Green Key certified Hägern Bed & Nature is taking various initiatives to support biological diversity

Hägern Bed & Nature shares examples of amazing best practices, which help to reinforce biodiversity by preserving existing natural areas and combating pollinator and insect loss. The biggest outcome is the abundance of insects, butterflies, wild bees, and bumblebees.

© Hägern Bed & Nature

Hägern Bed & Nature is a bed & breakfast, situated on the island Bolmsö in the Swedish region Småland. The name of this establishment was inspired by the beautiful nature that surrounds the establishment and by outdoor experiences that are available nearby, such as hiking, fishing, and bird watching.

Being located so close to nature, Hägern Bed & Nature decided to contribute to biological diversity by designing a flower garden full of pollinator-friendly flowers and herbs by the entrance to their establishment. The flower garden was designed with the help of a gardener student, Stina Gustafsson, and in addition to several birdhouses, wild bee hotels, and bird and bee baths it attracted a lot of bees, butterflies, and other insects into the area.

Karl Sandrock, the environmental manager and owner of Hägern Bed & Nature shared his thoughts on the importance of the Green Key certificate and sustainable development for the establishment:

“As Hägern Bed & Nature is located on an island of extraordinary natural beauty in the south of Sweden, surrounded by forests and lakes, it was an easy decision to want to have the Green Key certification. Sustainability is essential for us and of course also for our guests who want their impact to be as minimal as possible. Despite being a very small accommodation, we have taken all the initiatives within our reach to leave a footprint.  An especially significant one that also fills us with joy is our new garden which welcomes our guests with many flowers, butterflies, and insects.”

© Hägern Bed & Nature

To support the flower lifecycle, the establishment leaves parts of their lawn unmown, which apart from other benefits also allows meadow flowers to bloom and spread. By leaving dead wood and branches untouched, they preserve existing natural areas and combat insect loss.

Moreover, to fight diseases such as fungi, Hägern Bed & Nature uses beneficial fungi instead of pesticides. The beneficial fungi are biological products based on naturally occurring root fungi in the ground, the fungi then strengthen the plants and keep them healthier.

In addition to all these actions that help with the protection and support of biodiversity, the establishment also focuses on energy-consumption savings and managed to reduce electricity consumption by over 40%, from January to August 2021, in comparison to the same period in 2022. The reduction of electricity consumption was achieved by simply improving the manual routines for heating and lowering the temperature in rooms.

To learn more about the Hägern Bed & Nature, click here.

Green Key International Director to Speak at 2nd F.I.C.C. World Congress in France

The Fédération Internationale de Camping, Caravanning et Autocaravaning F.I.C.C. AISBL, was founded in 1933, with 16 clubs from 7 countries. Today, it is constituted by 72 Federations and Clubs from 36 countries representing about 8 million consumers. It is an unique force that, through its technical commissions, represents, protects and promotes Camping, Caravanning and motor-caravanning at national and international level.

Organised for the second time by the Fédération Internationale de Camping, Caravanning et Autocaravaning (F.I.C.C.), together with an organising committee comprising members from all over the world, the 2nd edition of the World Congress will take place in the surroundings of the beautiful city of Paris, from 27th to 28th October 2022.

The World Congress with its topic “The Impact of Digitalisation and Sustainability on Camping Tourism” will unite experts from all over the world and will include presentations, discussions, workshops and reflections on three main themes: consumers, campsites and the camping industry, caravanning and motor-caravanning.

Green Key International Director, Mr. Finn Bolding Thomsen, will be attending the 2nd F.I.C.C. World Congress and will speak about implementing sustainability practices in campsites through the Green Key programme.

The opening ceremony takes place on October 27 at 9:00 am and will be the beginning of the interesting and most diverse program items.

The congress website can be accessed at: https://ficc.org/en/ or directly at, https://congress.ficc.org/

The Alex Hotel, Dublin – Ireland’s only Green Key holder certified for the second year

The Alex Hotel Dublin, one of Ireland’s leading 4-star luxurious boutique hotels, has been certified with the prestigious Green Key for the second year.

© The Alex Hotel, Dublin

The Alex Hotel, located in the heart of Dublin’s city centre is the only hotel in Ireland to hold this certificate of commitment to sustainable practice. The hotel is part of the O’Callaghan Collection which includes a group of five high-end 4-star boutique hotels in Dublin and Gibraltar city centres.

