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- WATER MANAGEMENT
- Others
Green Key ecolabel
- Environmental and sustainability management
- Environmental and sustainability awareness
- Sustainable tourism
| Rethymno, Greece | |
| World Tourism Organization, UNEP | |
| Budget: • Hotels 1000€ annually • Campsites, holiday parks, conference centers 750€ annually • Small accommodations, attractions, restaurants 500€ annually • Plus additional audit costs 500€ for each category | |
| https://www.greenkey.global/ https://greenkey.gr/en/about/green-key-eco-label |
- Natassa Antonopoulou
- Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature (HSPN)
- natassa@eepf.gr
The Green Key award is a leading standard of excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry. This prestigious eco-label represents a commitment by businesses that their tourism establishments adhere to the strict criteria as stipulated by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). A Green Key stands for an establishment’s promise to its guests that by opting to stay with such an establishment, they are helping to make a difference on an environmental and sustainability level. The high environmental standards expected of these establishments are maintained through rigorous documentation and frequent audits.
Green Key is presently the largest global eco-label for accommodation and has a national administration centre in each participating country. It promotes sustainable tourism and aims to contribute to the prevention of climate change by awarding and advocating facilities with good initiatives.
The programme began in Denmark in 1994 and was adopted by FEE in 2002 to become its fifth international programme. It has since spread to 28 countries and continues to grow. Green Key has been awarded to 3,200 establishments in 65 countries making it one of the largest international tourism ecolabels for tourism accommodation (109 establishments in Crete awarded with the Green Key, 24 of which in Rethymno).
Main objectives
1. Increase the use of environmentally friendly and sustainable methods of operation and technology in the establishments and thereby reduce the overall use of resources.
2. Raise awareness and create behavioural changes in guests, staff and suppliers of individual tourism establishments.
3. Increase the use of environmentally friendly and sustainable methods and raise awareness to create behavioural changes in the hospitality and tourism industry overall.