Green Key intro sessions for interested establishments

Discover the Green Key advantage: Join our introductory online sessions on Tuesday 6 May 

Are you a hospitality establishment looking to boost your sustainability credentials? Green Key International invites you to explore the benefits of certification through our upcoming Introduction to Green Key for interested establishments on Tuesday 6 May 2025. 

Two Sessions Available 

To accommodate different schedules, we’re offering two identical sessions: 

• Session A: Tuesday 6 May 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (CEST). Register here 

• Session B: Tuesday 6 May 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (CEST), Register here 

Whether you're a hotel, campsite, restaurant, or another establishment, this is your chance to learn more about our famous certification. 

Meet the Speaker 

The sessions will be hosted by Finn Bolding Thomsen, International Green Key Director, who will guide participants through the key elements of the programme and share insights from his extensive experience in sustainable tourism. 

 What to Expect 

Each one-hour session will include a concise yet comprehensive introduction to the Green Key programme. Topics will include: 

• Overview of Green Key criteria and certification process 

• Participation costs and available support tools 

• The benefits of joining the Green Key community 

• Guidance on how to get started 

• Key contact information for follow-up 

After the presentation, we’ll open the floor to a Q&A session, giving you the opportunity to ask specific questions and engage directly with Green Key International representatives. 

 Who Should Attend? 

These online sessions are ideal for interested establishments considering Green Key certification or simply wanting to learn more about sustainable operations in tourism and hospitality. 
Registration is free but required to receive the links.  

• Register for Session A 

• Register for Session B 

Join us on Tuesday 6 May and take the first step toward a more sustainable future for your business. 

Benerg joins the Green Key network

Green Key and Benerg Oy have entered into a partnership aimed at raising awareness and demand for food waste-to-energy solutions among the hospitality industry.   

Green Key x Benerg partnership

The partnership focuses particularly on supporting Green Key applicant establishments around the world, helping them meet Green Key criteria related to sustainable energy, waste disposal, and reduction.  

Benerg Oy, based in Helsinki, operates in the EU region with scalable and modular solutions starting from 60kg of food waste daily to 120kg.  

Benerg deploys scalable building-scale biogas machines to the hospitality industry to convert food waste into electricity with remarkable efficiency. Our technology can deliver up to 1 million kWh of energy with 120kg of food waste daily. With this technology, hotels can save money on energy bills, reduce their carbon footprint, and eliminate food waste disposal costs. 

About Benerg  

Benerg Oy was established in 2024 as a result of 4 years of research and development, focusing on flourishing and maintaining biogas production per kg of food waste. Benerg has 4 different capacity machines for the hospitality industry, starting from 60kg to 120kg.  

Key Features 

• Daily Capacity: Processes between 60kg - 120kg of food waste per day (plant-based, animal-based, or mixed). 

• Energy Generation: Produces 915,000 kWh/year (enough to power 250 households annually). 

• CO₂ Reduction: Avoids 96 tonnes of CO₂e/year (equivalent to planting 4,400 trees). 

• Organic Fertilizer: Produces 30 tonnes/year of nutrient-rich fertilizer. 

• Compact Design: Fits in small spaces 

• Smart Monitoring: IoT-enabled for real-time performance tracking. 

For additional information about Benerg, please visit www.benerg.io. 

Castara Retreats: responsible hospitality of an eco-boutique resort in the Caribbean

Perched on the hillside where the rainforest meets the Caribbean Sea, Castara Retreats offers 17 treehouse-style eco-lodges, each designed in harmony with the surrounding landscape. The resort’s commitment to sustainability goes beyond architecture—it is a living-in-the-landscape experience where guests are immersed in nature while supporting a community-driven tourism model. 

For the second consecutive year, Castara Retreats has been awarded Green Key certification, reaffirming its commitment to regenerative tourism and sustainable hospitality in the Caribbean.  

As part of the Green Key recertification celebrations, team members and guests took part in a commemorative herb planting activity, using compost generated from Castara Retreats’ own sustainability efforts. These fresh, locally grown herbs and ingredients bring vibrant, nourishing flavours to Caribbean Kitchen, the resort’s in-house restaurant, where dishes are made from scratch with care and a commitment to sustainability. Guests and team members also explored the resort’s evolving butterfly garden, a biodiversity initiative designed to support pollinators and native plant life, reinforcing Castara Retreats’ dedication to conservation. 

