About Green Key
Green Key is an international eco-label for tourism that promotes environmental responsibility and sustainable operation through strict criteria and independent audits.
Our Programme
Green Key is a standard of excellence.
The Green Key certificate is a leading standard of excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry. This prestigious certificate represents a commitment by businesses that their tourism establishments adhere to the strict criteria 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.
For a short introduction video to Green Key, click on the video below:
Educate
We put a huge focus on informing and involving visitors in the measures being taken by an establishment towards being more environmentally friendly and sustainable. We also ensure that the staff operating at the establishment are well informed and trained in environmentally friendly and sustainable practices.
Innovate
Green Key is constantly searching for new and sustainable methods of operation and the use of technology to reduce the overall environmental footprint through lower energy, water, and waste consumption. These changes also help participating establishments save costs.
Add Value
Positive environmental credentials are becoming increasingly important to travellers when choosing where to stay. Green Key symbolises a strong commitment to the environment and sustainable development, making establishments more attractive to potential guests.
Promote
After achieving the prestigious Green Key certificate, establishments can use it to showcase their engagement in environmental responsibility and sustainability initiatives.
Green Key officially aims to:
- Increase the use of environmentally friendly and sustainable methods of operation and technology in the establishments and thereby reduce the overall use of resources.
- Raise awareness and create behavioural changes in guests, staff and suppliers of individual tourism establishments.
- Increase the use of environmentally friendly and sustainable methods and raise awareness to create behavioural changes in the hospitality and tourism industry overall.
More information about Green Key
The Green Key Brochure is a short overview of the programme, its history, the structure and criteria – intended for establishments or partners interested in the programme.
The Foundation for Environmental Education has agreed upon these eight
Educational Principles to guide (pdf file)
our work towards excellence in Environmental Education and Education for Sustainable Development.
We express our commitment to follow and champion these principles in our programmes.
- Ensure that participants are engaged in the learning and teaching process.
- Empower participants to take informed decisions and actions on real-life sustainability issues.
- Encourage participants to work together actively and involve their communities in collaborative solutions.
- Support participants to examine their assumptions, knowledge, and experiences in order to develop critical thinking and be open to change.
- Encourage participants to be aware of cultural practices as an integral part of sustainability issues.
- Encourage participants to share inspirational stories of their achievements, failures, and values, learn from them, and support each other.
- Continuously explore, test, and share innovative approaches, methodologies, and techniques.
- Ensure that continuous improvements through monitoring and evaluation are central to our programmes.
Green Key is a leading standard of excellence in the field of sustainable tourism, guiding tourism establishments in doing their part in achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations. Please find enclosed a PDF file with information about how Green Key contributes to the SDGs in general ( Green Key and Sustainable Development Goals 2015–2030 ) or click on the SDG logos below to find out how Green Key contributes to each of the 17 goals.
Our Structure
Green Key has a political structure determining the overall direction of the programme and an administrative structure in charge of the day-to-day programme administration.
1. Political Structure
As the Green Key programme was founded in Denmark before becoming a programme of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), the decision regarding the overall development of the programme is determined by a Green Key International Steering Committee consisting of two members of the founders from Denmark and two members of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE).
2. Administrative Structure
Like other FEE programmes, Green Key has an international programme administration at the FEE Head Office and Green Key National Operators in more than 40 countries.
Green Key International is in charge of:
- The overall administrative development and harmonisation of the Green Key programme
- Contact with existing and new Green Key establishments in countries without a Green Key National Operator
- Contact with existing and new international partners
Contact information for Green Key International can be found here.
Green Key National Operators are in charge of:
- The national administrative development and harmonisation of the programme
- Contact with existing and new Green Key establishments at the national level
- Contact with existing and new national partners
Contact information for Green Key National Operators can be found here.
Green Key Denmark has prepared a document describing the history of Green Key, which can be downloaded here as a document (PDF file, opens in a new window) .
