Green Key Global Year in Review for 2016

What did we learn this year? Tons. It was a year of significant change, with new partnerships, and new information to share. Here is just a snapshot of what we wrote about this year, and we hope it helped you move the needle!

• The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) announced that our Green Key Eco-Rating Program has achieved ‘GSTC-Recognized’ status.

• We encouraged all meeting and event professionals to take the leap and make sure their meetings, special events and conferences are eco-friendly, and sustainable.

• We shared a few tips on how hotels can support Earth Hour.

• With many hotels participating in programs around World Water Day, Earth Day, and Earth Hour every year, it is important to recognize efforts that the hospitality industry makes to conserve, and ensure their footprint on the environment is as small as possible. But we wanted to make sure we all were aware that being sustainable goes beyond the designated days…
• We shared an interesting interview conducted with Christopher Misch, VP of Sales with Sun Country Highway, on electric vehicle charging stations and the hospitality industry.

• 2017 has been designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. We shared a few best practices to ensure that we are all ready to celebrate!

• Water conservation is nothing new. Many organizations in this space have encouraged hotels to conserve water for years – we even wrote about it for World Water Day last year. We have seen many hotels update their fixtures to ensure that they have reduced flow and flush in their bathrooms, and some are even recycling rainwater, but have you thought about taking it to the next level?

• In September, we announced that The Green Key Eco-Rating Program, the lodging industry’s certification program of choice, has been renovated. Version 3.0 (V3) is now available!

• Winter can be beautiful and tons of fun, but it also means icy roads, snow storms, and high heating and electrical bills. Things no business looks forward too. That said, there are many “quick fixes” you and your property can do to help conserve, and keep those costs under control.

• “Going Green” has become standard practice in a high percentage of hotels and other hospitality facilities. It’s the right thing to do. But it can also create the positive public relations and opinion of your brand that you are looking for. It’s a win-win. How Should Hotels Market Green Initiatives?

It’s been a busy year. We hope that you gained some insights on how you can improve your sustainability efforts. See you in 2017!