Green Key International signs UNESCO Sustainable Travel Pledge

By signing the UNESCO and Expedia Group’s Sustainable Pledge, Green Key further strengthens its mission of promoting sustainable travel, community resilience and heritage conservation globally.

©Eddy Billard

Green Key’s endorsement of the UNESCO Pledge means a further 3,200 properties across more than 60 countries will become part of the UNESCO Pledge, taking the total to more than 9,000 properties worldwide. The Green Key eco-label initiative is overseen by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and its national member organisations. Its priorities include increasing the use of environmentally friendly and sustainable methods and technology to reduce resource waste and helping to create sustainable behavioural change in the hospitality and tourism industry. It rigorously audits the high environmental standards expected of its sites, which include hotels, hostels, and holiday parks and other categories in the hospitality sector.

Consumers are increasingly aware of the impact travel can have on local environments, economies and individuals. A recent survey from Expedia Group revealed that nearly two in three (59%)1 travelers are willing to pay more to make their trip more sustainable. The willingness to spend extra on sustainability shows that the environment is top of mind for many travelers.

Since its creation in 2019, the UNESCO Pledge has expanded, with major hotel groups and independent hotels signing up and committing to concrete, transparent and achievable action. Participating hotels support the reduction and elimination of single-use plastics and waste, the conservation of energy and water, and promote sustainable community engagement. They receive a ‘We signed the UNESCO Sustainable Travel Pledge’ certificate, renew their commitment every year, and report on progress achieved. They also receive increased visibility with a badge on multiple travel booking sites across the Expedia Group marketplace.

Jean-Philippe Monod, SVP Government and Corporate Affairs, Expedia Group, said: “The number of organisations, hotels and properties signing up to the UNESCO Pledge is increasing at an astonishing pace, with more than 9,000 properties now committed to the cause. We are delighted to partner with Green Key - a champion of sustainable tourism - and this announcement demonstrates that more and more travel businesses are willing to make concrete and transparent commitments to sustainability as the threat of climate change becomes more real by the day.”

Ernesto Ottone R., Assistant Director-General for Culture of UNESCO, said: “The UNESCO Pledge provides a framework for action on the ground to improve livelihoods and chart a path to a more sustainable future for travel. The commitment from Green Key International represents a significant milestone, and we are pleased to welcome more than 3,000 new properties as advocates of the UNESCO Pledge. We urge others to sign up to the Pledge and commit to progress around these essential sustainable tourism priorities, from reducing single-use plastic to saving water and energy usage, and strengthening the engagement, benefit and resiliency of local communities.”

Finn Bolding Thomsen, Green Key International Director, said: “With Green Key being a leading standard of environmental and sustainable operations within the tourism industry, we are happy to enter a partnership with UNESCO and Expedia Group to support that thousands of properties across the world implement sustainable and resourceful practices to reduce the industry's overall environmental footprint."

The UNESCO Pledge is available on the Expedia Group and UNESCO global site.

First boutique Hotel to receive Green Key certification in Malta

The 19 Rooms hotel is one of the most recent establishments to join the Green Key network of certified accommodations.

© 19 Rooms

With a long and interesting history that goes back to the 18th century, the 19 Rooms is located at an old palace in the heart of the capital city of Valetta. Before being converted to a boutique hotel four years ago, the building was once a private residence purchased by a Maltese philanthropist and later used for housing unprivileged families living in Valetta. In 1994, the building had to be closed down under the risk of becoming an unsafe place for tenants to live in. It opened again in 2016, at the hands of the current owners, who transformed the building into a stylish boutique hotel.

Considering that sustainability is at the core of its brand values, the 19 Rooms hotel has recently optimised its internal practices to comply with the Green Key eco-label standards. On the importance of receiving the Green Key certification, Managing Director Michael Xuereb has said:

“We are very focused on having an eco-friendly and sustainable operation, where we recognise the realities of climate change and focus on reducing our footprint and being a responsible part of our community. Obtaining Green Key certification was important for us because it demonstrates our commitment to sustainability and also gives us a rigorous standard to adhere to and build processes around. We also hope that, by making this commitment, we will encourage other hotels and hospitality establishments in Malta to pursue a stronger sustainability strategy.”

