Join Green Key now – and get a £500 discount
18 May 2022
We are working with VisitScotland to give tourism businesses the chance to join Green Key at a discount of £500, applied to their first year of membership. The funding is available for ten micro, small and SME businesses until March 2023, on a first come first served basis.
The funding is part of VisitScotland’s Sustainability Certification Scheme Fund for Tourism Recovery, and the Destination Net Zero Programme. We were one of the successful organisations to gain money for supporting tourism businesses.
Tackling climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing Scottish tourism now, and in the future. Consumer concern over the environment and climate has doubled in the last decade and visitors are increasingly seeking out businesses and destinations with excellent green credentials. Gaining green certification provides a good opportunity to showcase your green credentials as well as managing your sustainability actions.
Barry Fisher, our Chief Executive said: “We’re looking forward to supporting tourism businesses across Scotland to become accredited with the international Green Key award thanks to this boost as part of the Destination Net Zero programme. Green Key accreditation provides a comprehensive framework for continual environmental improvement and with visitors already looking for green credentials when making choices, now is the time for us to all step up and support a truly green and just recovery.”
Green Key is an international, voluntary eco-label owned by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), developed specifically for the hospitality and tourism sector. It is recognised and supported by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation and the United Nations Environment Programme, and it is one of the world’s largest eco-certification programmes for the tourism industry.
Green Key is suitable for hotels, hostels, small accommodations, campsites, holiday parks, conference centres, restaurants, and attractions. We are the national operators in Scotland, supporting eligible establishments gain the award. Green Key criteria are based on environmental management, water, energy, administration, green activities, staff involvement, food & beverage, and waste.
The Destination Net Zero programme is a key strand in the Scottish Government’s COVID-19 Tourism Recovery Programme. It aims to support businesses and destinations as they transition to a future of net zero emissions. As part of the programme, VisitScotland launched the Sustainability Certification Scheme Fund for Tourism Recovery in February 2022 to provide grant funding to Certification Providers to support businesses to recover from the impacts of COVID-19 in a sustainable manner. The programme is being delivered on behalf of the Scottish Tourism Emergency Response Group (STERG) by Scottish Enterprise (SE), VisitScotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), South of Scotland Enterprise (SoSE) and partners.
Further detail on eligibility can be seen on our Green Key webpage.