Speaking at the event, Director of Green T&T, Willard P. Harris, praised Castara Retreats for setting a high standard in sustainable hospitality: 

“At the very core of Castara Retreats’ triumph lies a visionary sustainability policy and a brilliantly crafted action plan. These are not mere documents, but the very heartbeat of your operation, guiding every decision with purpose and passion.” 

Harris further highlighted the resort’s deep integration with the Castara community: 

“What truly makes Castara Retreats a shining star in the tourism industry is your profound connection to the local community. You have woven yourselves into the very fabric of Castara, ensuring that the fruits of sustainable tourism nourish the entire region. This is not just business; this is a beautiful symbiosis of commerce and community.” 

Maisha Oben, General Manager of Castara Retreats, expressed pride in the team’s efforts to maintain and strengthen the resort’s sustainability: 

“This recognition is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and unwavering commitment of our team. The journey to being recertified was not easy, but with every step, we stayed true to our ethos—respecting nature, integrating sustainability into every action, and reinforcing our responsibility to both our guests and the local community. Let us continue this journey to be an exemplar for Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean.” 

The resort’s next steps include expanding its sustainable initiatives, deepening its conservation efforts, and continuing to foster meaningful connections with the local community. 

About Castara Retreats 

Nestled in the heart of Castara, Tobago, Castara Retreats is an eco-boutique resort designed for guests to "live in the landscape." Its 17 treehouse-style, self-catering lodges blend rustic luxury with a deep commitment to sustainability, creating a seamless connection to nature. 

With a vision to be a regional leader in sustainable hospitality, Castara Retreats is shaping a resilient, prosperous, and inclusive model for tourism. The resort actively uplifts local culture, protects the environment, and supports sustainable economic growth, fostering a “community of practice” that shares in the transformative power of responsible travel. 

What did you think of Castara Retreats’ good practice planting activities ? Do you have your own brilliant good oractice that you would like to share with the network?

Click the link below to submit news and ood practices with Green Key International and the entire network. We would love to see that! 

Green Key (FEE) and ATTA announce partnership to promote sustainable travel practices

ATTA and FEE have created a Memorandum of Understanding with the goal of jointly promoting sustainability awareness, fostering practical implementation, encouraging community engagement, and activating market participation among the members of both organisations. This collaboration will benefit the members of ATTA and FEE (Green Key and Blue Flag programmes), while aiming to build more sustainable destinations and companies.

““The collaboration between ATTA and FEE will lead to the development of more resilient and eco-friendly travel destinations and continue setting a high standard for the industry.””

— Daniel Schaffer, Chief Executive Officer of FEE

By leveraging each other's strengths and resources, this partnership will enhance the visibility and impact of sustainability initiatives. It will provide a robust framework for members to adopt and showcase best practices in environmental stewardship. Additionally, it will facilitate deeper community involvement, encouraging local populations to actively participate in sustainability efforts. This concerted approach is expected to drive market activation, creating a competitive edge for businesses that prioritise sustainable practices. 

According to Shannon Stowell, CEO of ATTA, "Sustainability is no longer an option; it is a necessity for the future of travel. This partnership between ATTA and FEE represents a significant step toward equipping more destinations and businesses with the tools and knowledge to implement meaningful change. By working together, we can create a more responsible and resilient tourism industry that benefits communities, protects our planet, and enhances the traveler experience."

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About Foundation for Environmental Education

The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) is one of the world’s largest Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) organisations, with over 100 member organisations in 81 countries. With a network of over 50,000 educational institutions, the Eco-Schools, Learning About Ecosystems and Forests and Young Reporters for the Environment programmes empower young people to create an environmentally conscious world through experiential, project-based learning. The Green Key and Blue Flag programmes are globally recognised for promoting sustainable business practices and the protection of natural resources. With over 40 years of impactful experience in ESD, FEE’s strategic plan, GAIA 20:30, prioritises impactful action across all five programmes to address the threats of climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental pollution. 

About the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA)

The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), established in 1990, is the largest global network of adventure travel leaders with around 30,000 individual guides, tour operators, lodges, travel advisors, tourism boards, destination marketing and management organisations, outdoor educators, gear companies and travel media who share a belief and commitment to sustainable tourism. ATTA’s mission is to empower the global travel community to protect natural and cultural capital while creating economic value that benefits both trade members and destinations. ATTA offers a portfolio of strategic solutions and a robust ecosystem of events around the world. ATTA has specialised expertise in research, education, media, and promotion.