As part of its sustainability strategy, the boutique hotel is implementing several practices, which include:

• Waste separation bins in all guest rooms and the restaurant (all waste is separated and daily weight)

• Equipping guest rooms with soap, shampoo and moisturiser dispensers to avoid single-use plastic

• Rejecting single-use plastic for drinking water consumption in the hotel, and instead of using glass bottles which are refilled regularly

• Sourcing and buying local ingredients when possible

• Providing guests with clear instructions (in their rooms) on reducing laundry changes, separating their waste, and being mindful of consumption when using the heating and cooling system

• Offsetting the carbon emissions yearly.

Green Key International congratulates the 19 Rooms Boutique Hotel for their efforts towards a more sustainable tourism industry!

Greek tour operator to be the first to reduce environmental impact on excursions

The Greek company Avra Tours has signed an agreement with the Green Key National Operator in Greece to reduce the environmental footprint of its transports and excursions to the minimum.

Avra Tours has now a new green strategy, aligned with the Green Key sustainable standard. The company, which is the largest Greek inbound tour operator in the country, has entered an agreement with The Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature, the body responsible for the Green Key programme management in Greece.

The collaboration agreement was officialised by Avra Tours CEO Ioannis L. Dimitriadis and the President of the Board of Directors of HSPN, Nikolaos G. Petrol, also Vice President of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). In a joint statement, both parties manifested their commitment and hope on this agreement, aligning with UN goals. They also emphasised the importance of joining synergies to create short and long term results for the tourism industry.

Avra Tours is further compromising to become the first Greek tour operator with the smallest environmental footprint on excursions and transports as part of this partnership. To achieve this goal, the Greek operator will offset its carbon footprint through the FEE Global Forest Fund, helping plant trees and educating new generations to become more sustainable in the near future.

Additionally, Avra Tours will also have stricter criteria for partnerships by only working with organisations and destinations actively engaging in sustainability practices or strategies. The Greek tour operator aims to encourage the businesses it collaborates with to reduce its environmental impact.

Brazil welcomes its first Green Key establishment

Eco Pousada Baia do Joao is the first Green Key awarded hotel in Brazil. Located in Buzios, a popular tourist destination near Rio de Janeiro, Eco Pousada Baia focuses on educating its guests on sustainable living options while they enjoy a fabulous vacation.

©Patrick Dias

The two owners of the 9 rooms Pousada, Karl Schieneman and Rita Melo, renovated the 30 years old establishment in a sustainable way to protect the local environment. The renovation was run along with a Brazilian designer based in Connecticut. Paying attention to every detail, they replaced all of the toilets, showers and faucets while adding new sustainable and locally made furniture. While replacing the tile in the pool and changing the rotting wooden deck into tile, Rita also decided to replace the wooden fence around the pool with glass. In that way, the ocean is viewable from the pool area and from the metal and wooden pub chairs from their Sunset Bar. 

Karl observed, “my hope is that guests will leave Baia do Joao seeing how easy it is to walk or cycle more, to try vegan foods, recycle, and to watch their energy consumption. Hopefully they will take some of these ideas home with them while enjoying an amazing vacation at the same time.”   

As an experienced award winning entrepreneur in the legal field, Karl came up with the idea of designing an Eco Game to help guests earn points based on simple positive behaviors they can do to help the local environment.  As a result, guests are handed a tri-lingual Eco Game pamphlet and learn how they can win gifts such as an assortment of bamboo and wooden items. They also learn about local vegan restaurants, where to rent bikes, and the location and prices for the convenient bus and van system which go to all of Buzio’s beach areas inexpensively. 

©Patrick Dias

©Patrick Dias

Karl, who took on the responsibility of the Pousada’s environmental management said, “one of the things I found most interesting about Green Key is its emphasis on helping guests see how they can impact the environment by staying at a Green Key certified location.”

Along the way, enthusiastic water engineers joined the project and drew up plans for a grey water system. Karl and Rita easily picked water conservation as their Green Key focus for 2019-2020.  In a city surrounded by 20 unique beaches, Rita pointed out that “while people notice the water surrounding us in Buzios, they think less of the wasted water when they bath and flush toilets.”  After 2 months of work, their Pousada now has the first grey water system in Buzios and one of the few grey water systems being used anywhere in Brazil. 

