Associations expand Green Key collaboration in Canada and US

The Hotel Association of Canada  (HAC) and the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) have announced the expansion of Green Key Global sustainability certification programme in Canada and the US through joint venture partnership Green Key Global is a sustainability process and practice certification for the hotel and lodging industry, designed by hoteliers, for hoteliers. A new joint venture company will own and operate the Green Key Global certification programme in Canada and the United States. The announcement was made at the Lodging Conference in Phoenix, USA, and represents a pivotal moment for environmental action in the hotel industry. Green Key’s certification criteria are recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) and aligned with all 17 of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Properties receive an eco-rating through an assessment and audit process that measures hotel performance in a number of key areas including energy and water conservation, land use, hazardous and solid waste management and air quality. Pending all necessary approvals, HAC and AHLA will form their joint-venture company in early 2024 that will operate under the name Green Key Global. This will build upon AHLA’s Responsible Stay initiative, launched in December 2022, which aligned AHLA member companies’ commitment around four key pillars of sustainability: energy efficiency, water conservation, waste reduction, and responsible sourcing. HAC created the Green Key Global initiative in 1994 as a certifying body for hotels in Canada and abroad. The Green Key Eco-Rating Programme has since achieved wide adoption across Canada. “Increasingly, business, group and leisure travellers 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 US and Canada,” said AHLA president and CEO Chip Rogers. “The Hotel Association of Canada is a pioneer in this field, and we are excited to partner with them to empower hoteliers and guests while making hospitality more sustainable.” “Through this partnership, Green Key Global will unite the hotel industry behind a North American standard of sustainability certification,” said Susie Grynol, president and CEO of the Hotel Association of Canada. “Our best-in-class program will allow hotels to exceed the expectations of their eco-conscious travellers through a third- party validation of their sustainable practices.” The HAC represents more than 8,200 hotels, motels and resorts that encompass the $20.8bn Canadian hotel industry which employs over 300,000 people. More information, visit http://hotelassociation.ca/ The AHLA is the largest hotel association in America, representing more than 30,000 members. Learn more at www.ahla.com. Green Key Global awards lodging facilities a rating from 1 to 5 Keys (5 Keys being the highest attainable). For more information on Green Key Global, visit: http://www.greenkeyglobal.com/home