The following is a list of the most frequently asked questions we receive regarding the Green Key Eco-Rating Program. If you don’t find the answer to your question here or elsewhere on this site then please send us an email and we’ll be happy to assist you.

Do I need to be a member of the Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) to participate in the Green Key Eco-Rating Program?
The program is open to all hotels within Canada, regardless of whether the hotel is a member of HAC.

Does the Green Key Program take limited-service properties into consideration?
Understanding that not all hotels offer Food & Beverage Services or Meeting Facilities, a participating property is given the option to Opt Out of one or both of these sections prior to beginning the audit. The system is designed to adjust its calculations to ensure a hotel’s score is not affected by opting out of these sections.

Can the following lodging properties participate in the program: Motels, B&Bs, Inn, Fishing/Hunting Lodges, Campgrounds?
When the program was originally developed it was designed to cater to lodging facilities with approximately 30 or more rooms. For this reason smaller facilities may find that certain aspects of the audit (particularly within the Engineering section) are not relevant to their operations. While some questions in each section do have “not applicable” as a possible answer, others do not and the system will not permit you to leave questions unanswered.

I would like to receive a copy of the Green Key Audit questions.
The Green Key Audit is only available to the hotels participating in the program.

How long does the audit take to complete?
This depends on a number of factors: the size of the property; if it is a full-service or limited-service property; the number of relevant staff involved and their availability; and programs already in place. In general, completion of the audit will take a property anywhere from 2 – 5 days.

How are the ratings determined?
The Green Key Audit consists of approximately 140 questions related to various areas of sustainable hotel operations. Each question has been assigned a specific point value based on the environmental and social impacts a particular action has and its associated impact on guests, employees, management, and the local community. For more detailed information visit the Green Key Ratings page on this website.

Can you tell me the point value assigned to each question in the audit?
The Hotel Association of Canada does not divulge the points assigned to each question. Because the online audit is a self-directed assessment of a property’s environmental efforts, providing the points would compromise the integrity of the program; therefore, a hotel only receives their score as a percentage with that percentage’s associated Green Key Rating.

Do I need to complete the entire questionnaire at once?
No – you can save your current answers and come back to the audit at any time. Just hit the “Save Progress” button at the bottom of each section before you log out of the system.

Which hotel employees should be involved in completing the online audit?
HAC strongly encourages members to include their Green/Environmental Committee (if applicable), as well as the head of each major department i.e. Head Housekeeper, Director of F&B, Head Engineer, Purchasing, etc. Involving these individuals ensures that the answers provided are consistent and accurate.

How do I edit my answers in the audit?
As long as you continue to “Save” your progress you may update/edit your answers at any time. Once you hit the “Submit/Lock” button though you will no longer be able to make changes.
If you made an error in a section and have already hit “Submit/Lock”, please contact HAC for assistance.

I forgot my login information / I’ve taken over from someone else: how do I access the system?
Not a problem – give us a call or send us an email. We’ll ask you a couple of quick questions and forward your login information to you.

How often can a lodging property update its audit to see if its rating has improved?
Properties are provided with the opportunity to update their audit once a year, usually at the time of their annual renewal.

How do I renew my Green Key membership?
Your Green Key membership expires one (1) year from the time your property completes the audit unless otherwise arranged. Approximately 60 days prior to your expiry date, the HAC will issue a renewal reminder along with instructions for keeping your membership up-to-date.

How often are on-site inspections of hotels conducted?
The Hotel Association of Canada is not, at this time, performing regular on-site audits to verify a hotel’s rating but anticipates having a system of inspectors in place within the next year or so. In the meantime, program participants are informed, at the time of registration, of the potential for a spot-audit if the association deems it necessary.

How do I find a Green Key Rated Hotel?
To locate a Green Key hotel in Canada visit the Green Key Hotels page on this website.

Are there any Green Key Rated hotels outside of Canada?
The HAC is currently conducting test audits of the Green Key Program in the United States, but at this time, the only Green Key hotels are located in Canada.

How many hotels are currently active in the Green Key Program?
While this number changes regularly, there are approximately 530 hotels in the Green Key Program. Only hotels that have completed the audit and received their Green Key Rating are listed on the Find Green Key Hotels page.

How do you know hotels are filling in the right answers?
The audit is designed to provide a hotel with an overview of their current accomplishments and suggestions for improvements that not only benefit the environment but that also lead to long-term monetary savings. It would not serve management’s interests to provide inaccurate answers and HAC encourages each hotel to involve the heads of each department in the audit process.

I recently stayed at a Green Key rated property and don’t feel they live up to their rating. Who do I speak to?
The Green Key Eco-Rating Program is a voluntary, self-administered audit designed to assist a hotel in determining its current environmental footprint. How a hotel chooses to use the information and recommendations presented in their post-audit report is left to their discretion (see also “How often are on-site inspections of hotels conducted?”). Ask to see the hotel’s environmental policies – if they do not have one, you can ask what types of initiatives they are currently undertaking with respect to reducing their ecological footprint. Many hotels also have some type of feedback/comment form available to guests – take advantage of this and provide the hotel with your own helpful suggestions and feedback.

What is the history of the Green Key Eco-Rating Program?
The concept for Green Key came as a result of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development itself, which was held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. As concern for the environment quickly grew in importance the Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) recognized the need for a National Program. During the mid 90’s HAC partnered with Environment Canada to begin addressing how hotels could improve in the area of environmental performance. A working committee made up of hoteliers and environmental groups was formed and the result was the launch of the Green Leaf program by HAC in 1997. In late 2005 the program was updated, re-branded as the Green Key program and re-launched in its current on-line format.

How often do you revise/update the audit questions?
The Green Key Eco-Rating Program was last revised in late 2005. As interest in the program by smaller properties grows, combined with feedback from current participants, the HAC anticipates the next program revision will occur in 2008.

Is the program available in French?
At this time a large portion of the Green Key Eco-Rating Program is available in French. Hotels wishing to complete a French version of the audit however will be provided with a print/PDF version as the online audit is currently only available in English. Any web content written by HAC will appear in French. Any resources, links, etc. from outside sources will be posted in their language of origin.