This past week I posted the second in my series of articles on green lodging certification programs. It focuses on the Green Key Global Eco-Rating Program. (I had previously written about Audubon International’s Green Lodging Program. Click here to see that article.) The Green Key program got its start in Canada where there are now 1,231 rated properties. The program was launched by the Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) in 1997. In partnership with LRA Worldwide, Inc. in the United States, HAC has grown the program to include 1,621 rated properties in the U.S. There are 20 additional countries that now have Green Key rated properties.
Green Key’s strategy of getting hotel companies to commit entire portfolios (or significant chunks) to its rating program has been a successful one. Among the hotel companies/brands significantly supporting Green Key: Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Motel6/Studio 6, Caesars Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Carlson, Best Western International, Gaylord Hotels, Hyatt Corp., Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group, Delta Hotels and Resorts, Wyndham Worldwide, Canad Inns, Coast Hotels, Sandman Hotel Group, and Lakeview Hotels & Resorts. Green Key’s growth has also come because of its support from the American Hotel & Lodging Assn. (AH&LA). Members of AH&LA receive a discount.
The affordability of Green Key and the user-friendly online self-assessment process have also contributed to the program’s growth.
Application Separated Into Five Main Areas
The questions in Green Key’s application fall into five main areas of hotel operations: Corporate Environmental Management; Housekeeping; Conference & Meeting Services; Food & Beverage Services; and Engineering. The questions are thorough and cover everything from whether or not one has a green team to whether or not organic fertilizers are used on hotel grounds.
If I were to criticize anything about Green Key’s application, it is how questions are organized. This is one area I would manage differently if I were the top banana at Green Key. As I was reading through the application, I was wishing there were different categories under which questions were segregated. Questions related to waste management could be grouped better. So too those related to purchasing, water conservation and indoor air quality. If Green Key is going to keep its five categories, perhaps it should consider subcategories to better organize questions.
Green Key’s application was last updated in 2011. It will be updated again in 2015. Hopefully the folks managing Green Key will be open to adjusting the application before 2015. For example, it would be great to give credit to those hotels that are now installing charging stations for electric vehicles. That is not mentioned at all in the 2011 application.
The Challenge of On-site Inspections
On-site inspections are part of the Green Key Global Eco-Rating Program. A challenge inherent in a program the size of Green Key is how to inspect thousands of properties often enough to make inspections a credible part of the program. Currently, Green Key’s policy is to conduct yearly on-site inspections of a minimum of 20 percent of rated properties. Members who achieve a 5 Key Rating (properties are rated from 1 to 5 Green Keys) or have a valid complaint filed against them are considered priority visits. “As our program grows and evolves we are working towards our hotel members to be inspected every three to four years,” said Steve Ball, director of business development for Green Key Global. Does inspecting a property every three or four years make sense? Is that often enough?
Growth itself also remains a challenge for Green Key. How many more brands will commit to the rating program? Also, what remains to be seen is how our industry will react to TripAdvisor’s free GreenLeaders accommodation recognition program. Will it pull potential business away from Green Key and the other green lodging certification programs? The GreenLeaders program was just launched in April but it already has 2,100 GreenLeaders properties in its fold.
No matter what happens, it will be interesting as always to watch how the ongoing certification story unfolds.
Be sure to watch for the third article in my series on green lodging certification in the coming week—this time on the Green Seal Standard for Lodging Properties, GS-33.
Have comments on certification? Send them my way. I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com, or by phone at (216) 848-1406.
Who is Your Sustainability Champion?
Green Lodging News is always looking to profile sustainability champions in our Personnel Profile section. If you would like to nominate someone for this section of Green Lodging News, contact me at (216) 848-1406, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
Looking for Guest Columnists
Every two weeks Green Lodging News posts a new guest column on its website. (Click here for examples.) The guest column also appears in the weekly e-newsletter. Green Lodging News is currently in need of industry experts to contribute occasional guest columns. Experts may include consultants, architects, designers, suppliers and those who own or operate green lodging establishments. Columns may be articles that take a stance on a particular subject or be strictly educational in nature. Columnists benefit by having their photo included along with a one paragraph description of their company. Interested in writing a column? Contact Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor, at (216) 848-1406, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
Planning Advertising for 2013/2014?
Green Lodging News is accepting reservations for advertising spots for 2013 and 2014. Many excellent spots are available on the website and in the weekly e-mail newsletter. Many Green Supplier Spotlight dates are also available. Interested in receiving a 2013 or 2014 media kit? Be sure to contact me as soon as possible at (216) 848-1406, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com. Media kits can also be accessed by clicking here. Thank you to all of those companies that consistently support Green Lodging News.
Social Networking Sites
Green Lodging News now has 1,363 Twitter followers. Thank you to all of those who follow our tweets. In addition to following us on Twitter, be sure to bookmark the Green Lodging News Blog in your browser. More importantly, participate with your comments. Green Lodging News is also on Facebook. Be sure to “Like” us there. Green Lodging News now has 448 Facebook followers.
As always, I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
