Ten tourism establishments across Scotland have been certified with Green Key for their strong focus on sustainability

Following diligent efforts in implementing sustainable management principles and undergoing rigorous document checks and on-site audits, ten newly established Scottish establishments have successfully obtained the Green Key certificate.

© Glasgow Science Centre

The United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Glasgow highlighted the importance of accelerating climate action in Scotland’s tourism sector and worldwide.  

Through its criteria and global projects and partnerships, Green Key not only provides advocacy tools and action plans to their certified sites but also a platform to help businesses showcase their sustainable initiatives to a vast audience of environmentally conscious travellers.  

The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) has taken significant steps towards delivering effective Climate Action in Tourism. As a signatory of the Glasgow Declaration, FEE is actively working to implement global actions and support member organisations to deliver quality change action. To find out more about FEE’s action plan click here.  

Lyn Donnelly, Senior Responsible Tourism Manager at VisitScotland, said:  

“We all have a duty of care to protect the natural assets which make Scotland so special. Visitors are becoming increasingly aware of their impact on the world around them. We want to support their desire to make sustainable choices by equipping those within the tourism industry with the knowledge and understanding of how their business can meet these needs. 

Gaining a sustainability certification is a fantastic opportunity for Scottish tourism businesses to show visitors their commitment to environmental and sustainable practices.”

The following Scottish tourism establishments have received the Green Key certification and are now part of our global Network:  

Seven Marriot Hotels: 

• Courtyard by Marriott Aberdeen Airport 

• Delta Hotels by Marriott Aberdeen 

• Residence Inn by Marriott Aberdeen 

• Delta Hotels by Marriott Edinburgh 

• Residence Inn by Marriott Edinburgh 

• Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh 

• Glasgow Marriott Hotel  

  And:

• Voco Grand Central Hotel, an IHG Hotel, Glasgow   

• Glasgow Science Centre   

• Landal Brunston Castle, South Ayrshire 

© Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa Edinburgh

Tom Brock OBE, Chair of Keep Scotland Beautiful, the National Operator for the Green Key programme in Scotland, which is licensed globally by the Foundation for Environmental Education, said:  

“We congratulate all ten tourism establishments across Scotland receiving Green Key certification and look forward to supporting them to achieve continued environmental improvements, that can also result in financial savings.  

We have a highly skilled team of staff available to assist Green Key applicants with both technical support and advice and encourage you to get in touch today to start your sustainability journey.” 

Finn Bolding Thomsen, International Green Key Director at Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) added: 

“We are delighted to recognise ten establishments across Scotland as becoming Green Key certified and congratulate their efforts to foster a more sustainable future.” 

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The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) Develops its Climate Action Plan as a Signatory of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism

The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) has taken another significant step towards delivering effective Climate Action in the Tourism sector.

As a signatory of the Glasgow Declaration, FEE has pledged to develop and implement an Action Plan focused on addressing climate change impacts in tourism. The plan will be reviewed annually to ensure transparency and accountability.

The Glasgow Declaration was launched at the UN Climate Change Conference COP26 in November 2021. It is a voluntary commitment requiring organisations to deliver action plans within 12 months of their becoming signatories. These pledges should be aligned with five pathways: Measure, Decarbonize, Regenerate, Collaborate and Finance.

The Glasgow Declaration encourages the acceleration of climate action in tourism by securing commitments to reduce emissions in the tourism sector by at least 50% over the next decade.

The objectives of FEE’s Action Plan for Climate Action are strongly connected aligned with FEE´s GAIA 20:30 strategy’s Climate Action pillar, as well as with the global goal of reaching net zero emissions as soon as possible, before 2050.

FEE aims to implement global actions through its five programmes, with a particular focus on Blue Flag and Green Key International, renowned for their sustainable tourism initiatives and broad network of destinations and hospitality establishments.

In the coming years, FEE has outlined key objectives to guide its actions, in particular:

• Support member organisations in the FEE network to deliver quality change action and develop Climate Action Plans, while providing access to tools and resources to do so.

• Wherever possible, align the criteria of its sustainable tourism programmes with the goals and with the five pathways of the Glasgow Declaration (Measure, Decarbonise, Regenerate, Collaborate and Finance).

• Promote a culture of measurement and monitoring of carbon emissions. This will involve analyzing energy consumption, waste management practices and other relevant factors in order to form a basis for targeted emission reduction strategies throughout the network.