Torsten Obermann, Group General Manager at the O’Callaghan Collection, shared his view on how the Green Key certification reflects the Alex Hotel’s commitment toward a more sustainable future:

“At O’Callaghan Collection, we understand that the hotel industry has a significant impact on the environment. With the vision to work towards carbon neutrality and fully sustainable practices across our entire hotel footprint, we are committed to playing our part in managing our business in the most environmentally friendly way possible. We work hard to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, by providing our employees with relevant training to achieve this with the products and services we procure. We work hand in hand with our suppliers to ensure we reduce our impact on the environment in a positive way.”

© The Secret Garden Venue at The Alex Hotel, Dublin

Over the last years, the Alex Hotel has implemented several sustainable practices and actions to reduce its environmental impact such as:

• Across the hotel collection, 100% recyclable materials are chosen.

• Energy efficient air conditioning (a/c), which is an alternative to a central heating water, as well as sensor-controlled lighting and heating systems have been implemented.

• All bathrooms are stocked with locally sourced and sustainable toiletries.

• All the O’Callaghan Collection hotels are cashless and QR codes are being phased in to replace paper.

• Food and coffee are locally sourced and fairtrade.

Moreover, Torsten added:

“The Alex Hotel is delighted to be the only Green Key certified hotel in Ireland for a second year running. This award is a testament to the dedication and passionate efforts the team at the Alex, including our suppliers, have made towards a more sustainable future.”

To read more about The Alex Hotel, click here.

Zero Emissions by 2050: Radisson Hotel Group Dedicates Itself Towards a Sustainable Future

Green Key’s partner, the Radisson Hotel Group, is now amongst the companies setting its carbon reduction targets based on scientific recommendations.

Radisson Hotel Group (RHG) defines its zero-emissions commitment by 2050. To reach this goal, RHG will join the UNFCCC global campaign called Race to Zero, supporting the global goal of reaching Net Zero emissions. RHG will also become part of the Business Ambition campaign, which aims to hold global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Among other activities that RHG does to reduce its carbon footprint is its transition to renewable energy solutions. This transition has shown its results in 30% gains in energy efficiency. Moreover, compared to 2019, the Group has reduced its carbon emissions by 22% and water footprint by 23%. Radisson Hotel Group expects these numbers to increase in the future even more, as their number of green building certified hotels is rising. All the new or rebuilt Radisson Hotel Group properties follow the framework for healthy, efficient, carbon, and cost-saving green buildings and are aligned with sustainable building certifications such as LEED, BREAM, and EDGE.

Additionally to the sustainable building certifications, RHG has specified its own guidelines for sustainable buildings named “Build Planet“. These guidelines are used as a framework that encourages the efficient use of resources and sustainable materials, both when building new hotels and when renovating buildings.

Here is what the CEO of Radisson Hotel Group, Federico J. González, stated on the importance of sustainable actions: 

“Radisson Hotel Group has a strong, long-standing history of pioneering sustainability initiatives in the hospitality industry. Our Responsible Business pillars of Think People, Think Community, and Think Planet play an important part not only in our transformation plan, but also of what we see as our duty as hoteliers to establish a better tomorrow. We are taking clear action and affirming our commitment to be net-zero by 2050, not for our commercial gain but to create concrete change and encourage others to join us on the journey to net-zero, and eventually net positive.”

To learn more about how Radisson Hotel Group commits to decarbonize its business by 2050, click here.

Posadas Group, in alliance with Green Key Mexico, launches the Meaningful Travel Programme

Posadas Group, a leading Mexican hospitality group, launched a new initiative that focuses on applying new practices for even more sustainable tourism.

©Posadas Group

The focus on social well-being of guests and employees, preserving natural resources and maintaining the natural environment for the future are just a few examples of actions taken by the Posadas Group. Currently, 150 Posadas Group hotels are Green Key certified, and the first three hotels have already been part of the Green Key programme for six years. Green Key Mexico, managed by the Foundation for Environmental Education in Mexico (FEE Mexico), is therefore a close allied partner when adopting measures and good practices that help to protect and care for the environment.

This alliance resulted in outstanding outcomes, such as:

• The measurement and regulation of the flow in 2,700 faucets and shower heads.

• The verification of more than 27,000 rooms for responsible use of water.

• The creation of 21 urban orchards-gardens as part of sustainable experiences for tourists.

• The generation of 700 kg of compost which was used to fertilise green areas.

• The segregation of coffee waste, with an annual average per hotel of 200 kg dry weight.

The verification of door seals and gaskets on 342 refrigeration and freezing equipment to save energy and ensure their energy efficiency. To achieve these results, the green committees of the various establishments of the Posadas Group are actively involved in the daily decisions towards more sustainability. These green committees currently consist of 500 very engaged staff members.

Recently, the Posadas Group has introduced the Meaningful Travel Programme. This programme focuses on enhancing sustainable tourism through, for example, the protection and promotion of human rights, caring for health and well-being of guests and employees, following international social norms, transparency and ethical behaviour, and working towards reaching the UN Sustainable Development Goals on all three levels of sustainability (environmental, social and economic).

