What Green Key International does

Green Key International is an international sustainability certification programme for tourism and hospitality establishments, operated by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), a non-profit foundation headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark and legally incorporated in England & Wales. The programme, in operation since 1994, awards certificates to hotels, hostels, small accommodations, campsites, holiday parks, conference centres, restaurants, and tourist attractions that meet comprehensive environmental and social sustainability criteria across energy, water, waste, sustainable sourcing, and corporate responsibility. Certification involves documented evidence submission, third-party on-site or off-site audits, and periodic renewal to support continuous improvement.

Green Key distributes its certification through a federated network of National Operators in each of the 90+ countries where it operates, who manage local applications, auditing, and support. The programme is augmented by partnerships with hotel chains (Accor, Marriott, Radisson, Shilla Hotels), corporate partners (Diversey/Solenis), and institutional partners including tourism boards and hospitality associations. Supporting resources include the Green Key Toolbox (Carbon Calculation Tool, Water Calculation Tool, Waste Measurement Methodology, Replacer integration), the FEE Academy online training platform, quarterly introductory sessions, and a Good Practices Network for sharing sustainability initiatives across the certified community.

The business model is subscription-based certification fees: establishments pay annual participation costs that vary by property type and size, with renewal required to maintain certification. The current operational scale covers more than 9,000 certified establishments globally, supported by approximately 8 staff at Green Key International's central office and an unspecified larger workforce within National Operators. Criteria frameworks operate on multi-year cycles, with the 2022-2026 framework being succeeded by a 2026-2031 framework in 2025.

Name

Green Key International

Legal name

Foundation for Environmental Education

Website

https://greenkey.global

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Green Key International is a non-profit sustainability certification programme for hospitality and tourism establishments, operated by the Foundation for Environmental Education. It certifies more than 9,000 hotels, hostels, campsites, restaurants, and attractions across 90+ countries through third-party audited sustainability criteria.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Certification (Hospitality and Tourism)

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental, Climate & Sustainability Standards & Reporting Cooperation (BPADANAI), Sustainability & Environmental Certifications (Carbon, Water, Regenerative) (AFALAMAC)

Keywords

• Sustainability certification
• Hospitality certification
• Environmental certification
• Hotel eco-label
• Green tourism certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Copenhagen

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Certification Fees: Establishments seeking Green Key certification pay participation costs to undergo the certification process. The fees cover the application, auditing, and certification process, with different cost structures for different establishment types and sizes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Green Key International sells an annual sustainability certification for hospitality and tourism establishments, awarding a certificate to hotels, hostels, small accommodations, campsites, holiday parks, conference centres, restaurants, and attractions that demonstrate compliance with its environmental and social sustainability criteria. Certification is delivered through a network of National Operators in 90+ countries who manage applications, conduct third-party on-site or off-site audits, and oversee annual renewal. The programme is supported by complementary resources including the Green Key Toolbox (Carbon and Water Calculation Tools, Replacer), the FEE Academy online training platform, and the Good Practices Network.