The Foundation for Environmental Education builds initiatives and activities together with and for its broad network of organisations in around 80 countries all over the world. More than 5000 sites are awarded the Blue Flag in more than 50 countries, and more than 4000 sites are certified with the Green Key in more than 60 countries. FEE aims at taking the role of a strategic multiplier for the Glasgow Declaration effort.

To read the Glasgow Declaration Action Plan of the Foundation for Environmental Education, click the picture below:

By fostering collaboration, promoting sustainable practices, and raising awareness, FEE’s Action Plan for Climate Action aims at inspiring positive change, and at contributing to global efforts in mitigating climate change locally, nationally, and globally.

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Green Key blooms in Bulgaria: 10 new establishments receive the certificate and embrace sustainability in their operations

After hard work on introducing the principles of sustainable management and thorough document checks and on-site audits, ten new Bulgarian hotels receive the Green Key certificate and reinvent themselves as a supplier of a high-quality sustainable tourism product. 

© "Debeli dab" Eco village - Stara Kresna  

In addition to the first Bulgarian hotel to receive the Green Key - InterContinental Sofia Hotel, we warmly welcome the following establishments in our global Network: 

• Boutique complex "Forest Houses" - Godech 

• "Debeli dab" Eco village - Stara Kresna  

• Complex "Bozhenski Chiflik" - Sabotkovtsi 

• "Zlaten Rog" Guest house - Iskrets 

• "Katarino" SPA Hotel - Razlog 

• “Orpheus” SPA & Resort- Devin 

• "The Five Elements" Hotel  - Sapareva Banya 

• "Pirina Club" Hotel  - Bansko 

• "Rudi" Thematic Hotel - Gorno Draglishte  

• "Topola Skies Resort & Aquapark" Hotel Complex - Topola  

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All the newly certified accommodation facilities are part of the international "Project ETGG2030” (European Tourism Goes Green), co-financed under the COSME Program of the European Union. They followed their own principles of environmental management, but complying with the strict Green Key criteria, achieved remarkable success and qualitative change.  

• Boutique complex "Forest Houses" in Godech is located on a picturesque meadow tucked away in the forest. It is built only from local natural materials such as wood and stone and takes special care of the natural habitat and its precious inhabitants. 

• "Debeli dab" Eco village in Stara Kresna takes immense pride in involving its guests in their mission of environmental preservation. With a range of activities including organised rafting, cycling, hiking and cycling tours, as well as children’s camps, they effectively raise awareness of the significance of biodiversity preservation.   

• Complex "Bozhenski Chiflik in Sabotkovtsi provides traditional experiences such as crafts, access to locally produced food, and practical lessons to learn about the flora and fauna.   Eli from Bozhenski Chiflik says:

“We offer hospitality with a guarantee for real food, pure nature and preserved traditions.”

• "Zlaten Rog" Guest house in Iskrets is a 100-year-old house in the Balkan mountain, completely preserved and restored to its original, whose construction serves as a model for architects from around the world. It provides organic farming experience for its guests in a natural garden, where no chemicals are used, and all the wastewater is treated and re-used for watering the plants.  Ani, the owner of Zlaten Rog says:

"We are the last generation that can choose what to leave to our heirs. The next generations may not have a choice, it's up to us!" 

• "Katarino" SPA Hotel – Razlog is surrounded by three mountains and it is the embodiment of the idea of a luxurious spa holiday in nature. The hotel has an impressive program of activities taking their guests outdoors on hiking or riding free tours along mountain tracks to peaks, lakes and landmarks where they can observe different species of birds, butterflies, animals, plants. They offer their guests their homemade produce and drinks of natural origin which are delicious, pure and inspired by nature. 

•   “Orpheus” SPA & Resort’s General Manager, Valentin Kotsakov,  points out:  

“As a person, I myself have always sought to live in such a way as to be in maximum harmony with the environment. This applies to me, my family, and the establishment I manage. Through our application for the Green Key certificate, we were able to synchronize many of the activities we were already doing anyway. But we also gained new knowledge and skills on how to be even more useful in nature conservation. But most importantly, Green Key gave us the self-discipline and a new focus on our daily activities, from which we received the satisfaction of being worthy inhabitants of our planet Earth.” 

• "The Five Elements" Hotel- Sapareva Banya is proud to receive the Green Key, because following its requirements they managed to educate their team, who are 99% local people, the philosophy of sustainable development and the reasonable management of waste, and by taking these principles to their families – they succeeded in influencing the whole community. The hotel is located next to the hottest gayser in Europe and using modern technology they can utilize the thermal power of mineral water. The hotel management adopted and took care of a nature trail in the Rila National Park and they are happy to support various noble local causes.  