Our History
The Green Key certificate for tourism facilities has been in existence for 30 years and has developed from a national initiative in Denmark to become the world's leading eco-certificate for hospitality establishments.
Below you can find some important dates in relation to the history of Green Key:
- 1994: Green Key launched in Denmark by HORESTA (Association of the hotel, restaurant and tourism industry in Denmark), the Danish Outdoor Council and the Association of Danish Tourism Executives.
- 1998: FEEE France created a Clef Verte programme based on the Danish Green Key programme.
- 2000: HORESTA exported the Green Key concept to Sweden, Estonia and Greenland.
- 2002: Green Key was formally approved as an international programme of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), and the Green Key programme was offered to all FEE member organisations for implementation.
- 2010: Green Key became eligible for hotels in international hotel chains, allowing Green Key International to manage hotels in international hotel chains also in countries without Green Key National Operators.
- 2014: Green Key became eligible for all applicant establishments, allowing Green Key International to manage sites in countries without Green Key National Operators. In most cases, a third-party auditor is in charge of the audits.
- 2016: Green Key’s criteria are recognised by GSTC (Global Sustainable Tourism Council).
- 2020: Green Key is recommended as an eco-label by HOTREC (Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Cafés in Europe).
- 2021: New Green Key criteria/explanatory notes for 2022-2025 are released.
Green Key Denmark has prepared a document describing the history of Green Key, which can be downloaded here as a document (PDF file, opens in a new window) .
Why Green Key?
Benefits of Our Certificate
There are plenty of tourism certificates in the world, each of them certifying tourism establishments in a different manner and on the basis of different criteria. On this page, you will discover what makes Green Key one of the leading certificates in tourism.
Just like in your establishment, quality comes first in the Green Key programme. In certifying, quality is defined by the transparency of the programme, regular on-site audits conducted by well-trained Green Key auditors, and third-party verification. Green Key fulfils all these requirements. Both the Green Key criteria and the certification process are available on our website, meaning that everyone can understand how and why an establishment has been certified. The criteria of the Green Key programme are internationally recognised.
Green Key is managed by the Foundation for Environmental Education which is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation. As the programme is not-for-profit, the participation costs are comparably low.
Going green and implementing sustainability from the bottom to the top of your establishment is not an easy task. Green Key acknowledges that no establishment is like another and that different businesses face different struggles when it comes to sustainability. Therefore, our programme offers support all the way through, from the application process to the final certification. Developed in 1994, Green Key already has over 30 years of experience in the field of tourism ecolabelling, with an extensive knowledge base that is shared with applicants and certified establishments.
Green Key has 8000+ certified establishments in 90+ countries, which makes it one of the most geographically widespread tourism certificates in the world. In 50+ countries, national Green Key operators are responsible for the management of the programme, which means that you receive support in your own language. Most importantly, our national operators understand the national context and can give you advice with due consideration for national legislation, customs, and practices. Find your national operator here.
Green Key was founded by the tourism and hospitality industry but is now managed by a non-profit, non-governmental organisation, Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). This means that we understand the situation at the certified establishments but that the programme maintains its independence from the tourism and hospitality industry. The International Steering Committee, which is the political body behind the programme, is composed of the founders of the programme, representing the tourism and hospitality industry, and representatives from the Foundation for Environmental Education. In most countries, Green Key national juries which consist of representatives from different ministries, NGOs, and the tourism and hospitality sector make the decision on the certificate. In this way, it is ensured that the programme is not driven by one single entity but involves multiple stakeholders.
Our programme has been recognised by UN Tourism (The World Tourism Organization) and UN Environment (UNEP), and the Green Key criteria are internationally recognised. In addition, Green Key is working in close cooperation with a range of partners from hotel chains, to booking platforms, international interest organisations, universities, etc.
