Statement on Green Key's status - 2025 and beyond

The current Green Key standard (criteria and explanatory notes) took effect on 1 January 2022 and has been internationally recognised. This Green Key standard is expected to remain in force until 31 December 2026.

The certification process includes third-party verification, conducted either by an independent auditor or a National Jury, to ensure compliance with Green Key requirements.

To meet upcoming EU directives on consumer protection and green claims, Green Key is committed to securing scheme approval from Denmark’s national accreditation body (NAB), a member of the International Accreditation Forum.

During 2025, Green Key will be updating and revising criteria and process to allow for application for scheme approval which will be submitted by 31 December 2025, with the goal of achieving approval by 31 December 2026.

Any updates to the Green Key standard and certification procedures resulting from this process will be implemented no later than 1 January 2027.

First Bulgarian restaurant to receive the Green Key award for a restaurant in Eastern Europe

An article by the Bulgarian Blue Flag Movement, FEE member in Bulgaria

When we heard for the first time at the Bulgarian Blue Flag Movement that a former school in the Bulgarian village of Devino had been transformed into what is probably the most sustainable restaurant in Eastern Europe, we simply couldn’t believe it.

As the Bulgarian full member and representative of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and its Green Key programme, the Bulgarian Blue Flag Movement has a long experience in sustainability certification. So after receiving the Dieci Boutique Restaurant’s application, we decided to check for ourselves whether this is real.

We analysed the entire business process of the restaurant according to the Green Key criteria - the world's leading eco-label for environmentally responsible tourism businesses.

Undoubtedly, the owners of Dieci, Chef Gianfranco Chiarini and Chef Anna Chiarini, have decided to turn sustainability not only into a moral thing to do, but moreover into their philosophy, lifestyle and passion.

Dieci Boutique Restaurant is blessed to be located in the heart of Bulgaria, among pristine forests that provide the game, truffles and hundreds of foraging treasures to the wonderful and innovative cuisine it offers to its guests. But it also provides its visitors with direct contact with the priceless nature of the country, which is an important requirement of the Green Key programme.

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The remodeled building gives credit to the chefs and their philosophy, where the reuse of old materials and adapting rather than demolishing is sustainable in itself. But they went further by improving the building’s energy efficiency during the renovation and were very smart in the use of reclaimed wood for the floors, organic painting materials for the walls and everything in the villa and the restaurant, from the tables to the restaurant’s food is organic and fair trade certified - in line with the Green Key criteria.

What is most exciting is how they’ve turned an old abandoned school into something exceptional, where all traditional elements have been preserved, old furniture and tools have been restored and beautifully displayed. Watch a video about the duo and the restaurant.

The owners' day begins at 6:30 in the morning, when foraging from the forests brings the best of nature to their dishes, with pure and fresh aromas and incredible flavors that are unusual to a regular palate.

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Their day continues with the vegetable garden and the fruit orchard where all the vegetables, roots, fruits and herbs are being provided to give way to the preparations for their exquisite dinners. This follows one of the guideline requirements of the Green Key.

Finally we get to the most crucial part of their sustainability philosophy. All the electricity and the water in the property is produced via photovoltaic panels (22 in total) and a deep well which goes as far as 63 meters below. All this makes Dieci, not only energy efficient, but 100% energy independent. The Green Key programme requires serious management of energy and water consumption, and Dieci has even built on this.

The cooking takes place at specific hours of the day where the use of special equipment is calculated by Kph in order to never enter the national grid and only use the flow of energy once the batteries are full. Then in the dark hours of the night the restaurant switches to batteries.

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During the entire operation of preparations and dinners, every bag, every plastic, every little material that is metal and glass are separated as they go. Any left over food is placed into an Electronic Food Composter, that turns in 10 hours all the organic food waste into a beautiful organic compost that looks like earth soil. This compost is stored in natural jute bags and afterwards used in the colder months to grow in their nursery the small plants that will be planted at the end of May in the vegetable garden.

It is important also to state that for the small plants nursery, Dieci Boutique Restaurant has its own seed bank with different species and a sort of Bulgarian tomatoes that are as old as one century. Some species were considered lost and Dieci are happy to have brought them back. These wonders are to be enjoyed in the warm months of the summer, since Dieci not only consumes and grows local, but also seasonal.

Also Dieci has its own fermentation rooms, aging rooms and beehives to produce their own organic honey 100% pure and without any sugar. All the honey is the product of direct and unaltered bee to flower pollination.