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Six Marriott International hotels receive Green Key certification in Mexico

On 29 January, Zadún, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, and Solaz, a Luxury Collection Resort in Los Cabos, received Green Key certification. Additionally, on 6 February, four more hotels—Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa, The Westin Resort & Spa Puerto Vallarta, The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort, and Sheraton Buganvilias Resort & Convention Center in Puerto Vallarta—were awarded the certification, bringing the total to six Marriott International hotels in the programme. With these additions, Mexico now has 248 certified hotels.

The hotels have implemented measures focused on the sustainable use of water and energy, as well as proper waste management. Thanks to these actions, they comply with the Green Key International criteria and demonstrate their commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.

Among the numerous good practices promoted, the following stand out:

• Solaz, a Luxury Collection Resort in Los Cabos, has a composting project that has produced 351 kg of compost, which is used as organic fertiliser for the soil and green areas.

• Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa has maintained an orchard for five years, using the harvested fruit in its restaurant to ensure zero-kilometre sourcing.

• The Westin Resort & Spa Puerto Vallarta, Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa, and Sheraton Buganvilias Resort & Convention Center simultaneously implement the Blue Flag programme to keep their beaches clean and ensure proper environmental management for their preservation.

These hotels follow in the footsteps of Sheraton Buganvilias Resort & Convention Center, the first Green Key-certified hotel in Mexico. For more than 10 years, this site has continuously worked to meet the certification scheme’s requirements and was also a pioneer in obtaining both Green Key and Blue Flag certifications in the country.

A sincere thank you to Green Key Mexico for its leadership in overseeing the programme at a national level and for its dedicated coordination with Green Key-certified establishments, culminating in the successful achievement of 248 certified establishments as of February 2025.

Armenia Marriott Hotel Yerevan Becomes Armenia's First Green Key Certified Establishment

On 20 December,2024, the Armenia Marriott Hotel Yerevan achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first Green Key-certified establishment in Armenia.  

This achievement not only marks a significant step forward for the hotel itself but also represents an important moment for Armenia’s tourism sector as it embraces sustainability. 

The certification ceremony was attended by notable guests, including H.E. Ambassador Eric de Muynck, Ambassador of Belgium; Mrs. Sabina Nováková, First Secretary andDeputy Head of Mission of the Czech Embassy; and representatives from the Ministry of Economy, the United Nations, the Armenian Hotel Association and other distinguished guest. Their presence highlighted the importance of this accomplishment for Armenia and the international recognition Green Key certification brings. 

The process has been coordinated by Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Development of Communities (ISSD) NGO, the National Operator of Green Key program in Armenia. ISSD’s work ensures that more Armenian businesses can become part of this global movement for sustainability. Together with ISSD, we work to create a greener future for the country.  As several other hotels in Armenia are undergoing the certification process while others are planning to, 2025 might be a very promising year for the sustainable path of Armenia's hospitality industry  

The ISSD’s primary goal is to encourage the adoption of eco-friendly practices among accommodation providers in Armenia's Lori, Tavush, Shirak, and Gegharkunik regions. Through a series of targeted activities, the ISSD sets clear objectives to drive change. Some of the main activities include:  

• providing training of local professionals,  

• developing sustainability plans,  

• implementing awareness raising campaigns,  

• developing case studies. 

ISSD encourages a broader shift towards sustainability; by combining environmental responsibility with financial benefits, they aim to boost business opportunities for hospitality service providers, positioning Armenia as a leading green travel destination. 

Penta Hotels ends year in sustainable style as all German properties earn Green Key certification

Penta Hotels has taken a significant step on its sustainability journey, with all of its German properties now proudly holding Green Key certification as of December 2024.

The brand’s properties in Brussels, Liège, and Leuven had earned Green Key certification in recent years, and now all hotels in Germany have followed suit, marking a major milestone in Penta Hotels’ ongoing efforts to achieve certifications for all its properties.

"We are delighted that all German Penta Hotels now bear the Green Key certification. This demonstrates that our sustainability actions and measures are bearing fruit and that we’re on the right track." said Kim Jasmin Junge, Property Coordinator at Penta Hotels, and leader for sustainability issues within the company.

"We’re working towards obtaining Green Key certificates for all our hotels, with the process already underway at the properties in Reading and Prague, as well as working on other further measures to promote sustainability," she added.

