GreenSign

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Representation of the GreenSign seal. When assigning to a hotel, the respective level from 1 to 5 below is added.

GreenSign is a seal of approval for the identification of sustainably operating hotel operations and is based on the three pillars of sustainability: ecology, economy and social development. It combines a community system of environmental management and sustainable management for hotels that want to document and increase their sustainability.

The quality seal was developed in 2014 by InfraCert GmbH (Institute for Sustainable Development in the Hotel Industry) on the basis of scientific research. The managing director of InfraCert GmbH is Suzann Heinemann. The institute is based in Berlin , from where the company operates.

The GreenSign seal is a cross-section of all sustainability seals existing at the time and is based on frameworks for sustainability such as ISO 14001 (environmental management), ISO 26000 (Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)) and the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC) ). The GreenSign sustainability certificate was specially developed for the hotel industry and considers all processes within a hotel. The GreenSign is therefore practical for the hotelier and supports sustainable hotel management.

The aim of a GreenSign certification is to work in a way that conserves resources and at the same time to sensitize guests, employees and stakeholders of the hotel to sustainability. The hotel's internal sustainability activities are mapped transparently. This is done using a classification into one of five GreenSign levels. whereby five represents the highest level of sustainability activities already implemented.

In mid-2020, 230 hotels in 14 countries were GreenSign-certified.

Certification criteria

The criteria catalog consists of 98 questions, which are divided into the following seven core areas.

environment

The environment area comprises the ecological areas of energy, water and waste, as well as strategies and measures to reduce resource consumption. The criteria considered here include, for example, the procurement of renewable energies, waste-saving measures and the purchase of heating energy (e.g. CHP) from renewable sources.

Management and communication

This area mainly aims at the value system and the planned future design of the hotel. Concrete, tested criteria include, for example, the existence of a mission statement, compliance with legal obligations (health protection / safety / environmental protection) or the promotion of awareness for sustainable action.

Purchasing

This aspect assesses the purchasing of the hotels with a focus on regional, seasonal, organic and fair trade products.

Regionality and traffic

This factor evaluates the regional ties of the hotels as well as their handling of future-oriented models of mobility. The regional support of the local economy and the purchase of regional products or even the own production of food is also important.

Quality management and sustainable development

This core area refers to continuous quality assurance within the hotel, which is promoted by satisfied and motivated employees and guests, as well as by trusting cooperation with all stakeholders. The tested criteria are the training of employees, the survey of the satisfaction of all stakeholders , the existence of a CO 2 footprint or other certificates, as well as the regular evaluation of the suppliers.

Social responsibility

This aspect evaluates the social commitment of the hotel management, including the handling and participation of employees, the support of sustainable initiatives and projects, and the establishment of a company health management system.

Economic responsibility

This factor tests the economic stability of a hotel. The economic success ensures the fundamental continued existence of a company. For this purpose, criteria such as the regular collection of economic and financial data, continuous growth, and the proportion of the capital / property held in the region of the hotel property are used

13 percent of the criteria are mandatory for GreenSign certification. They are based on international standards.

To assess the hotels, not only individual features but the entire value chain are considered - including environmentally friendly production, delivery and disposal.

If the certification is successful, a widget is created to make sustainability performance visible, in which the seven core areas are illustrated in the form of a bar chart. This shows the sustainability aspect of all areas in the hotel.

Certification process

Presentation of the different levels of GreenSign with a brief description of the sustainable standards.

The certification process consists of six steps:

1. Sending the application completed by the hotel to InfraCert

2. Self-evaluation of the hotel & filling in the criteria catalog

3. Evaluation of the submitted catalog by InfraCert, determination of the level

4.  An independent audit of the sustainability results achieved in the hotel is a 

5. Evaluation and classification of sustainability performance by InfraCert

6. Allocation of the corresponding sustainability level

The GreenSign certification is valid for three years. This is followed by a re-certification with the aim of increasing the sustainability performance in the hotel.

GreenCommunity

In addition to the GreenSign certificate, InfraCert offers a network of all certified hotels as well as partners from the supplier industry. The Green Community serves for exchange, networking and cooperation between hoteliers and sustainable suppliers. Solutions for sustainable and digital developments are offered and the latest from politics, technology, trends and guest needs are communicated.

Spread of the GreenSign

So far the GreenSign is mainly represented in Germany. However, it can also be found in Poland, the Netherlands and Switzerland. At the end of 2016, around 50 hotels were certified. The majority of them were the certified hotels of the GreenLine Hotels marketing and sales platform .

See also

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ InfraCert GmbH website , accessed on August 15, 2020.
  2. ↑ Tourism and environmental protection are seldom associated with one another - GreenLine Hotels have a very good solution with GreenSign - PREGAS . In: PREGAS . October 2, 2015 ( pregas.de [accessed November 2, 2016]).
  3. ↑ Sustainability - increasingly important in the hotel and hospitality industry - GastroEcho - The gastronomic magazine - Press Portal | GastroEcho - the gastronomic magazine - press portal. In: www.gastroecho.de. Retrieved November 2, 2016 .
  4. ^ Matthaes Verlag GmbH, Stuttgart, Germany: Greenline is becoming sustainable . In: AHGZ.de . ( ahgz.de [accessed on November 2, 2016]).