Karl proudly said, “on December 23rd, when we turn the grey water system on, water from many of the showers will flow into a series of tanks, filtered through a series of rock beds, and be pumped back into toilets.  Other used water will be diverted and used to water plants in the Pousada, provide showers for animals in a pet friendly park we are building, and to water some gardens we are building below the Pousada.”  Rita notes, “this will enable us to increase our water usage in a way which does not hurt the environment and between the animals and plants, in a way which helps the environment.” 

©Patrick Dias

The support from Brazil and Buzios since they announced these projects has been huge. Karl and Rita strongly believe that the people of Brazil are very interested in hearing about and supporting sustainable projects. They also have noticed that in several months, it has become easier to find eco-friendly cleaning supplies so they no longer have to fill their truck with cleaning supplies at Walmart in a larger city an hour and a half away. Local stores now carry these products.

Karl and Rita could not be happier to see all of this momentum in Brazil and look forward to having other hotels join them in Green Key to educate their guests on sustainable living options while they enjoy a fabulous vacation at the same time. 

New Radisson hotel awarded Green Key in Asia Pacific

Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Sydney received the Green Key certification for the first time for its commitment to sustainability.

From left to right: Terry Oomens (Director of Sales & Marketing), Jean-Bernard Raousing (Chief Engineer), Stefanie Peters (Front Office Manager), Annika Spaans (HR Manager), Cecilia Gutierrez (Assistant Housekeeper), Peter Tudehope (General Manager), Mitchell Turner (Hotel Manager), Jeffrey Wong (Financial Controller) & Sahil Sabhlok (Executive Sous Chef)

Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Sydney has several responsible business initiatives fitting consumer demand and concerns about our impact on the environment. The establishment follows Radisson’s Responsible Business strategy.

Regarding energy consumption and savings, the hotel aims to source 100% renewable energy for the property in 2020 thanks to a new initiative and industry partnership. It included water-saving showerheads to save water and the staff awards bonus Radisson Reward points to guests who opt out of daily housekeeping.

Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Sydney is going plastic-free and got rid of plastic straws by replacing them by biodegradable straws. Furthermore, it is the first hotel in Sydney to install a Waste to Water system, a food waste processing unit using microorganisms to minimize waste and allowing the hotel to have less than 5% of food waste going to landfill.

The staff and leadership team support the local community and are involved in many activities to make a difference. They participate in Soap for Hope, a programme re-purposing used soap cakes from the hotel into new soap for local disadvantaged people in the community. Thanks to their last event, over 200 new soap bars were produced and distributed to a charity helping people in crisis housing. Moreover, they raised money during the hotel’s last annual Gala Dinner to provide educational assistance to local children. They also support drought victims in rural Australia by raising funds through several outlets during the Christmas period.

General Manager, Peter Tudehope said, “It is exciting and satisfying to see how the Radisson brand’s commitment to Responsible Business influences our own staff’s actions. Our employees are able to get involved as well as suggest new ways we can improve our dedication to being an eco-friendly hotel.”

Staff is playing a key role in the hotel’s Responsible Business principles. Thanks to the latter’s input, the hotel has been using microfiber cloths in housekeeping since 2007 and in this way reduced the need for harsh cleaning chemicals and equipment. 14.4 million litres of water have been saved due to this initiative.

It is great to see that a hotel can produce such an inclusive workspace culture with teams creating initiatives to contribute to a great range of causes!

Reduce your carbon footprint with the Global Forest Fund

Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) has revamped the Global Forest Fund with a new calculator and platform allowing travelers to calculate and compensate for their carbon emission.

After nearly a decade of compensating for FEE’s own emissions this upgraded cutting-edge platform is now open to the public and other organisations interested in compensating for CO2 emissions. 

The Global Forest Fund aims to actively protect the environment through education and active tree-planting. It is a unique scheme to help individuals reduce their carbon footprint while providing valuable resources and education to communities worldwide.

Since 2008, the Global Forest Fund has been investing in tree planting events and environmental education activities, with more than €80,000 invested in over 120 projects worldwide.

Trustworthy and transparent, the Global Forest Fund platform makes a real and lasting impact. 90% of the funds goes directly to the projects while the remaining 10% goes to the administration at FEE.

Visit the Global Forest Fund website to know more about how to reduce your carbon footprint: help the world breathe!

Green Key International welcomes its first national operator in Kenya

KOEE (the Kenyan Organisation for Environmental Education), the Kenyan member of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), has become the Green Key National Operator for Kenya.