Since 2023, Penta Hotels has partnered with Too Good To Go to reduce food waste. Additionally, through a collaboration with Recup, the hotel chain offers sustainable, reusable bowls and cups for take-out orders. All Penta hotels have plastic-free breakfasts as standard, and have removed all disposable items from bathrooms, so that water, electricity, and waste consumption are carefully monitored.

In 2023, Penta Hotels launched a successful tree-planting partnership contributing to the planting of 2,200 trees in that year alone. In other efforts, the company also captured attention with its Earth Day 2024 campaign, where plastic waste was displayed as a pseudo-art installation in the hotel lobbies to raise awareness about the global plastic waste crisis amongst its guests.

About Penta Hotels

Penta® represents a new generation of lively neighbourhood hotels offering modern-minded individuals and business travellers' comfort and style in a relaxed atmosphere. Known for its unique interior design and attitude, the brand stands for true innovation in the industry’s upper-midscale segment. The hallmark of the hotel chain is the Pentalounge – a combination of lounge, bar, café and reception – that stands out with its "living room" look and feel. For further information, please visit www.pentahotels.com and follow @pentahotels on Instagram.

Statement on Green Key's status - 2025 and beyond

The current Green Key standard (criteria and explanatory notes) took effect on 1 January 2022 and has been internationally recognised. This Green Key standard is expected to remain in force until 31 December 2026.

The certification process includes third-party verification, conducted either by an independent auditor or a National Jury, to ensure compliance with Green Key requirements.

To meet upcoming EU directives on consumer protection and green claims, Green Key is committed to securing scheme approval from Denmark’s national accreditation body (NAB), a member of the International Accreditation Forum.

During 2025, Green Key will be updating and revising criteria and process to allow for application for scheme approval which will be submitted by 31 December 2025, with the goal of achieving approval by 31 December 2026.

Any updates to the Green Key standard and certification procedures resulting from this process will be implemented no later than 1 January 2027.

First Bulgarian restaurant to receive the Green Key award for a restaurant in Eastern Europe

An article by the Bulgarian Blue Flag Movement, FEE member in Bulgaria

When we heard for the first time at the Bulgarian Blue Flag Movement that a former school in the Bulgarian village of Devino had been transformed into what is probably the most sustainable restaurant in Eastern Europe, we simply couldn’t believe it.

As the Bulgarian full member and representative of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and its Green Key programme, the Bulgarian Blue Flag Movement has a long experience in sustainability certification. So after receiving the Dieci Boutique Restaurant’s application, we decided to check for ourselves whether this is real.

We analysed the entire business process of the restaurant according to the Green Key criteria - the world's leading eco-label for environmentally responsible tourism businesses.

Undoubtedly, the owners of Dieci, Chef Gianfranco Chiarini and Chef Anna Chiarini, have decided to turn sustainability not only into a moral thing to do, but moreover into their philosophy, lifestyle and passion.

Dieci Boutique Restaurant is blessed to be located in the heart of Bulgaria, among pristine forests that provide the game, truffles and hundreds of foraging treasures to the wonderful and innovative cuisine it offers to its guests. But it also provides its visitors with direct contact with the priceless nature of the country, which is an important requirement of the Green Key programme.

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The remodeled building gives credit to the chefs and their philosophy, where the reuse of old materials and adapting rather than demolishing is sustainable in itself. But they went further by improving the building’s energy efficiency during the renovation and were very smart in the use of reclaimed wood for the floors, organic painting materials for the walls and everything in the villa and the restaurant, from the tables to the restaurant’s food is organic and fair trade certified - in line with the Green Key criteria.

What is most exciting is how they’ve turned an old abandoned school into something exceptional, where all traditional elements have been preserved, old furniture and tools have been restored and beautifully displayed. Watch a video about the duo and the restaurant.

The owners' day begins at 6:30 in the morning, when foraging from the forests brings the best of nature to their dishes, with pure and fresh aromas and incredible flavors that are unusual to a regular palate.

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Their day continues with the vegetable garden and the fruit orchard where all the vegetables, roots, fruits and herbs are being provided to give way to the preparations for their exquisite dinners. This follows one of the guideline requirements of the Green Key.

Finally we get to the most crucial part of their sustainability philosophy. All the electricity and the water in the property is produced via photovoltaic panels (22 in total) and a deep well which goes as far as 63 meters below. All this makes Dieci, not only energy efficient, but 100% energy independent. The Green Key programme requires serious management of energy and water consumption, and Dieci has even built on this.

