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Green Key Members Supporting Running Out of Time

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Launched in Glasgow, Scotland on 30 September, Running Out of Time, the world’s longest relay, ended in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt on 8 November after covering 7,767 kilometres and 18 countries.

© Green Key Netherlands

Team members of Green Key Netherlands running part of the stage in Running Out of Time and handing over the baton at Green Key certified Van der Valk Hotel Venlo.

The relay crossed the finish line on 8 November together with the baton, which included a message to the world leaders at COP 27 demanding quality climate education for all. Over the past 40 days, several Green Key members and certified establishments have supported the relay and the message in the baton by hosting baton handovers, running stages of the relay and offering the relay’s Support Crew a good night’s sleep!

Erik van Dijk who is a National Operator of the Green Key and Blue Flag programme in the Netherlands, shared why he decided to support the Running Out of Time:

“When I heard about Running Out of Time, I was immediately enthusiastic. I called some of our Green Key certified establishments and Blue Flag awarded sites in the southern part of the country. Eight of them were also enthusiastic and they offered their support and hospitality. Even my colleagues, Laska and Johan, were participating and running a part in the relay. It was wonderful to see the baton in Brussels, its handover at a marina in the Netherlands and the end at the COP27 in Sharm El Sheik. I am proud to be a part of FEE, an organisation where people care. And even more proud, that part of my daily work is to help entrepreneurs in hospitality, beaches and marinas to make their business more sustainable.”

We would like to thank the Green Key members around the world as well as the Green Key certified establishments and their teams who took part in the run and supported this amazing initiative! A special thanks to:

  • Keep Scotland Beautiful – runs the Green Key programme in Scotland and the first Green Key certified hotel in Scotland, Radisson RED in Glasgow hosted the prelaunch event in Glasgow, and provided rooms for the Support Crew of Running Out of Time.

  • Keep Britain Tidy, which is responsible for Green Key England and helped to recruit runners and increase the awareness about Running Out of Time.

  • Keep Wales Tidy, runs the Green Key programme in Wales and their team who helped carry the baton while cycling during the relay.

  • GoodPlanet Belgium responsible for Green Key Belgium has been supporting sustainable development in Belgium for over 20 years and this time, once again, supported this amazing initiative for the climate education by organizing a special baton handover event with the European Commission and former FEE President, Jan Eriksen.

  • Green Key Netherlands who not only helped to involve multiple  Green Key certified establishments in the relay but also helped run and cycle the baton to Germany! The following establishments supported the Running Out of Time: Boutique Hotel The Roosevelt, Molecaten Park Wijde Blick. Suite Hotel Pincoffs, Hotel Central in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Van der Valk Hotel Venlo and De Maaspoort Theater & Events.

  • FEE’s member in Germany, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Umwelterziehung (DGU), whose board member Jens Hepper attended the special baton handover event at the UNFCCC Headquarters in Bon.

  • Environmental Consultancy of Montenegro (ECOM), running the Green Key programme in Montenegro helped to spread the word about the Running Out of Time and increased awareness about climate action and climate education.

  • Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature (HSPN) in Greece together with the Vice President of FEE and President of HSPN Nikos Petrou, who helped with the baton handover in Greece and to spread the word about message in the baton. Moreover, Green Key certified establishments, specifically the Mediterranean Village, Grecotel Larissa Imperial, Mitsis Galini Wellness Spa & Resort and Anastasia Hotel hosted the relay’s Support Crew and Fissi Villas from Agios Nikolaos supported Running Out of Time with a donation.

  • Cyprus Marine Environment Protection Association (CYMEPA), FEE’s member in Cyprus that helped to move the baton through Cyprus to Israel.

  • And finally, EcoOcean in Israel who helped to recruit hundreds of runners and cyclists, organized incredible handover events and made it possible to get the baton to its final stages in Egypt.  

The Baton Message was handed to the world leaders at COP27 at the UNESCO Pavilion on 8 November. You can read more about its journey here and you can still support the message here.