Welcome to the member pages of Green Activities certified establishments!
Green Activities is a lot more than the annual application process: it is training, sharing best practices, communication to guests and continuous learning. On these pages, you will find a compilation of all the support materials needed for your annual Green Activities work. We have created own pages for materials related to COMMUNICATION, RE-APPLICATION ja TRAINING . On this page, you will also find THE GREEN ACTIVITIES MESSENGER’S TASK LIST . By following the links below, you will be directed to the relevant section. If there is any additional material you need in your Green Activities work, please let us know. We are constantly updating the member’s pages!
Green Activities Messenger’s Introduction: Read this first!
Did you just get appointed as a Green Activities Messenger, or did your establishment just achieve the certificate for the first time? Or does it feel like too much time has passed since the last time you made the application and you don’t know where to start? Not to worry, help is near! On this page, we have collected all essential information to get you started or remind you of what needs to be done. Read this summary to get an overall understanding or your duties as a Green Activities Messenger.
More information on the criteria, detailed instructions on how to fill in the application, as well as support materials for training and communicating about sustainability issues are available on other sections of the member’s pages. You are also always welcome to ask us for more information, we will be happy to help!
1. Introduction to Green Activities
- What is the Green Activities program?
- How does participating in the Green Activities Program affect the establishment?
- Going Green Oy staff, duties and contact details
- The Green Key jury
- The login information to applicant’s page is business category specific. If necessary, you may share them with other staff members within your organisation.
- Information about your certificate
- Follow us on social media! Our accounts are:
2. The role of a Green Activities Messenger
Your tasks as a Green Activities Messenger include:
- acting as the contact person in all sustainability-related matters between the management, staff, suppliers as well as the Green Activities national representatives.
- being responsible for familiarizing other staff members with the Green Activities program and supporting them in all questions related to sustainability
- being responsible for gathering, managing and updating the information related to sustainability work regarding for example waste and recycling issues.
- coordinating the formulating, developing and fulfilling of the establishment’s sustainability policy and goals
- being responsible for collecting new sustainability-related ideas and projects from staff and guests and further developing them
- filling and sending in the application and the required attachments annually by the deadline date.
If the Environmental Messenger changes, please inform us immediately by email: if.ne1714074850erggn1714074850iog@o1714074850fni1714074850.
3. Annual re-application process
- Find out from your latest certificate what is your certification period. The annual re-application is reviewed in a jury meeting just before the end of the certification period.
- 3 months before the relevant jury meeting, we will send a reminder email about the re-application to the contact person that was marked on your last application.
- When you start making the re-application, first find out which year application it is. This will dictate the number of guideline criteria that needs to be met.
- On audit years, contact your auditor and set up the audit date.
- Make the re-application and send it to us along with the necessary attachments.
- Participate in the audit (on 1./2./5. years and thereafter every 3 years.)
- Upon receiving the new certificate, make sure it is displayed in a prominent place
4. Sustainability work throughout the year
- The re-application process takes place always around the same time, but sustainability work continues throughout the year.
- The sustainability goals set in the latest application – as well as new guideline criteria aimed at for the following year – direct the establishment’s sustainability work until next re-application.
- Ensure that staff members receive annual sustainability related training.
- Sustainability communication aimed at customers, partners and suppliers is an integral part of the Green Activities program. Read more below.
- In order to remain up-to-date and inspired, participate in the sustainability-related webinars organised by us.
- If new colleagues join the staff of your establishment, make sure they receive the necessary training and induction regarding sustainability and the Green Activities certificate.
- If the name or contacts of the Environmental Messenger change, please inform us immediately by email: : if.ye1714074850kneer1714074850g@ofn1714074850i1714074850.
5. Making sustainability part of all communication
- Bear in mind that communication is a crucial part of sustainability work!
- Make sure that the person in charge of communication also considers sustainability issues and tags #greenkey #greenkeyfinland @greenkeyfinland in any posts related to them.
- You will find help, tips and support materials for sustaianbility communication in the communication and training sections of the member’s pages.
- Support materials for Green Activities (e.g. stickers and pins) can be ordered using this order form.
- Remember to keep a log of all sustainability related communication for example in the Green Activities binder, so you can compile a report on it for the re-application. Please see the checklist on all information that must be logged further down on this page.
- When we get your contact details you will be automatically added as a recipient of the Green Key/ Green Activities Newsletter (in Finnish). In the newsletter, you will receive information around the year on upcoming webinars and workshops as well as other current affairs. Remember to check that the newsletter hasn’t been directed to you spam folder! If other members of staff in your establishment wish to join the mailing list for the newsletter, they may do so through this link.
- Keep an eye on the “News” section of our website (in Finnish, some news in English) where we publish information on training offered, as well as other interesting events/publications related to sustainability.
Checklist on the information that needs to be collected annually
The required monitoring data should be gathered in one place during the certification year, for example in a Green Activities binder (downloadable index available below). The Green Activities binder may also be in electrical format.
We recommend using the ATTACHMENT REPORT TEMPLATE downloadable below for reporting on the monitoring data.
What’s next?
Now you have got to know all aspects of a Green Activities Messenger’s post. Do you have more questions?
Additional information on each criterion and how to fill it is available on the “Re-application” page as well as the videos for re-applicant. Support, tips and tools for sustainability communication aimed at guests are presented on the “Communication” page. Materials for staff capacity building is gathered on the “Training” page. If you cannot find answers to your questions or you wish to suggest improvements/additions to the materials provided, don’t hesitate to contact us (if.ye1714074850kneer1714074850g@ofn1714074850i1714074850)!