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During the entire food preparation any paper, plastic, metal or glass material is collected separately for future processing in their own recycling center, which has certainly become second nature to Gianfranco and Anna. Even for the experienced auditors of the Bulgarian Blue Flag Movement, the recycling measures seemed extremely impressive:

• the glass is being collected and crushed in a special machine, then sent for processing, with no glass being thrown away;

• the metal from aluminum packaging, cans and any other metal left-over is melted down in a special

• machine and with the melted metal Dieci makes its own unique souvenirs for its guests;

• the paper and cardboard are being shredded and left in recycled water from their rainwater collectors. The resulting material is used in a special press to make briquettes, which are utilized afterwards as organic fuel for fire in the winter.

• plastic is being shredded in a special machine, then melted into molds with the form of a brick. A new recycling center will be built from the bricks produced.

All these incredibly smart and environmentally friendly activities are open to all restaurant guests, who can witness them during the short tour before dinner. This is part of the mission of Chef Gianfranco Chiarini and Chef Anna Chiarini to inspire them and teach them what true sustainability is. At the same time, it is an important element of the Green Key programme's education for sustainable development.

It is fair to mention that all the revenue from the sales of their handmade recycled souvenirs go back into the community: the funds received are used to pay local people to clean the village and the surrounding forests of plastic, glass, metal and paper, and to provide them for processing at the Dieci recycling center.

This last action closes the circle of sustainability by involving and teaching their community to think green and to reduce and reuse sustainably. In this way, not only is the local community supported, but it is also educated not to pollute, to collect waste separately. All this fully covers the social aspect of the Green Key programme.

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But the most impressive thing is that, in addition to the culinary magic they create, all the maintenance of the building, the gardens, the bees, the trees, the fermentations, the aging of meat, game, reservations, accounting, marketing and social media and above all – sustainable management with care for nature is in the hands of Chef Gianfranco and Chef Anna Chiarini alone.

The certification and audit of Dieci Boutique Restaurant under the Green Key programme did not turn into a control visit, but into an exchange of experience and useful ideas, how to preserve the natural environment, how to run a tourism business in the most sustainable way with reasonable resource consumption and waste management with an undeniable positive economic effect, which enriched all parties. Dieci definitely stands out as an example that sustainability can also have a beautiful, luxurious, delicious and inspiring side, which should motivate other Bulgarian tourist sites to follow suit.

The sustainable daily activities of Dieci Boutique Restaurant cover all and even build on many of the Green Key criteria and hopefully the international guides will take notice that this petite place in the middle of paradise is not the product of coincidence, nor an accident. But the exemplary result of hard work, passion and ingenuity of two persons in the middle of nature, delivering the highest creative cuisine that Bulgaria has to offer with zero waste and the minimum impact to their surroundings.

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Thank you, Gianfranco and Anna, for choosing Bulgaria as your home and for teaching us how to deliver the highest quality at the lowest cost to nature.

Due to the fact that the impressive green practices of this special place are not just sustainable policies and procedures, but a lifestyle and business style, a personal philosophy and credo, Dieci is the first restaurant to be awarded the prestigious GREEN KEY global award, not only in Bulgaria, but also in Eastern Europe.

World’s Leading Travel & Tourism Certification Organisations Collaborate to Meet Growing Demand for Sustainability

The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), Green Key International, and Blue Flag International are proud to announce our participation in a global collaboration of leading certification organisations dedicated to developing and upholding industry-recognised standards for sustainable tourism.

This significant milestone highlights the critical importance of our 10-year strategic plan, GAIA 20:30, which pledges to empower climate action, protect global biodiversity, and reduce environmental pollution. By joining forces with these respected partners, we collectively enhance our capacity to drive global sustainability initiatives and demonstrate our commitment to creating a more sustainable future by providing transparent, achievable, and affordable solutions for the industry.

Representatives from the organisations which took part in the meeting in Copenhagen. From left to right: Billy Bishop (Travelife for Accommodation, Daniel Schaffer (Foundation for Environmental Education), Patricio Azcárate Díaz de Losada (Responsible Tourism Institute), Elissa Keenan (Ecotourism Australia), Naut Kusters, (Travelife for tour operators), Birte Pelayo (Green Globe Certification), Gary Graham (Green Key Global), Albert Salman (Green Destinations), Marco Giraldo (TourCert)

At the commencement of 2024, leading sustainable travel & tourism certification organisations formed a collaboration to address better practices and improve cooperation across the globe. These certification organisations and their related educational and training bodies include Biosphere: Instituto de Turismo Responsable; Blue Flag; Ecotourism Australia; Good Travel Seal; Green Globe Certification, Green Key: Foundation for Environmental Education; Green Key Global; TourCert; Travelife for Accommodation; and Travelife for Tour Operators.

For more than 30 years, these leading certification organisations have been responsible for developing internationally accepted sustainability criteria, constituting the industry-recognised standard for sustainable tourism. Collectively these organisations have certified more than 19,000 of the world’s leading travel and tourism enterprises, organisations, and destinations.

