国内外绿色饭店标准及认证评级比较研究

A Comparative Study of the Standards and Certification Systems of the Green Hotel

通过比较国内各种绿色饭店标准,总结中国绿色饭店国家标准的特点,并将绿色饭店国家标准与国际三大绿色饭店认证项目——起源于丹麦的绿色钥匙项目(greenkey)、起源于加拿大的绿色钥匙生态评级项目(green keyeco-rating program)和流行于美国和加拿大的阿托邦绿叶生态评级项目(Audubon green leaf eco-rating program)做比较,分析它们在认证主体、认证内容、持续辅导、分级体系及市场推广等方面的差异,揭示中国绿色饭店国家标准的优势和不足,为有关部门完善及推广绿色饭店国家标准及认证评级提出具体建议。

This paper analyzes the characteristics of Chinese green hotel national standards, comparing them with three internationally influential green hotel certification programs from Europe and North America. The similarities and differences of the certification systems are discussed？ While suggestions to improve？ A Chinese certification program is proposed. Three domestic standards （ LB/T007 - 2006, SB/T10356 - 2002, GB/T21084 - 2007） of green hotels in China are compared. The （GB/T21084 -2007） Chinese national standard is the most complete, specific and process - oriented program. National green hotel standards generally cover rooms, food and beverages, and architectural design. National standards are more clearly illustrated by numeric ratings and scales from one to five are more elaborate in the information they provide. Therefore, the （GB/T21084 -2007） national standard was chosen to represent Chinese green hotel standards for further comparison. This paper evaluates the selected Chinese national standard with three international green hotel certification programs. These are the European Green Key program originating in Denmark, the Canadian Green Key eco-rating program and the Green Leaf eco-rating program popular in the United States and Canada. The similarities and differences of these certification systems are analyzed, exploring certification？ subjects, content, continuous counseling, rating systems and marketing. The Danish, United States and Canadian green hotel certification programs have a broader certification scope, are more focusing on staff involvement and training, pay more attention to continuous counseling, set clearer rating specifications and are more market-driven in certification organization and processes when compared with the Chinese program. Further, the North American and European programs are rapidly expanding internationally through efficient marketing drives. This paper suggests a number of improvements to the national Chinese green hotel standards and other domestic Chinese green hotel certification programs. First, the Chinese programs should broaden the scope of green hotel certification. That is, hotel facilities should not only be evaluated, but staff involvement in green activities should also be rated. Second, more third parties should be encouraged to join the green hotel certification process. In addition to the government and hotels themselves joining, more companies involved with hotel management, tourism and environmental protection should be urged to join the programs. Third, the green hotel certification program should he positioned to more deeply develop alliances with influential international organizations. To improve the international influence of Chinese green hotel standards and the certification programs, specific measures are proposed. These improvements are based on the successful practices used by the European and North American green hotel certification programs. They include： adding an ＇employee involvement and training in green initiatives＇ category within green hotel certification content; marketing the ＇five green ginkgo leaves＇ brand, which symbolizes the Chinese green hotel certification program; establishing a ＇five green ginkgo leaves＇ website for the certification program; developing on-line applications for the program; using green hotel ratings to assist green hotel applicants make continuous improvements; and increasing the involvement of international organizations with the Chinese program. International organizations have rich experiences of green hotel certification and can assist by consulting on the certification process and act as a third party to audit on-site green hotel practices.