Green Key Finland

What Green Key Finland does

Green Key Finland is the Finnish national operator of the Green Key international sustainability certification program for tourism businesses, administered through Going Green Oy, a social enterprise owned by FEE Suomi ry (Finnish Association for Environmental Education). The company certifies 213 tourism sites in Finland across five establishment categories — hotels and hostels (147), camping sites and cottage villages (31), restaurants and cafés (14), small accommodation providers (13), and visitor attractions (8). Beyond Green Key, Going Green Oy also operates the Green Activities certification for tourism activity providers and the Blue Flag certification for beaches and marinas in Finland.

The core offering is a structured five-step certification process — registration, electronic application, on-site audit, jury review, and certification — supported by a digital application platform and a password-protected member portal containing training materials, sustainability communication tools, and webinar recordings. Going Green Oy also runs a Green Key Ambassador volunteer program, free Microsoft Teams-based webinars on sustainability topics, and child-focused environmental education tools such as the Onni Orava Environmental Passport at Sokos Hotels.

Going Green Oy generates revenue through recurring certification fees paid by participating tourism businesses, with Green Key certificates valid for one year and Green Activities certificates shifting to two-year validity from September 2026. The company operates a lean 1-10 person team from a Regus serviced office in Helsinki, with audits primarily outsourced to external auditors since 2023. As a Finnish social enterprise, Going Green Oy reinvests at least 50% of profits into operations or donates to FEE Suomi ry for environmental education. It has no disclosed external funding, no M&A activity, and operates as a stable, mission-driven program operator rather than a venture-scale business.

Name

Green Key Finland

Legal name

Going Green Oy

Website

https://greenkey.fi

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Green Key Finland (Going Green Oy) is a Helsinki-based social enterprise that administers Green Key, Green Activities, and Blue Flag sustainability certifications for Finnish tourism businesses, currently certifying 213 sites across hotels, campsites, restaurants, small accommodations, and visitor attractions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tourism Sustainability Certification Services

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615)

SIC

Services-Services, Nec (8900)

akta.pro primary industry

Eco-Certification, Auditing & Standards (Green Lodging, Tour Operator Certification) (THAAANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainability & Environmental Certifications (Carbon, Water, Regenerative) (AFALAMAC), Certification Program Administration & Scheme Management (Standard Owners) (AFALACAC)

Keywords

• Sustainability certification services
• Tourism environmental certification
• Eco-label tourism programs
• Hotel sustainability certification
• Beach marina certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Helsinki

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Green Key Certification Fees: Going Green Oy generates revenue through program participation fees charged to tourism businesses seeking Green Key certification. These fees fund the certification administration, auditing, and program operations. The company is a social enterprise, spending at least 50% of profits on developing operations or donating to environmental education.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Going Green Oy administers three international sustainability certification programs in Finland: Green Key for tourism accommodations and restaurants, Green Activities for tour and activity providers, and Blue Flag for beaches and marinas. The core service is the structured certification process (registration, electronic application, on-site audit, independent jury review, and certification) backed by member resources, webinars, and an international best-practice network spanning 100+ countries.

Product overview

Green Key Finland (Going Green Oy) operates three international sustainability certification programs: Green Key for tourism accommodations and restaurants, Green Activities for tour operators and activity providers, and Blue Flag for beaches and marinas. All three are managed under the Finnish Association for Environmental Education (FEE Suomi). The core offering is the certification process, which follows a 5-step journey: registration, application, audit, jury review, and certification (valid for 1 year for Green Key; 2 years for Green Activities after September 2026). Certified companies gain access to a digital application platform, password-protected member resources, free webinars and training, and participation in the Green Key Ambassador network. The organization is a social enterprise owned by FEE Suomi ry, founded in 1994, and manages over 9,000 Green Key-certified sites across 100 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Green Key Certification A sustainability certification program for Finnish tourism businesses including hotels, hostels, campsites, small accommodations, restaurants, cafés, and visitor attractions. Certification is based on UN sustainable development goals and requires ongoing environmental improvement across energy, water, waste, food, and social responsibility areas. Applicants complete a 5-step process: registration, electronic application, on-site audit, jury review, and certification (valid for 1 year).
• Green Activities Certification A sustainability certification program for Finnish tourism activity providers, covering program services and tourism animal welfare. Certified companies must meet criteria across administration, monitoring, and reporting of environmental impacts including energy, water, waste, and annual carbon footprint. From September 27, 2026, certificate validity extends to two years and unannounced inspection requirements apply.
• Blue Flag Certification An international environmental certification program for beaches, marinas, and private boat owners, managed in Finland by Going Green Oy alongside Green Key and Green Activities. Includes criteria for beaches, visitor marinas, and private boat owners.
• Onni Orava Environmental Passport An environmental education tool for children offered at Green Key-certified Sokos Hotels. Children complete an environmental passport by spotting signs of summer from butterflies to daisies, with rewards given upon completion.

