Green Key is a leading standard of excellence in the field of sustainable tourism, guiding tourism establishments to do their part in achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the UN. In our new feature series we will present each of the 17 SDGs and explain their connection to Green Key.
In 2015, the UN member states adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals to guide governments, the private sector and civil society in transforming our world into safer, fairer and more livable place.
On this page, you will learn more about Goal 3: "Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages".
What is Goal 3 about?
According to the UN, Goal 3 "seeks to ensure health and well-being for all, at every stage of life. The Goal addresses all major health priorities, including reproductive, maternal and child health; communicable, non-communicable and environmental diseases; universal health coverage; and access for all to safe, effective, quality, and affordable medicines and vaccines. It also calls for more research and development, increased health financing, and strengthened capacity of all countries in health risk reduction and management."
How does Green Key help to achieve Goal 3?
Green Key's criteria promote the health and well-being of the staff and guests by monitoring reducing the exposure to harmful substances and environmental pollution (SDG target 3.9). The programme requires certified establishments to comply with relevant health, safety, and environmental legislation (criterion 11.1). Additionally, here are some of the 2022-2025 criteria contributing to the achievement of SDG 3:
WATER POLLUTION PREVENTION - All Green Key certified establishments need to have their wastewater treated, to ensure that it does not pollute the sea or any groundwater body (criterion 4.8); furthermore, Green Key encourages establishment to implement on-site wastewater treatment (where possible) to enable water savings and reduce pollution risk as well as other chemical hazards (criterion 4.15);
CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT AND SOURCING - Hazardous chemicals pose a serious threat to human and ecosystem health. Pollutants can damage recipients via different pathways, such as ingestion, inhalation, and skin contact. For this reason, Green Key certified establishments must reduce the use of hazardous chemicals, while still ensuring the highest standards of hygiene. Disinfection substances may only be used in accordance with the products’ directions for use, and in correspondence with the national legislation on hygiene. Fragranced products should be avoided, as they can be the cause for skin irritations and allergies (criteria 5.4, 5.10). The same applies to pesticides and fertilisers used in green areas within the establishment’s premises (criterion 10.1). Soaps, shampoos, and shower gels are preferably eco-labelled, thus providing, so that chemicals used in these products are verified (criterion 6.17);
WASTE MANAGEMENT - Green Key expects applicant establishments to implement an effective waste management system that includes actions addressing the prevention, handling, and final disposal of the produced waste. In order to prevent environmental pollution and reduce the risk of human exposure to waste (criteria 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.6, 6.7);
(NON)-SMOKING POLICY - Green Key promotes a smoke-free environment. At least 75% of the rooms in a certified establishment need to be non-smoking, and restaurants should be non-smoking or at least have a non-smoking section (criteria 9.1, 9.2). Furthermore, Green Key certified establishments are supposed to have a personnel policy in place regarding smoking during working hours (criterion 9.3);
AIR QUALITY – Green Key establishments are encouraged to regularly monitor air quality within their premises, to make sure that staff work in a safe environment, and that guests are not exposed to health risks during their stay (criterion 9.4). Certified establishments should also support sustainable transportation either by recommending bike rentals and other eco-friendly means to guests (criteria 3.6, 12.2), or by providing bike rental services themselves (criterion 12.3), by banning vehicle idling within their premises (criterion 13.11), by providing and encouraging the use of environmentally friendly motorised vehicles to staff (13.10, 13.12), and by granting electric vehicles access to charging stations (criterion 7.26): this way toxic exhaust fumes released in the air are reduced, and so should the effects of air pollution threatening human health;
A document describing Green Key’s overall contribution to all 17 Sustainable Development Goals can be downloaded here.
