Green Key is a leading standard of excellence in the field of sustainable tourism, guiding tourism establishments in doing 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 10: "Reduce inequality within and among countries".
What is Goal 10 about?
According to the UN, "Goal 10 calls for reducing inequalities in income as well as those based on age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status within a country. The Goal also addresses inequalities among countries, including those related to representation, migration and development assistance.” In the link above, you can read about the targets and indicators to Goal 10.
In many developing countries, tourism is an important source of income and employment. However, these positive effects often do not reach those parts of society that would need it the most. If managed sustainably, however, tourism business can make a valuable contribution to the eradication of discrimination and inequalities.
How does Green Key help to achieve goal 10?
The hospitality sector has a significant role in the provision of job opportunities to many workers, representing an important source of income for many countries. How this income is distributed also depends on how sustainable the management of the tourism establishment is. SDG target 10.2 clarifies that the social, economic, and political inclusion should be granted irrespective of “sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or other statuses”, and the Green Key programme shares this vision:
STAFF SALARY - All employees working in Green Key certified establishments are paid at least a living wage, as compliance with local, national, and international regulations on labour is one of the imperative criteria, so the salary cannot lie below the legal minimum threshold (criterion 11.1);
RECRUITMENT EQUITY - All Green Key certified establishments are encouraged to be equitable in hiring women and local minorities, including in management positions, while restraining from using child labour (criteria 11.2, 11.5). Fair conditions and justice at the workplace are at the core of the programme’s ethics and must be shared by all Green Key certified establishments.
A document describing Green Key’s overall contribution to all 17 Sustainable Development Goals can be downloaded here.
