Green Key has a new National Operator in Qatar

The Arab Youth Climate Movement Qatar (AYCMQA) has taken over as Qatar's Green Key management at the national level.

© AYCMQA

Arab Youth Climate Movement Qatar is an independent, non-profit, think-and-do-tank for environmental awareness & advocacy, research, and policy analysis. Since its founding in 2015, Arab Youth Climate Movement Qatar (AYCMQA) has been dedicated to improving environmental policy, developing grassroots awareness and capacity building at the community level in Qatar.

Abdulrahman Almuftah, Board of Director of AYCMQA explains that:

“Taking over Green Key initiative in Qatar was part of AYCMQA’s long term sustainability strategy in Qatar. As reported in IPCC, a sustainable transition in land, energy, buildings, transport and cities is needed to meet global carbon reduction goals. Buildings, like those that are Green Key certified, are a global solution for cities, communities, and neighborhoods.”

Martin Baeuerle,  the new Green Key National Operator with many years of experience in hotel operation and sustainability consultancy says:

“I have been involved with Green Key for over 12 years, first from the hotel side, in getting the property certified, then from the side of being a Green Key auditor side and now I am happy to be the Green Key National Operator for Qatar and continue making a positive impact.”

Martin Baeuerle is a qualified hotel management specialist and holds a professional certificate in Sustainable Tourism. In the past, he has been speaker, panellist and moderator at important conferences such as Qatar Hospitality Summit, Project Qatar, Hospitality Qatar, Hospitality Innovation Summit and Construction Week. He served as a judge for the Hotelier Middle East Awards for a number of years as well as the Qatar Sustainability Awards. He also served as the lead auditor for Green Key in Qatar for many years.

 In 2011, Qatar launched the National Vision 2030 to guide its plans for sustainable long-term development and environmental diversification. In pursuit of this vision, tourism has been designated a priority sector by the country’s leaders as it provides Qatar with the opportunity to find sustainable economic growth, while perpetuating and celebrating the nation’s cultural and natural gems (UNWTO, 2017).

One of the four pillars of the National Vision 2023 is Environmental Development. The environmental criteria of Green Key align with nation’s star classification. Obtaining an international ecolabel, such as Green Key, supports the hotels in their classification process and in contributing to the wider strategy of the country.

© Shutterbox

Finn Bolding Thomsen, Green Key International Director, adds:

“We are happy to have AYCMQA as our new National Operator in Qatar to continue the work with Green Key in Qatar, and we encourage any hotel or other tourism facilities eligible for Green Key in Qatar to apply or contact AYCM for more information about the programme.”

Green Key launches in Northern Ireland

Environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful is introducing Green Key to Northern Ireland.

Green Key is an internationally recognised eco-certification for the hospitality sector, thereby boosting the local tourism and hospitality industry and championing sustainable best practices.

Dr Susann Power, Operations Manager at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and Green Key National Operator states: “A Green Key stands for an establishment’s promise to its guests that by opting to stay with such an establishment, they are helping to make a difference on an environmental and sustainability level. Researchers at the University of Québec have demonstrated that customers generally perceive eco-certifications as favourable and that customer satisfaction levels increase when a hotel has adopted sustainable operations and has been awarded an eco-certification. Green Key is thus a real opportunity for hospitality businesses in Northern Ireland to reach those discerning visitors.”

Finn Bolding Thomsen, International Green Key Director at the Foundation for Environmental Education explains: “Green Key is a well-proven and recognised international programme for establishments in the hospitality industry. More and more establishments wish to work with its sustainability efforts, so Green Key is experiencing a growth in number of participating establishments and number of countries with awarded establishments. I am very happy to see the programme now also being launched in Northern Ireland so that interested establishments can obtain local support from Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful for the implementation of Green Key.”

Hospitality businesses in Northern Ireland interested in learning more about Green Key and how it can help them boost their green credentials should contact Dr Susann Power at susann.power@keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org or on +44 28 9073 6920.

Green Key now has national representation in 41 countries around the world.

Green Key present at sustainable tourism conference in Kaunas, Lithuania

Within the frames of the UN Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017, a Sustainable tourism conference for the Kaunas region in Lithuania was held on 23 November 2017.

The conference was initiated with a funny video interviewing people about their knowledge about sustainable tourism. Not surprisingly, many did not know the meaning of the word "Sustainability", so the conclusion after the video was that everyone working with sustainable tourism should explain the meaning of sustainability without necessarily mentioning the word.

The Ministry of Economy (Tourism Department) presented the sustainable tourism strategy in Lithuania as well as the figures for tourism in the Kaunas region. The representative encouraged conference participants to use 2018, as 100 years of Lithuania as a country, to promote sustainable tourism and the natural beauty of the country. Other tourism experts explained how sustainable tourism fits with the UN Sustainable Development goals.

In the conference, Green Key International Director, Finn Bolding Thomsen and National Operator, Renaldas Rimivicius had the opportunity to present Green Key with focus on the eligibility of the programme for small accommodations. The environmental manager at Green Key awarded Park Inn by Radisson hotel in Kaunas gave a presentation about the environmental and social work of the hotel leading to the Green Key award.

Finn Bolding Thomsen was also interviewed about Green Key for the regional TV station. The reporter wanted to know more about Green Key and the benefits of joining the programme as well as observations that Bolding Thomsen made about the Green Key awarded hotel where the conference was held.

For our Lithuanian speaking followers, click on the picture to see the interview with Bolding Thomsen by Init TV (starting at 21:00).

Green Key seminar in Latvia

Green Key has National Operators in more than 40 countries and many of them organise national seminars, with the aim to raise awareness on Green Key and help current and upcoming establishments with the implementation.

On 22 November 2017, Green Key Latvia organised its annual Green Key seminar for current and upcoming establishments. In the seminar, the Latvian National Operator Janis Ulme focused in detail on how to ensure the implementation of the new Green Key criteria that took effect last year.

Green Key's International Director, Finn Bolding Thomsen, attended the seminar and presented the international dimension of the programme and tools, promotion and support for the awarded establishments done by Green Key International. He encouraged the participants to use Green Key as one of the ways to promote Latvia as a green destination, not least during 2018 where Latvia celebrates 100 years as a country.

In addition, the seminar had informative presentations about labels and schemes for cleaning products, furniture, food and beverage, energy and other topics. 

The seminar was held in Green Key awarded Hotel Avalon in central Riga. The environmental manager of the hotel informed the attendees about the environmental work at the hotel, and a  guided tour in the establishment was offered to the participants at the seminar.