Radisson Blu Hotel Nairobi Upper Hill, awarded with the Green Key since January 2016

From now on, Kenyan establishments wishing to join Green Key will need to contact and apply for the Programme through KOEE.

Finn Bolding Thomsen, Green Key International Director, says: "We believe that the administration of Green Key programme through a national entity is an advantage enabling a closer contact between the Green Key administration and existing/potential Green Key establishments and with a better understanding of national conditions, while maintaining the international quality of the programme.

Two hotels in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi already have the Green Key: Radisson Blu Hotel Nairobi Upper Hill and Park Inn by Radisson Nairobi Westlands. Until now, Green Key International (located at the head office of FEE) was administrating these establishments. They will now be transferred from Green Key International to KOEE.

Lorraine Dixon, Green Key National Operator in Kenya, adds: “We are excited to administer the Green Key programme in Kenya, and we will be looking forward to have many more establishments joining Green Key from all over Kenya. Any interested Kenyan establishment is welcome to contact us on the contact details below.

For more information about Green Key in Kenya, please contact:

Kenya Organisation for Environmental Education (KOEE)
P.O. Box 1513-00621 Nairobi
Green Key National Operator: Lorraine Dixon
Telephone: +254 780 231699 / +254 708 961796
E-mail: lorraine.dixon@koee.org / Lorraine_dixon@live.com
Web: http://greenkey.koee.org/

NH Hotel Group and Green Key collaboration for environmental education in Mexico

The collaboration started in January has led to a new initiative in Mexican establishments to raise guests’ awareness among their carbon footprint.

As part of the work towards environmental information to guests, a joint production of cards with environmental information has been launched between NH Hotel Group and Green Key in Mexico. This initiative aims to generate a positive change in both guests and staff in the first two NH hotels awarded Green Key in Mexico City. Indeed, NH and Green Key collaboration in Mexico focuses on environmental information to guests, one of the 13 criteria areas to comply with to achieve the Green Key award.

Through the joint production of these informative cards, Green Key supports the first Spanish hotel chain’s ambitious sustainability goals. Green Key in Mexico also takes part to the implementation and spreading of eco-friendly practices in Mexican establishments since more NH hotels are underway in the country.

Recently, NH Hotel Group announced to have approved long term goals by the Science Based Targets Initiative, meaning that these goals are reviewed by a scientific committee and are meaningful for the planet.  This target set goals to reduce its carbon emission by 20% by 2030 based on 2018 as based-year on all supply chain activities in order to avoid the emission of over 70,000 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

As part of its work with sustainability, NH Hotel Group also prioritizes innovation to develop eco-friendly solutions regarding energy, water, responsible suppliers, carbon footprint and climate change. With 46 Green Key awarded NH hotels worldwide, Green Key also supports this large scale transformation involving the entire hotel chain.

Green Key awarded Mexican hacienda with focus on sustainable gardening

As part of the work with sustainability, Fiesta Americana Hacienda San Antonio El Puente Cuernavaca has integrated responsible use of water and composting for its garden areas.

The hotel, located in the village of Xochitepec just 15 minutes away from Cuernavaca and 1.5 hour away from Mexico City, is a perfect place to celebrate the past and the present. It is a historical hacienda with a beautiful colonial architecture and a modern decoration of the rooms.

Fiesta Americana Hacienda San Antonio El Puente Cuernavaca is surrounded by impressive gardens requiring additional focus on sustainability. The management has installed an irrigation system only using collected rainwater supplemented with water from a nearby river, while the municipal water supply is not used for this purpose. The hotel is naturally only watering the garden at night or in the morning when the water evaporation is lower. Furthermore, the hotel focuses on collecting and composting garden waste for later use as natural fertilisers in the gardens and thereby reducing the need for adding artificial fertilisers.

José Luis Jiménez Cortés, Maintenance Manager at Fiesta Americana Hacienda San Antonio El Puente Cuernavaca, says: “With the unique location of our hacienda in beautiful green surroundings, we are aware of our need to manage the gardens as sustainable as possible, and we are therefore very proud of our rainwater and garden waste collection systems.

The Hotel belongs to Grupo Posadas, the largest hotel group in Mexico with around 160 hotels across the country holding the Green Key award.