The Green Key ecolabel is a standard of excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry. Green Key has been awarded to 3,200 establishments in 65 countries making it one of the largest international tourism ecolabels for tourism accommodation. . Green Key is awarded  to   hotels, hostels, small accommodations, campsites, holiday parks, conference centers, restaurants and attractions worldwide.

In Jordan the Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan is the national operator since 2009.

The Program awards a Green Key certification to Touristic Establishments that meet a set of high standard environmental requirements in a set of 13 categories and 130 criteria. The categories are :

1. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
2. STAFF INVOLVEMENT
3. GUEST INFORMATION
4. WATER
5. WASHING AND CLEANING
6. WASTE
7. ENERGY
8. FOOD AND BEVERAGE
9. INDOOR ENVIRONMENT
10. GREEN AREAS
11. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
12. GREEN ACTIVITIES
13. ADMINISTRATION

Green Key is a leading standard of excellence in the field of sustainable tourism, guiding tourism establishments in doing their part in achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the UN.

Green Key Program History in Jordan 

• History of Hotels

The Green Key was initiated in Aqaba,  Jordan in 2009, with the participation of five hotels. The first awarded hotel in Jordan and the region was the Mövenpick Resort & Residences of Aqaba in 2009. Recently. Jordan has 27 establishments registered &  awarded with the Green Key international award. Moreover, this award is renewed on an annual base after a comprehensive auditing conducted by the JREDS

In 2013, JREDS has expanded the Green Key program to include a new dimension related to the Desert Campsites of Wadi Rum and Petra regions. This project was implemented successfully and the first national criteria’s for the camp sites were developed and adopted at the international level by the Foundation for Environmental Education.

• Why Green Key?

1. In the majority of countries, Green Key is managed by nonprofit organizations, which means that the costs for the certification are relatively low compared to other international tourism ecolabels.
2. Our vast network of national operators also ensure that the national context and legislation are taken into account.
3. In most countries with national operators you can send your application and communicate with Green Key in your own language.
4. With over 3,200 awarded sites in 65 countries, Green Key has an international reputation which can be more easily recognized by your costumers than other ecolabels.
5. Green Key is recognized by the World Tourism Organization and the United Nations Development Program.
6. Green Key is a trustworthy and transparent ecolabel ensuring that all awarded sites receive regular on-site audits and are third-party verified.

• Green Key application, audit and award procedures

The Green Key application adopted by the national operator of the Green Key in Jordan (the Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan ) process consists of  five parts

1.  Application or Renewal documents
2. Audits
3. Award

1. Application  ( renewal ) :

Applicant establishment applying for Green Key for the first time must complete a standard application form including questions about all criteria. New applicants will receive an introductory on Green Key and training on the application document and requirements

• The applicant establishment must enclose supplementary documents (for Green Key to assess the readiness of the applicant establishment ahead of the on-site audit).
• For renewals , Green Key establishments must send the application documents and supplementary documents.

2. Audit

• On-site audits to the applicant establishments are as minimum carried out once a year
• Off-site audits (with only document evaluation) can be carried out only if no accessibility occurs
• Besides the above-mentioned official on-site audits, Green Key International and National Operators are encouraged to carry out control visits to Green Key awarded establishments.

The on-site audit consists of the following components:

1. Introduction: The auditor will shortly inform about FEE (international and national) and the Green Key program in general.
2. Document verification: The auditor will, together with the applicant establishment, go through the application form and material in the Green Key binder (prepared by the applicant establishment). The material that has been sent on beforehand or will be verified during the visual inspection does not need to be part of the document verification.
3. Visual inspection: Inspection of the work with the sustainability performance of the applicant establishment as according to the Green Key criteria .
4. Conclusions: Summary of the feedback as observed during the audit of the documents as well as the visual audit with recommendations will be provided to the applicant establishment.
5. Follow-up: The auditor prepares an audit report using a standard document normally within two weeks after having conducted the on-site audit highlighting the observations, comments and recommendations If the National Operator has any questions or comments to audit report, this can be checked with the auditor ahead of the decision-making process.

 3. Award

The applicant establishment can normally only receive the Green Key award in case it complies with all imperative criteria and the percentage of guideline criteria as required depending on the number of years of award

• The Green Key award is valid for 12 months and must be renewed annually
• In the following years with on-site audits: Before the end of the year of award, the awarded establishment sends updates to the application material, pays the fees and receives an on-site audit. The application and audit report is presented for a third-party entity (National or International Jury or independent auditor) for decision.

Current Green Key Hotels in Jordan