Dive Brief:
- The American Hotel & Lodging Association and the Hotel Association of Canada signed a letter of intent to form a joint venture that will own and operate the Green Key Global certification in both countries, AHLA announced Tuesday.
- Green Key Global grants properties eco-ratings after assessment and audit processes that measure water conservation, land use, hazardous waste management, air quality and more.
- The partnership will expand Green Key Global’s environmental certification program into the U.S. hotel market, building the Responsible Stay Initiative that AHLA launched late last year.
Dive Insight:
Green Key’s criteria are recognized by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council and align with all 17 of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
HAC founded Green Key Global in 1994. Since then, the program has been widely adopted across Canada, becoming the leading environmental certification body designed specifically for the hotel and lodging industry internationally. AHLA President and CEO Chip Rogers called HAC “a pioneer in this field.”
Susie Grynol, HAC’s president and CEO, said the partnership will “unite the hotel industry behind a North American standard of sustainable certification.” In a statement, she said, “There is much to celebrate here.”
Green Key Global awards facilities a rating from one to five keys, with five being the highest attainable. In addition to its Green Key Eco-Rating, the organization operates a certification for events, Green Key Meetings. Green Key Global also offers resources to assist companies’ sustainability initiatives that help increase occupancy, save costs and reduce carbon footprints.
“Increasingly, business, group and leisure travelers want to know they’re staying in a hotel that shares their commitment to protecting the environment, and AHLA is excited to enable and support its members’ ability to meet guest expectations by bringing Green Key Global certifications to branded and independent hotels across the U.S. and Canada,” Rogers said, adding that he is “excited to partner with them to empower hoteliers and guests while making hospitality more sustainable.”
Launched in December 2022, AHLA’s Responsible Stay Initiative asks hospitality companies to commit to greater sustainability around four pillars: energy efficiency, water conservation, waste reduction and responsible sourcing. Companies that have committed to the initiative include Choice Hotels International, InterContinental Hotel Group, Marriott International, Red Roof, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts and Hilton Hotels & Resorts.