During the launch event of the programme, José Carlos Azcárraga, CEO of Posada Group, said:

“ We have already accomplished a lot, but we know that there is still room for more. We will do this hand in hand with experts in the field of sustainability and education, such as the Foundation for Environmental Education."

To learn more about the Meaningful Travel Programme, click here.

Green Key signs a cooperation agreement with Aurinkomatkat to make the hospitality industry greener

Aurinkomatkat and Green Key have entered a cooperation agreement to increase the awareness about sustainable practices in the hospitality industry and to encourage hospitality businesses to take positive action. 

© Aurinkomatkat

Aurinkomatkat is Finland’s largest tour operator, and the goal of Aurinkomatkat is to assure that future generations can continue to enjoy the diversity of the world. There are various sustainable actions that Aurinkomatkat are taking to reach this goal. One of them is to establish long-term local partnerships with local hotels, tour operators and entrepreneurs to create a source of livelihood for the local community. Another very important aspect of Aurinkomatkat's sustainability work is to cooperate with stakeholders who are taking actions toward sustainability.

Aurinkomatkat has a wide range of hotels holding an environmental certification.  The object of the cooperation agreement between Green Key and Aurinkomatkat is to further increase the awareness about the sustainability certification among Aurinkomatkat hotel partners, staff and customers.

Green Key is a leading eco-certification programme for hotels and other establishment categories with currently more than 3,700 certified establishments in 60 countries worldwide. The certification is based on compliance with a strict set of internationally recognised criteria that are regularly confirmed through on-site audits and a subsequent independent third-party verification. The Green Key programme is managed by the international charity, the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), and its national member organisations in 40+ countries.

“We are excited to start this cooperation with Green Key to increase the awareness about the sustainability certification among hotels. We have over 200 environmentally certified hotels in our selection and our aim is to increase the amount going forward,” says Annika Rusanen, Sustainability Manager at Aurinkomatkat.

Green Key International Director, Finn Bolding Thomsen, added a few words about this cooperation agreement:

“We are very happy to have the cooperation with Aurinkomatkat, which gives us the possibility to increase the awareness about Green Key and the importance of our certification in the hospitality industry. We appreciate this opportunity to further ensuring a greener hospitality industry. The importance of joining a certification programme, such as Green Key, not only shows the commitment of the hospitality and tourism operators towards sustainability but also raises awareness and creates behavioural changes among staff, suppliers and guests.”

To learn more about Aurinkomatkat, click here. 

To learn more about Green Key, click here.

Green Key partner Werner & Mertz Professional undergoing Green Transformation

Werner & Mertz is transforming their professional products to more sustainable versions, by changing their formulas, packaging material, and applying a circular economy model. The importance of the adequate use of cleaning products within the tourism and hospitality sector has already been a part of the Green Key for years, and the recent developments within the company Werner & Mertz are therefore considered as another important step for a more sustainable industry.

© Werner & Mertz Professional

The Professional Division of Werner & Mertz was established in 1971 and specializes in providing high-quality cleaning and sanitizing products for professional sectors, such as Building Care, Kitchen Hygiene, Facility Care or the Hospitality Sector. Their professional products are offered under the brand names Green Care Professional and Tana Professional. The company has already pursued a comprehensive, forward-looking sustainability strategy for years, featuring environmentally compatible and biodegradable ingredients for cleaning products, as well as innovative, recyclable packaging.

In the process of applying the circular economy model, the company has steadily been modifying its Tana Professional products. The next big development of the company is happening in 2022.  As Part of the “Go Green” project, the formulas and packaging of several Tana Professional brand products are being reworked and optimised for a sustainable circular economy.

Green Key International Director, Finn Bolding Thomsen, added a few words on the importance of circular economy for Green Key:

“ The circular economy model is also one of the sub-goals of Green Key’s GAIA 2030 strategic plan, which addresses the encouragement of positive actions on critical environmental issues. We are very happy that Green Key partners are applying this model and showing the importance of the circularity of natural resources and energy. “

The new product formulas contain a greater share of plant-based raw materials, which are biologically degradable and are, therefore, suitable for a return to the biological cycle.

“With our choice of ingredients for Green Care Professional, we are setting standards today for ecological products that often deliver better cleaning performance,” said Dr. Paula Barreleiro, Head of Formula Development at Werner & Mertz Professional.

“We are following this path with “Go Green”. In pursuit of our goals, we are applying our experience and technology of our closed loop sustainability concept for the Green Care Professional brand.”  

