Welcome to the member pages of Green Key certified establishments!

Green Key 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 Key work. We have created own pages for materials related to COMMUNICATION, RE-APPLICATION and LEARNING RESOURCES. On this page, you will also find THE GREEN KEY AMBASSADOR’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 Key work, please let us know. We are constantly updating the member’s pages!

Green Key Ambassador’s Task List

1. Introduction to Green Key

  • What is the Green Key program?
  • How does participating in the Green Key Program affect the establishment?
  • Going Green staff, duties and contacts
  • The Green Key jury
  • Login details for the member pages
  • Details on your sertificate
  • Follow us on Social Media!

2. The Green Key Ambassador

Your tasks as a Green Key Ambassador include:

  • acting as the contact person in all sustainability-related matters between the management, staff, suppliers as well as the Green Key national and international representatives.
  • being responsible for familiarizing other staff members with the Green Key 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 Green Key Ambassador changes, please inform us immediately by email: [email protected].

3. Annual re-application

  • 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

  • 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 Key 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 introduction regarding sustainability and the Green Key certificate.
  • If the name or contacts of the Green Key Ambassador change, please inform us immediately by email: [email protected].

5. Sustainability 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 Key (e.g. flags, 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 Key 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 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 your 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 must be submitted annually

The checklist below displays the monitoring data that needs to be collected annually in a Green Key certified establishment. The collected data is reported annually upon re-application, and as Green Key Ambassador, you coordinate the gathering of this information.

  • Total number of bed nights in the previous calendar year

  • Sustainability objectives for the past and upcoming year

  • CO2-calculations (SCOPE 1&2)

  • Sustainability training for the staff in the past year

  • Sustainability communication to guests

  • Report on water consumption

  • Water flow measurements (20% of showers and taps)

  • Detergents in daily use and their environmental labels

  • Report on waste quantities by type from the previous year

  • Report on energy use for the previous year (electricity, heating, fuels)

  • Eventual reports/attachments required for newly marked guideline criteria

We recommend you gather all the relevant data in one place throughout the year, for example in the Green Key Binder. This way, it is easily accessible when you start making the re-application.

For reporting consumption data, we offer separate REPORT TEMPLATES that you may dowdload from below. PLEASE NOTE! If you choose not to use these templates, the reports should be sent in MS Word / Excel format or as an csv file (preferably NOT in a PDF file).

What’s next?

Now you have got to know all aspects of a Green Key Ambassador’s duties. Do you have more questions?

Additional information on each criterion and how to meet it as well as instructional videos for re-applicants are available on the “Re-application” page. Support, tips and tools for sustainability communication aimed at guests are presented on the “Communication” 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 ([email protected])!

Welcome to Green Key!