Quantifiable outcome

• Green Key certified sites in Finland: 213 across 5 establishment types
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, moderate and minor.

• Going Green Oy (GoG)coreOthersGoing Green Oy is the Finnish national operator of Green Key, Green Activities, and Blue Flag programs. It is a social enterprise owned by FEE Suomi ry (Finnish Association for Environmental Education).
• Green Key InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreen Key International is the global parent of the Green Key sustainability certification program, setting international criteria and overseeing the program worldwide in 100+ countries.
• FEE Suomi ry (Finnish Association for Environmental Education)coreOthersFEE Suomi ry is the Finnish Association for Environmental Education and the owner of Going Green Oy. Going Green Oy donates at least 50% of profits to FEE Suomi for environmental education activities.
• Sustainable Travel Finland (Visit Finland)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerGreen Key is recognised by Visit Finland's Sustainable Travel Finland program as an approved sustainability certification, providing marketing visibility on Visit Finland platforms.
• Reilun matkailun yhdistysmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Fair Tourism Association (Reilun matkailun yhdistys) is a Finnish partner organisation promoting responsible tourism practices.
• SMAL (Suomen Matkailun Alan Liitto)moderateGTM or Marketing PartnerSMAL (Finnish Tourism Association) is a partner organisation representing tourism industry interests in Finland.
• AurinkomatkatminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAurinkomatkat (a Finnish tour operator) highlights Green Key certified hotels on its website as environmentally certified accommodation options.
• Nordic OffsetminorOthersGoing Green Oy compensates air travel emissions through certified Nordic Offset, partnering with Ekovilla as the designated compensation initiative since 2019.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC): GSTC sets global standards for sustainable tourism and accredits certification bodies worldwide. While not a direct certification competitor, GSTC is a benchmark-setting incumbent whose criteria influence Green Key and other certification schemes like Travelife and EarthCheck.
• EU Ecolabel for Tourist Accommodation: EU Ecolabel is a pan-European voluntary sustainability label covering tourist accommodations among many product categories. It overlaps directly with Green Key's core accommodation-certification use case and is a broader incumbent alternative for tourism businesses.

Regional players

• Green Tourism: Green Tourism is the UK's largest sustainable tourism certification scheme, certifying accommodation and hospitality businesses. Comparable as a national eco-certification program for tourism, though geographically focused on the UK rather than Finland.
• TourCert: TourCert is a German certification body for sustainable tourism, awarding the "TourCert Certified" label to tour operators, hotels, and destinations. Comparable as a national-scale sustainability certification scheme, with a similar B2B eco-certification model in tourism.

Direct peers

• Travelife: Travelife is a leading international sustainability certification and management system for hotels, tour operators, and travel agencies. It directly competes with Green Key in the tourism sustainability certification space, targeting overlapping accommodation and tour-operator customers.
• EarthCheck: EarthCheck is a global science-based certification, benchmarking, and advisory program for the travel and tourism industry. It is a direct competitor to Green Key, certifying hotels, resorts, and destinations against sustainability criteria.
• Blue Flag International (FEE): Blue Flag is the international beach, marina, and sustainable tourism boat certification program run by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). Going Green Oy administers the Finnish arm of Blue Flag, so Blue Flag International is both a parent program and a peer in the eco-certification category.
• Nordic Swan Ecolabel (Nordic Ecolabelling): Nordic Swan Ecolabel is the official eco-label of the Nordic countries, with a tourism-specific criteria set for hotels and restaurants. It is a direct competitor in the same Nordic sustainability-certification market where Green Key Finland operates.

Emerging players

• Bio Hotels: Bio Hotels is a European association of certified organic and sustainable hotels requiring 100% organic cuisine and ecological operations. It is a niche, specialized competitor for sustainability-focused hotel certifications in Europe.

Others

• Visit Finland / Sustainable Travel Finland: Visit Finland's Sustainable Travel Finland program is a national sustainability program for Finnish tourism companies that recognizes Green Key as an approved certification. It is a partner and adjacent program rather than a direct competitor, sharing buyer-side education and marketing functions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/greenkeyfinland
• Facebookfacebook.com/GreenKeyFinland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Green Key Finland