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 8: "Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all".
What is Goal 8 about?
According to the UN, "increasing labour productivity, reducing the unemployment rate, especially for young people, and improving access to financial services and benefits are essential components of sustained and inclusive economic growth." In this context, the UN identifies a variety of ways to ensure that development is both environmentally and socially sustainable, for example the decoupling of economic growth and environmental degradation (SDG target 8.4), the promotion of a sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products (SDG target 8.9), the eradication of child labour and slavery (SDG target 8.7), and the protection of labour rights to promote safe and secure working conditions (SDG target 8.8). The more a tourism business is integrated into the local social and economic environment, the more benefits will be generated for the whole local community.
How does Green Key help to achieve Goal 8?
Being an eco-certification designed to foster sustainable practices in the hospitality industry, Green Key specifically addresses SDG target 8.9. Green Key focuses on helping establishments reduce their resource consumption and increase the overall environmental efficiency of the tourism sector. Furthermore, Green Key encourages the support of local economies and promotes equality and inclusiveness in working environments. Here are some of the ways Green Key actively takes a stand towards the achievement of SDG 8:
DECOUPLING – Data of Green Key certified establishments on energy, water, carbon missions and waste are collected and analyzed with the sustainability accounting database ECO-OS to identify opportunities for establishments to reduce consumption and increase efficiency. Improving the environmental performance simultaneously helps to achieve cost-savings, thus proving that profitability can and should go hand in hand with environmental choices. The implementation of green technologies, smart solutions and through behavioral change enable establishments to achieve more with less and to generate positive net impacts on the society as a whole;
WORKING CONDITIONS AND CHILD LABOUR – All establishments must run in compliance with international, national, and local legislation regarding the environment, health, safety, and labour (criterion 11.1). Among such requirements, establishments must make sure that safety of staff and guests is always accounted for, e.g. by putting in place safe procedures for the handling and storing of hazardous chemicals (criteria 6.6, 6.7), by preferably monitoring indoor air quality periodically (9.4), and by making sure that cleaning and gardening products do not contain compounds that are potentially harmful for human health (5.3, 5.4, 10.1). Furthermore, it is worth mentioning that establishments cannot qualify for the Green Key award unless they prohibit and take action to fight child labour and exploitation in their activities (11.2);
SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES - Establishments certified with the Green Key should actively work towards generating a positive impact on the local community and economy, for example by supporting local community development initiatives (criterion 11.6), and by elaborating a sustainable purchasing policy (11.10) that favors locally-sourced and fair trade products/services, e.g. as regards food, beverages and cleaning services, to promote the local culture and economy (criteria 8.1, 13.7). Green Key also endorses establishments to make a further step and enable local small entrepreneurs to showcase and sell their products to guests within the establishment’s premises (11.7).
A document describing Green Key’s overall contribution to all 17 Sustainable Development Goals can be downloaded here.