At Green Key, we really appreciate your efforts to become greener and more sustainable, and we are proud of each tourism establishment that becomes certified. Therefore, we are happy to promote your establishment by publishing best practice stories on our social media, website, and newsletter. You are also welcome to participate in the Green Key Good Practice Initiative which gives you the chance to share your creative sustainable projects with our network. Moreover, Green Key cooperates with different Online Travel Agencies and all the Green Key-certified establishments contained in the database of Online Travel Agencies also benefit from this cooperation, and the Green Key certificate will automatically be added to the establishment’s entry on the platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Green Key certificate is a standard of excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry. More than 6,000 establishments in 70+ countries have been Green Key certified, making it one of the largest international tourism eco-certificates for accommodation. Establishments with the Green Key certificate can be recognised by this logo:
The Green Key certificate means that certified establishments adhere to strict criteria as stipulated by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). These criteria ensure that sustainability is integrated at a very high level in the management and operation of the certified tourism establishment. The Green Key certificate also ensures verification of the sustainability performance by means of a third-party entity to prevent so-called greenwashing. All certified establishments receive frequent on-site audits and have to renew their certificate every year.
Establishments with the Green Key certification are closely monitored to ensure that they are adhering to its strict sustainability standards. In addition, the establishments are required to continually improve their performance in line with the Green Key criteria. Prior to being certified for the first time, an on-site audit of the applicant establishment is carried out. This audit is then conducted again in year two, and thereafter every third year. In years without on-site audits, the decision to certify is based on an evaluation of certain documents. In some countries, the audit process may even be stricter, but it will never be less stringent.
Green Key certifies hotels, hostels, small accommodations, campsites, holiday parks, conference centers, restaurants and tourist attractions worldwide. You can find a map with all certified Green Key establishments here.
In order to be certified, a Green Key applicant has to go through the following application process:
Sending the application documents
Receiving the on-site audit
Decision by an independent entity (third-party verification)
A more detailed description of how the application process works can be found here. The Green Key certificate is valid for 12 months and must consequently be renewed annually.
The Green Key certificate is built around a set of highly advanced environmental criteria focusing on 13 different categories.
These criteria have been developed for six categories of tourism establishments which are publicly available: hotels and hostels, campsites and holiday parks, small accommodations, conference centres, attractions and restaurants.
Green Key certifies tourism establishments in all price ranges, from bunk-bed hostels to five-star luxury hotels. Green Key has agreements with a number of online travel agency partners that indicate which of the offered establishments are Green Key certified.
Staying in a Green Key certified tourist accommodation does not mean that you have to compromise on comfort or luxury. Many of the processes that make a tourism establishment more sustainable go behind the scenes, which means that by opting to stay in a Green Key certified accommodation, you might very well be supporting an environmentally-responsible business without even noticing it. Innovative developments in technology contribute to maintaining comfort while saving resources, such as water-saving shower heads that maintain water pressure, or dimmable LED light bulbs that keep the atmosphere cosy. In fact, choosing a tourism establishment with an eco-certificate can increase the quality of your stay, as they offer products to their guests that are third-party approved, locally sourced or from fair-trade suppliers (e.g. food and beverages, personal hygiene products, etc.).
Green Key is managed internationally by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). FEE is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation promoting sustainable development through environmental education. In addition to Green Key, FEE is active through four other environmental education programmes: Blue Flag, Eco-Schools, Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) and Learning about Forests (LEAF). Today, FEE member organisations are administering the Green Key programme in more than 50 countries worldwide.
For further information, please contact either Green Key International or the Green Key National Operator in your country.
The Green Key certificate is a standard of excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry. More than 6,000 establishments in 70+ countries have been Green Key certified, making it one of the largest international tourism eco-certificates for accommodation. Establishments with the Green Key certificate can be recognised by this logo:
The Green Key certificate means that certified establishments adhere to strict criteria as stipulated by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). These criteria ensure that sustainability is integrated at a very high level in the management and operation of the certified tourism establishment. The Green Key certificate also ensures verification of the sustainability performance by means of a third-party entity to prevent so-called greenwashing. All certified establishments receive frequent on-site audits and have to renew their certificate every year.
