OTTAWA—Green Key Global, celebrating its 20th anniversary, is about to formally re-launch with a brand-new website and overall look on Monday, March 12 when the new site will go “live”. Green Key Global is the flagship brand and environmental certification body of the Hotel Association of Canada. Gary Graham, Manager, Programs and Operations for Green Key Global, says the newly energized program is led by a new team geared to bring more value to the certification itself and the supplier/vendor program.
The 1,500+ certified hotels participating in the Green Key Eco-Rating Program and Green Key Meetings Program will find it easier to go through the Green Key program on the new website, Graham says. Success stories of members will be highlighted in case study form. “We are really looking to highlight what our members are doing,” Graham says.
The new website will also include a new member portal that provides a series of marketing tools to help members get the word out about their Green Key participation through public relations and social media.
GSTC Recognized Program
Green Key Global is a leading, international, GSTC (Global Sustainable Tourism Council) recognized, environmental certification body whose suite of industry standard programs and resources has been designed specifically for the lodging and meetings industries. Green Key Global helps members leverage organizational CSR activities to support their property’s sustainable initiatives, improve overall fiscal performance (increase occupancy), reduce costs and carbon footprint, and improve community relations.
There are currently member properties in more than 20 countries. Based on the results of a comprehensive environmental Green Key Global v3.0 self-assessment, lodging facilities are awarded a rating from 1 to 5 Keys. Operational areas considered include: Corporate Environmental Management, Housekeeping, Food & Beverage Operations, Conference & Meeting Facilities, and Engineering. An on-site inspection may be conducted to confirm the rating. On-site audits are vital to ensuring that a member’s answers are an accurate reflection of their actions. A minimum of 20 percent of rated properties are audited annually.
Green Key Global v2.0 of its Green Key Meetings Certifications Program, the newest version, developed with the assistance of senior meeting planner professionals, has incorporated current meeting practice elements as well as complementing the well-known APEX/ASTM Green Meeting Standards. Green Key Meetings v2.0 takes a comprehensive look at how facilities perform in the following key areas: Core Areas (Energy, Water, Waste); Communication (Information, Training, Policies & Management); Activities (Community, Procurement, Auditing); Health (Wellness Activities, Air Quality, People); Exhibitions; and Audiovisual Based on the results of this comprehensive environmental self-assessment, facilities are awarded a rating from 1 to 5 Keys, 5 Keys being the highest attainable.
