Green Key sets the standard for excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism sector. During the rigorous judging, each establishment is assessed against strict standards, which are set by the global Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and backed by the World Tourism Organisation and the UN Environment Programme. These criteria include staff involvement, guest information and sustainable management of energy, waste, water, cleaning products, food and drinks. Through making greener choices, each establishment can significantly reduce their environmental impact, reducing the consumption of energy and water and improve their guests’ experience.
Last Drop Village Hotel & Spa joins over 3,500 establishments across the globe who have also met the stringent criteria of the award.
Last Drop Village Hotel & Spa have recently implemented several initiatives in order to improve the ecological footprint of operations including;
Paul Ellison General Manager of the Last Drop Village Hotel & Spa said “Working towards the Green Key accreditation took a lot of effort from our Green Team and has changed the way we work and approach new projects. We have implemented a sustainability policy which looks at making small changes to have a big impact on the environment. We are incredibly proud to have been awarded this award and strive to continue to make changes & maintain our award.”
Green Key is one of the leading ecolabels recognised by Google Travel as part of their recently announced ‘Sustainability Labelling’ within their Google powered booking engine. Google states in their guidance that “Hotels with an “eco-certified” label which have been certified by an accredited independent organization for meeting certain standards. You’ll find an “eco-certified” label near their name, and you can find out more about their sustainability practices on their detail page.”
In England, the scheme is managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy and Chief Executive Allison Ogden-Newton said:
“We are delighted to award the Last Drop Village Hotel & Spa the Green Key certification. This award proves that country retreat and sustainability can go hand in hand, meaning travellers do not have to compromise in order to curb their carbon impact.”
The Green Key programme not only serves to recognise the specific achievements of each establishment but also to create a network within the industry for the sharing of innovation and best practice.
It is our vision that the whole industry takes steps to reduce their carbon footprint as we strive to Build Back Better post pandemic and decarbonise the UK economy to meet the government’s 2050 net zero target.”
To find out more about Green Key visit www.greenkeyengland.co.uk or contact greenkey@keepbritaintidy.org