Establishments with the Green Key certification are closely monitored to ensure that they are adhering to its strict sustainability standards. In addition, the establishments are required to continually improve their performance in line with the Green Key criteria. Prior to being certified for the first time, an on-site audit of the applicant establishment is carried out. This audit is then conducted again in year two, and thereafter every third year. In years without on-site audits, the decision to certify is based on an evaluation of certain documents. In some countries, the audit process may even be stricter, but it will never be less stringent.
By deciding to join Green Key, your business commits to operating in a more sustainable and efficient way. Green Key gives you advice on how to monitor and reduce the consumption of resources and helps you to motivate your staff as well as your guests to act more responsibly. In the end, saving resources means saving money!
You would be surprised by just how many best practices are out there that reduce the environmental impact of your establishment without compromising the quality of the guest experience. With over 30 years of experience, Green Key has an extensive knowledge base of best practices that are shared within the network of certified establishments.
Green Key also increases the visibility of its certified sites. Once certified, your establishment will be displayed on our Green Key map. We also cooperate with several Online Travel Agencies that will add your Green Key certificate to your listing on their website (providing that your establishment is already included in the portfolio of the Online Travel Agency). We are also happy to promote your establishment by publishing your best practice stories in our news features, on our website, and on social media.
More and more consumers expect that the products and services they choose are environmentally friendly and socially responsible. The Green Key certificate is considered a trustworthy symbol for consumers that your establishment meets their expectations
In the majority of countries, Green Key is managed by nonprofit organisations, which means that the costs for the certification are relatively low compared to other international tourism eco-certificates.
Our vast network of national operators also ensures that the national context and legislation are taken into account.
In most countries with national operators you can send your application and communicate with Green Key in your own language.
With over 6,000 sites in more than 70 countries, Green Key has an international reputation which can be more easily recognised by your costumers than other eco-certificates.
Green Key is recognised by the World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) and the United Nations Development Programme.
Green Key is a trustworthy and transparent eco-certificate ensuring that all certified sites receive regular on-site audits and are third-party verified.
All hotels, hostels, small accommodations, campsites, holiday parks, conference centres, restaurants, and tourist attractions worldwide can apply for the Green Key certificate. By using our self-assessment form, you can make a rough assessment of how ready your establishment is to apply for the Green Key certificate. As this form is only a rough guide, you should always contact your National Operator for a complete list of the criteria, you will need to meet in order to apply for a Green Key certificate.
In order to be certified, a Green Key applicant has to go through the following application process:
Sending the application documents
Receiving the on-site audit
Decision by an independent entity (third-party verification)
A more detailed description of how the application process works can be found here. The Green Key certificate is valid for 12 months and must consequently be renewed annually.
The application should be sent to the Green Key National Operator in your own country. A complete list of National Operators can be found here. If there is no National Operator in your country, please contact Green Key International.
The Green Key certificate is built around a set of highly advanced environmental criteria focusing on 13 different categories.
These criteria have been developed for six categories of tourism establishments that are publicly available: hotels and hostels, campsites and holiday parks, small accommodations, conference centres, attractions and restaurants.
The duration of the application process varies from establishment to establishment, depending on the existing levels of sustainability. The completion of the application form, the schedule for an on-site audit and follow-up, as well as the third-party decision process are all factors that have an impact on the length of the application process. Some countries also have fixed application deadlines that must be met when applying to become a Green Key establishment.
The fee for the Green Key certificate depends on the country, the size, and the type of your establishment. For an exact quote for your establishment, please contact your National Operator, and for countries without National Operator, Green Key International. As Green Key is in the majority of countries run by not-for-profit organisations, the costs for the certification are relatively low compared to other international tourism certificates and ecolabels.
Green Key is managed internationally by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). FEE is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation promoting sustainable development through environmental education. In addition to Green Key, FEE is active through four other environmental education programmes: Blue Flag, Eco-Schools, Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE), and Learning about Forests (LEAF). Today, FEE member organisations are administering the Green Key programme in more than 50 countries worldwide.
For further information, please contact either Green Key International or the Green Key National Operator in your country.