In the future, many of the reworked products will bear the respected eco credentials such as the Cradle-to-Cradle certificate, EU Ecolabel and the Austrian Ecolabel.

“These certifications are a visible sign that we are raising the sustainability of our customers to a new level with our product conversions. We see this as the most promising way to a circular future,” says Xiaoming Bai.

 For more information about the “Go Green” project, click here.  

The Hotel Association of Canada and The Foundation for Environmental Education sign a Co-Existence Agreement to streamline Sustainability Certification

The agreement was established to increase awareness about the two sustainability programmes globally and to support the hospitality industry to make more sustainable choices.

The Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) and The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) are pleased to announce that they have entered into a Co-Existence Agreement allowing both parties to collaborate in servicing the sustainability certification needs of hotel companies and corporations under the name of HAC’s Green Key Global in the USA & Canada and FEE’s Green Key in countries outside USA & Canada.

“We are delighted to be working alongside FEE in this game-changing agreement,”  said Susie Grynol President & CEO of The Hotel Association Canada. “This will simplify the  sustainability certification process for brands, eliminating the need to duplicate efforts, and allowing all hotels to benefit from third-party certification.”

“ We are proud to be entering into a closer cooperation with HAC that will better accommodate the needs of international hotel chains, thereby strengthening the sustainability of the global hospitality industry“, added Daniel Schaffer, CEO of FEE.

For more information on HAC’s Green Key Global, click here.

For more information on FEE’s Green Key, click here.

HUONE Copenhagen receives a Green Key certificate

HUONE Copenhagen, the most creative event and meeting venue in Copenhagen, has now joined the Green Key network of certified establishments. HUONE Copenhagen is part of the HUONE group, which operates in 3 different countries, Finland, Singapore and Denmark.

(Image: Strand Room in HUONE Copenhagen, which is one of the newly certified Green Key establishments in Denmark.)

HUONE offers creative spaces for business meetings and events and caters to business guests from all over the world. Originally from Finland, the group has a strong focus on people, culture and the environment the venue is part of, hence in recent years, it has taken even more significant steps towards hosting sustainable events.

Opened its doors in the autumn of 2019, HUONE Copenhagen transformed the old SAS airplane hangar into 20 fantastic full-service meeting and event rooms–aims to become the “Business Hub of Copenhagen.” It’s designed to provide a space and full-service needed  for collaboration and innovation.

HUONE Copenhagen is the first out of the four HUONE units becoming the Green Key certified conference facility. On the importance of receiving the Green Key certificate, Louise Adolph, the CEO of HUONE Copenhagen explains:

"[…] As a new player in Copenhagen business meeting and event sector, we strive for excellence in everything we do. It has always been our priority to do the best we can in order to promote sustainability in the event industry. I am truly proud of our first Green Key certification, especially after a long delay with the pandemic.

 Following the Green Key criteria has allowed us to review our operational procedures and encouraged us to communicate about the topic more in depth with the whole team. We were also able to come up with many initiatives to integrate our guests and customers for raising awareness on the importance of integrating environmental and social factors into operations. "[…]

(Image: Evon Blomstedt, speaking at HUONE Copenhagen HUONE & Friends event)

Evon Blomstedt, the founder of HUONE, also shared the excitement of the news:

“HUONE Copenhagen is our newest and proudest HUONE unit. It is the essence of our experience of hosting almost 20k meetings, rightly so, for the No.1 meeting city in the Nordics.

Although we are still a small player compared to big hotels, we have been striving to do our part for a more sustainable meeting industry such as excluding beef from daily menus and paying extra attention to our communication. I’m very excited to see HUONE Copenhagen officially join Green Key certified conference facilities and being part of the city’s effort of becoming the front runner in hosting green meetings, conferences and events ”

HUONE Copenhagen’s effort towards more sustainable events focuses on the environmental impact of the services it provides as well as the social and economic commitment for the local community.

As for the environmental commitment, HUONE Copenhagen is located in a facility that aims to be one of Copenhagen’s most sustainable buildings with solar panels, waste sorting/recycling and district heating and cooling. Water and energy consumption are monthly monitored to control and create an action plan for future improvement. Waste management effort is in place for recycling, communication with guests, no single-use tableware and more. Moreover, the venue has focused on the actions to reduce carbon footprint with procurement/menu design, for instance, ‘No Beef Policy.’ 

Finally, as for the social and economic commitment, HUONE’s creative DNA is founded on a strong belief in the individual’s strengths and personality. The company has a strong emphasis on diversity and inclusion as well as paying attention to the well-being of employees and creating a safe work atmosphere for the team.

 Click here, to read more about the sustainable events at HUONE Copenhagen.