter to keep the staff informed about the activities

11. Environmental Plan of Action
Example of a part of a plan of action
Objective: The water consumption is reduced by 10 %
per guest before the end of the year.
Responsible: John Smith
Objects: All toilets must be water saving. John
Smith finds out how many of the existing toilets have a
flush of more than 6 litres per flush. John Smith gets
an estimate on the replacements needed. John Smith
enters into a contract with supplier and informs the staff
about the replacements.
Budget: 3.400 EUR and 25 hours for John Smith are set aside.
Time schedule: October – December
Follow-up: January

12. The role of the staff
In a tourism business, the staff has a central position,
because the staff is the link between the manager and
the guests
1. The staff have direct relation with the tourists, and they can
spread the message.
2. The staff can take action and they can promote and
perform a good (or a bad) environmental behaviour.
3. The staff can adopt simple everyday gesture that change
things and decrease the environmental impacts of the
business

13. Efforts made by the staff
• Dose chemical products for washing and for
cleaning correctly to avoid over
consumption
• Avoid unnecessary water consumption
• Sorting waste in categories
• Turn down the heat in empty rooms
• Fat filters in the exhaust must be cleaned
• Sorting waste in categories
• Proper use of the kitchen equipment
• Inform guests about the environmental
undertakings at the business including The
Green Key
• Inform guests about public transportation
and green activities in the nearby area
• Cleaning the surfaces of the heat/cooling
exchanger of the ventilation plan at least
once a year
• Turn off heating, refrigerators and
televisions when rooms or houses are not let
out
• Cleaning
• Kitchen / Service
• Reception
• Technician

14. Why The Green Key?
• Environmental efforts?
• Savings?
• Marketing?

15. More information
• International website www.green-key.org
• National website
• The Green Key national operator