© The Five Elements Hotel

• "Pirina Club" Hotel ‘s owner, Deana Hristova, from Bansko says:

“The Green Key certification program is very important to our business, as it has defined our priorities and helped to fill many gaps in our sustainable development plans. We are especially proud that we managed to create a waste recycling system. We separate paper, glass, plastic and metal, used batteries and plastic caps, which we collect especially for the "Caps for the Future" campaign. We are happy that our own sustainable practices are coherent to the Green Key criteria.” 

• "Rudi" Thematic Hotel - Gorno Draglishte has a motto: Let's move forward by returning to nature! Their mission is to respect, preserve and live in harmony with the environment. All their guests can enjoy cozy atmosphere, home-cooked meals, local traditions and customs. Over a cup of aromatic forest tea with pine elixir, they hold talks about wild mushrooms and herbs. And after the walks on the eco-paths, the experience is unforgettable for everyone who is happy to return. The owner of the hotel Velka Yadkova points out:

"We can move forward only with a clear awareness of the need for preserving the nature around us, through good practices and responsible training of the team, the local population and the guests of our hotel.”  

• "Topola Skies Resort & Aquapark" Hotel Complex - Topola is famous for its zip-line to the beach through picturesque cliffs and the nature trail, that they have created themselves, with information boards about the indigenous flora and fauna. They are happy to be able to preserve local traditions by supporting folk groups. Every week they organize a Bulgarian evening for their guests with dance and music performances. In this way they manage to show the rich Bulgarian culture to the visitors of the complex. 

Finn Bolding Thomsen, Green Key International Director adds:

“We would like to congratulate all the newly certified Bulgarian establishments for their efforts toward a sustainable hospitality industry!”

Accor and Green Key sign collaboration agreement

The collaboration agreement between Accor and Green Key for 2022-2026 will have Accor hotels implementing their sustainable development initiatives through two preferred certification programmes globally, including Green Key.

© Accor

Accor is one of the largest global hotel chains, with over 5,400 hotels across 40+ brands in over 110 countries at present.

Accor has been committed to sustainable development for many years. With new goals set in 2020, the Group has decided to go a step further in its sustainability transformation, aiming for all its hotels to receive an external sustainability certification before the end of 2026.

Due to Green Key’s established expertise across environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry, the programme has been chosen by Accor as one of two preferred certification programmes to cover all regions globally (except USA and Canada, where Green Key is not offered).

 Brune Poirson, Chief Sustainability Officer at Accor said:

I am very proud of the collaboration agreement between Accor and Green Key, which now has Accor hotels implementing their sustainable development initiatives through two preferred certification programs globally. It indicates Accor’s commitment to responsible hospitality and will help increase external recognition of our sustainability practices amongst all stakeholders in the industry.

Finn Bolding Thomsen, Green Key International Director, added:

“We are proud to be chosen by Accor as a preferred certification partner. With our large network of National Operators, we are looking forward to having the opportunity to support Accor with its sustainability ambitions and seeing many Accor hotels globally displaying the Green Key.”

About Accor:

Accor is a world leading hospitality group offering experiences across more than 110 countries in 5 400 properties, 10 000 food & beverage venues, wellness facilities or flexible workspaces. The Group has one of the industry’s most diverse hospitality ecosystems, encompassing more than 40 hotel brands from luxury to economy, as well as Lifestyle with Ennismore. Accor is committed to taking positive action in terms of business ethics & integrity, responsible tourism, sustainable development, community outreach, and diversity & inclusion.  Founded in 1967, Accor SA is headquartered in France and publicly listed on Euronext Paris (ISIN code: FR0000120404) and on the OTC Market (Ticker: ACCYY) in the United States. For more information, please visit www.group.accor.com or follow them on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok.

© Accor

About Green Key:

Coordinated by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), Green Key is a voluntary eco-label awarded to more than 4,200 hotels and other establishments in 60+ countries and is the leading standard for excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry. The high environmental standards expected of Green Key establishments are maintained through a strict set of criteria, rigorous documentation and frequent audits. Green Key is eligible for hotels, hostels, small accommodations, campsites, holiday parks, conference centres, restaurants and attractions.

For more information, please visit www.greenkey.global or contact us through finn@fee.global.