The hallmark of these certifications has been and continues to be, a focus on transparency, integrity and credibility. This inclusive approach is underpinned by the combined knowledge of industry professionals, academia, quality assurance auditors, destination managers and regulators. All stakeholders contribute and benefit from the ongoing development processes, providing a common platform that neither favours nor discriminates, but promotes the continuous improvement of sustainable performance by all.

As leading sustainability certifiers, these organisations have ensured that the criteria and indicators of the industry-recognised standard have been developed for use in various countries, regions, and geographies. This process has allowed the travel and tourism industry to comply with the standard, via actions that contribute to the sustainability of the communities in which they operate and on which their activity has a direct and indirect impact, promoting more respectful and resilient business models.

The travel and tourism industry and destinations have for many years relied on the indisputable veracity of the professional services delivered by these certification organisations. These organisations’ certification services are underpinned by a quality management approach and assured by independent verification inspections.

Participants in the meeting in Copenhagen from Travel & Tourism Certification Organisations

Over decades and today, many thousands of travel and tourism enterprises, organisations and destinations utilise the certifications provided by these organisations to prove ESG practices to shareholders, investors, governments, and destination managers. Recently, sustainability’s remarkable rise in popularity with travel consumers has led to an unprecedented demand for certification by many more businesses and destinations.

With the rapidly growing appreciation of sustainability’s immeasurable value, certification organisations have come together to ensure that core values, along with criteria and indicators that define sustainable tourism, are not diluted, or manipulated.

Furthermore, on behalf of their clients and members, the organisations will work collectively to satisfy the requirements of emerging consumer protection legislation such as the European Union Green Claims Directive. This collaboration of certification organisations looks forward to discussing and aligning approaches to future legislation, reporting standards and other requirements relating to sustainable tourism certification.

Concerning their historical roles as founders and developers of the knowledge and practices that have grown sustainable tourism, the certification organisations are dedicated to further fostering a global industry that thrives on sustainability. This includes the development of frameworks and pathways that encourage all enterprises to engage sustainability as a driver for their business. The fundamental goal is to provide transparent, achievable, and affordable solutions for the industry, and assist them in meeting the challenges of operating sustainably and achieving continuous improvement.

This new level of collaboration by certification organisations will further empower travel and tourism to embrace sustainability through rigorous certifications, and promote destinations that endorse eco-friendly practices, support local communities, and preserve cultural richness. To this end, the certification organisations will continue to guarantee that their professional services are provided fairly and affordably across all sectors and to all businesses, including micro and small-to-medium-sized enterprises, that make up the great majority of the travel and tourism industry.

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About Green Key International
Green Key is an internationally recognised programme that certifies hotels, resorts, theme parks, and conference centres, that adhere to strict criteria in social and environmental responsibility, alongside sustainable business practices. Achieving this certification reflects a commitment to exceeding global standards through innovative solutions.

Green Key operates under the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and is recognised by a range of international hotel chain partners and other entities in the tourism and hospitality industry as a preferred sustainability certification partner. With over 5,900 certified businesses in 70+ countries, Green Key is the leading standard for excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism and hospitality industry. Learn more at www.greenkey.global.

About Blue Flag International
The iconic Blue Flag is one of the world’s most recognised voluntary awards for beaches, marinas, and sustainable tourism boats. To qualify for the Blue Flag, a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility criteria must be met and maintained. Central to the ideals of the Blue Flag programme is the aim of connecting the public with their surroundings and encouraging them to learn more about their environment. As such, environmental education activities must be offered and promoted in addition to a permanent display of information relevant to the site in terms of biodiversity, ecosystems and environmental phenomena.

Blue Flag operates under the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and is world-renowned award trusted by millions around the globe. With over 5,100 awarded beaches, marinas and tourist boats in 51 countries, Blue Flag is the leading programme promoting sound environmental education and sustainable management of beaches, marinas and boating operators worldwide.

About Foundation for Environmental Education
The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) is one of the world’s largest Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) organisations, with over 100 member organisations in 80 countries. With a network of over 60,000 educational institutions, the Eco-Schools, Learning About Forests and Young Reporters for the Environment programmes empower young people to create an environmentally conscious world through experiential, project-based learning. The Green Key and Blue Flag programmes are globally recognised for promoting sustainable business practices and the protection of natural resources. With over 40 years of impactful experience in ESD, FEE’s strategic plan, GAIA 20:30, prioritises impactful action across all five programmes to address the threats of climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental pollution.

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For more information, please contact:

Alessandro Venti, International Blue Flag Coordinator
Email: alessandro@fee.global