Product overview

Green Key International operates a single, unified international sustainability certification programme for the hospitality and tourism industry, managed by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). The core product is the Green Key Certification Programme, which is supported by a suite of tools and resources including the Green Key Toolbox (Carbon Calculation Tool, Water Calculation Tool, Replacer platform), the FEE Academy online training platform, quarterly Intro Sessions for prospective establishments, and the Good Practices Network for sharing sustainability initiatives. Certification criteria are periodically updated, with the current framework covering 2022-2026 and a new framework for 2026-2031 being rolled out. The programme covers hotels, hostels, small accommodations, campsites, holiday parks, conference centres, restaurants, and attractions across 90+ countries, with over 9,000 certified establishments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Green Key Certification Programme Annual sustainability certification for hotels, hostels, small accommodations, campsites, holiday parks, conference centres, restaurants, and attractions, verifying compliance with Green Key's environmental and social criteria through documented evidence, on-site or off-site audits, and periodic renewal.
• Green Key Toolbox A collection of tools and resources for Green Key certified establishments, including the Carbon Calculation Tool, Water Calculation Tool, Waste Measurement Methodology, and access to partner platforms such as Replacer.
• Replacer A platform available through the Green Key Toolbox that helps certified hospitality sites identify and prioritise changes to reduce single-use items, explore sustainable alternatives, project environmental and financial benefits using an ROI calculator, and connect with trusted suppliers.
• Green Key Intro Sessions Quarterly online introductory sessions hosted by Green Key International for prospective certified establishments, providing an overview of the certification programme, criteria, participation costs, support tools, and benefits, followed by Q&A.
• FEE Academy (Online Training Platform) Online training platform operated by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), offering educational courses on sustainability practices and Green Key criteria for establishments pursuing or maintaining certification.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9,000+ certified establishments globally in 90+ countries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Shilla HotelscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025Partnership with Shilla Hotels across Asia focused on education, behavioral change, and long-term sustainability in hotel management. Shilla Hotels is working towards carbon neutrality by 2050 and aims to develop sustainability initiatives embedded in local culture and operations.
• CorendoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Green Key partnership with Corendon, a travel company, to advance sustainability in the hotel sector. Both organizations aim to support more hotels in obtaining recognized sustainability certification. The partnership includes webinars and training sessions to guide hotels through the certification process.
• DiverseycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Diversey (Solenis) supporting hotels in rethinking linen management, cleaning practices, and sustainability across operations. Diversey provides practical solutions for extending linen lifetime, optimizing laundry operations, and responsible end-of-life solutions. Partnership also covers plastic waste reduction and responsible cleaning product recommendations.
• Hotels for TreesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHotels for Trees is a non-profit initiative partnered with Green Key certified hotels, allowing guests to skip daily cleaning to contribute to tree planting. The initiative engages guests in sustainability and supports reforestation projects.
• FXBminorOthersFXB is an international NGO dedicated to eradicating poverty, promoting fundamental rights, and helping communities. Mercure Yangon Kaba Aye launched a collaboration with FXB as part of its sustainability commitment.
• Limburg.netminorOthersPublic waste management organization serving 38 municipalities of Limburg that developed a recipe booklet featuring De Bottelarij restaurant's food waste reduction initiatives.
• FEE AcademycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFEE Academy is the online training platform of the Foundation for Environmental Education, providing education and training resources for Green Key certified establishments on sustainability practices.
• AccorcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAccor hotel group whose properties including Mercure, Ibis, Novotel, and other brands pursue Green Key certification. Multiple Accor properties have achieved certification worldwide.
• Pro-invest GroupcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPro-invest Group drove Green Key certification across its portfolio properties in Australia and New Zealand as part of its One Earth, Countless Experiences sustainability strategy, achieving certification for all 15 fund hotels.
• EVT Connect HospitalitycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEVT Connect Hospitality managed the first Green Key certifications in New Zealand for three hotels, supporting the certification process and sustainability implementation.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• EarthCheck: EarthCheck is a science-based certification, benchmarking and advisory programme for the travel and hospitality industry. It is the closest direct competitor to Green Key, offering audited eco-certification to hotels, tour operators and destinations using a comparable verification model.
• Biosphere Responsible Tourism: Biosphere certifies hotels, destinations and tourism businesses against sustainability criteria aligned with the UN SDGs. It competes head-to-head with Green Key for hotel-level eco-labels, particularly in Europe and Latin America.
• Travelife: Travelife provides sustainability certification and training for hotels and tour operators, with a strong footprint across Europe and emerging markets. It is a direct competitor to Green Key in the hospitality eco-certification space and shares similar third-party verification mechanisms.
• Green Key (FEE programme): Green Key itself is the anchor; included for completeness only.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Green Building Council (LEED): LEED is a broad, well-established green building certification standard frequently used by hotel properties. It overlaps with Green Key on building-level environmental performance but is not hospitality-specialised.
• BRE Group (BREEAM): BREEAM is a UK-origin broad green building and operational sustainability certification widely applied to hotels in Europe. Like LEED, it overlaps with Green Key on sustainability criteria but is a broader, portfolio-wide standard.
• EU Ecolabel (for tourist accommodation): The EU Ecolabel for tourist accommodation is a European Union-backed voluntary environmental label covering hotels, campsites and holiday rentals. It competes with Green Key across the EU and benefits from regulatory backing, but is geographically narrower.

Emerging players

• Rainforest Alliance: Rainforest Alliance operates sustainability certification with growing emphasis on the hospitality and tourism supply chain (e.g., hotels sourcing certified coffee, cocoa, paper). It is adjacent rather than directly competitive, but increasingly referenced alongside Green Key by chains.

Others

• Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC): GSTC sets global standards for sustainable tourism and accredits other certification bodies (including, in some markets, Green Key). It is an enabling/standards body rather than a direct certification competitor, but shapes the criteria framework the industry uses.
• Blue Flag (FEE sister programme): Blue Flag is a FEE-operated eco-certification for beaches, marinas and sustainable boating tourism. It is a sister programme to Green Key under the same parent foundation, sharing back-office, brand and governance infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/greenkey
• Instagraminstagram.com/greenkey
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/green-key-international

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 International