The cooking takes place at specific hours of the day where the use of special equipment is calculated by Kph in order to never enter the national grid and only use the flow of energy once the batteries are full. Then in the dark hours of the night the restaurant switches to batteries.

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During the entire operation of preparations and dinners, every bag, every plastic, every little material that is metal and glass are separated as they go. Any left over food is placed into an Electronic Food Composter, that turns in 10 hours all the organic food waste into a beautiful organic compost that looks like earth soil. This compost is stored in natural jute bags and afterwards used in the colder months to grow in their nursery the small plants that will be planted at the end of May in the vegetable garden.

It is important also to state that for the small plants nursery, Dieci Boutique Restaurant has its own seed bank with different species and a sort of Bulgarian tomatoes that are as old as one century. Some species were considered lost and Dieci are happy to have brought them back. These wonders are to be enjoyed in the warm months of the summer, since Dieci not only consumes and grows local, but also seasonal.

Also Dieci has its own fermentation rooms, aging rooms and beehives to produce their own organic honey 100% pure and without any sugar. All the honey is the product of direct and unaltered bee to flower pollination.

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During the entire food preparation any paper, plastic, metal or glass material is collected separately for future processing in their own recycling center, which has certainly become second nature to Gianfranco and Anna. Even for the experienced auditors of the Bulgarian Blue Flag Movement, the recycling measures seemed extremely impressive:

• the glass is being collected and crushed in a special machine, then sent for processing, with no glass being thrown away;

• the metal from aluminum packaging, cans and any other metal left-over is melted down in a special

• machine and with the melted metal Dieci makes its own unique souvenirs for its guests;

• the paper and cardboard are being shredded and left in recycled water from their rainwater collectors. The resulting material is used in a special press to make briquettes, which are utilized afterwards as organic fuel for fire in the winter.

• plastic is being shredded in a special machine, then melted into molds with the form of a brick. A new recycling center will be built from the bricks produced.

All these incredibly smart and environmentally friendly activities are open to all restaurant guests, who can witness them during the short tour before dinner. This is part of the mission of Chef Gianfranco Chiarini and Chef Anna Chiarini to inspire them and teach them what true sustainability is. At the same time, it is an important element of the Green Key programme's education for sustainable development.

It is fair to mention that all the revenue from the sales of their handmade recycled souvenirs go back into the community: the funds received are used to pay local people to clean the village and the surrounding forests of plastic, glass, metal and paper, and to provide them for processing at the Dieci recycling center.

This last action closes the circle of sustainability by involving and teaching their community to think green and to reduce and reuse sustainably. In this way, not only is the local community supported, but it is also educated not to pollute, to collect waste separately. All this fully covers the social aspect of the Green Key programme.

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But the most impressive thing is that, in addition to the culinary magic they create, all the maintenance of the building, the gardens, the bees, the trees, the fermentations, the aging of meat, game, reservations, accounting, marketing and social media and above all – sustainable management with care for nature is in the hands of Chef Gianfranco and Chef Anna Chiarini alone.

The certification and audit of Dieci Boutique Restaurant under the Green Key programme did not turn into a control visit, but into an exchange of experience and useful ideas, how to preserve the natural environment, how to run a tourism business in the most sustainable way with reasonable resource consumption and waste management with an undeniable positive economic effect, which enriched all parties. Dieci definitely stands out as an example that sustainability can also have a beautiful, luxurious, delicious and inspiring side, which should motivate other Bulgarian tourist sites to follow suit.

The sustainable daily activities of Dieci Boutique Restaurant cover all and even build on many of the Green Key criteria and hopefully the international guides will take notice that this petite place in the middle of paradise is not the product of coincidence, nor an accident. But the exemplary result of hard work, passion and ingenuity of two persons in the middle of nature, delivering the highest creative cuisine that Bulgaria has to offer with zero waste and the minimum impact to their surroundings.

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Thank you, Gianfranco and Anna, for choosing Bulgaria as your home and for teaching us how to deliver the highest quality at the lowest cost to nature.

Due to the fact that the impressive green practices of this special place are not just sustainable policies and procedures, but a lifestyle and business style, a personal philosophy and credo, Dieci is the first restaurant to be awarded the prestigious GREEN KEY global award, not only in Bulgaria, but also in Eastern Europe.