Un hébergement écologique, c’est quoi au juste ?

C’est un établissement qui répond à des critères garantissant le respect de l’environnement, et qui est labellisé dans la plupart des cas. Il est pensé, conçu, construit et exploité selon des principes environnementaux et sociaux responsables. Dans l’idéal, il utilise les énergies renouvelables et limite ses déchets.

Quels labels chercher avant de réserver ?

Quatre reviennent le plus souvent : la Clef Verte, l’Écogîte, l’Écolabel et les Gîtes Panda. La Clef Verte compte 603 établissements labellisés en France et plus de 2 700 dans 56 pays, ce qui en fait le premier label environnemental international pour l’hébergement touristique et la restauration.

Est-ce que ça concerne seulement les cabanes et les écogîtes ?

Non. On trouve des hébergements écologiques dans l’insolite, cabane ou roulotte, dans l’écolodge et l’écogîte, mais aussi en auberge de jeunesse, en camping, en village de vacances et à l’hôtel, d’une à cinq étoiles. Le nombre d’étoiles ne dit rien de la démarche environnementale.

Quelle différence entre un écogîte et un gîte Panda ?

L’écogîte est un label conçu par Gîtes de France® : le logement a été construit ou restauré avec des techniques ou des matériaux reconnus comme ayant un faible impact sur l’environnement. Le gîte Panda, lui, est une maison bâtie au cœur d’un territoire protégé, à laquelle le WWF accorde son label sous certaines conditions. Le premier parle du bâti, le second de son emplacement.

Le label suffit-il à rendre mon séjour écologique ?

Non, la démarche fonctionne dans les deux sens. Triez vos déchets, consommez local, réduisez votre consommation d’eau et d’énergie pendant le séjour. Un établissement labellisé avec des voyageurs qui laissent le chauffage tourner fenêtres ouvertes perd une bonne partie de son intérêt.

Eco-friendly accommodation: what exactly is it?

Find out what really lies behind the term eco-friendly accommodation!

3 min readBy the StyQR team

1What is eco-friendly accommodation?
2The labels to look out for
3Frequently asked questions

You see it more and more often when you search for places to stay. But what exactly is eco-friendly accommodation?

Secluded wooden chalet by a lake, surrounded by fir trees facing a snowy mountain

What is eco-friendly accommodation?

It is a property that meets criteria guaranteeing respect for the environment, most of them certified.

So you will find:

Unusual accommodation (cabin, gypsy caravan and so on)
The ecolodgeor the eco-gîte
The youth hostel
Thecampsite
Theholiday village
The hotel, from one star to five stars

These properties are planned, designed, built and run in line with responsible environmental and social principles.

Ideally they use renewable energy and support sustainable development and waste reduction.

Sunset over vine-covered hills, glimpsed between grapevine leaves framing the foreground

The labels to look out for

If you would like to stay in eco-friendly accommodation, you can look out for the following labels:

Green Key: with 603 certified properties in France and more than 2,700 properties across 56 countries, it is theleading international environmental labelfor tourist accommodation and catering.
Éco gîte: a label created byGîtes de France®. These are properties designed or renovated using techniques or materials recognised as having a low impact on the environment.
Ecolabel
Gîtes panda:houses built in the heart of a protected area, to which theWWFawards its label under certain conditions.

And do not forget, going green works both ways. So remember to sort your waste, buy local and cut down on your water and energy use during your stay!

So, fancy an eco-friendly holiday?.

Here are the four most common environmental labels in France and internationally, each with its own characteristics.

Label	Number of establishments	What it certifies
Clef Verte	603 in France, over 2,700 in 56 countries	The leading international environmental label for tourism accommodation and catering.
Écogîte	Gîtes de France® label	Property built or renovated using techniques or materials with low environmental impact.
Ecolabel	Not specified	European environmental label for various categories of establishments.
Gîtes Panda	WWF label	Property built within a protected territory, labeled under certain conditions.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly is an eco-friendly accommodation? It is a property that meets criteria guaranteeing respect for the environment, and that holds a label in most cases. It is planned, designed, built and run according to responsible environmental and social principles. Ideally it runs on renewable energy and keeps its waste to a minimum.

Which labels should I look for before booking? Four come up most often: the Green Key, the Écogîte label, the Ecolabel and the Gîtes Panda. The Green Key has 603 certified properties in France and more than 2,700 across 56 countries, which makes it the leading international environmental label for tourist accommodation and catering.

Does this only apply to cabins and eco-cottages? No. Eco-friendly accommodation exists in unusual stays such as cabins and gypsy caravans, in ecolodges and eco-cottages, but also in youth hostels, campsites, holiday villages and hotels, from one to five stars. The number of stars says nothing about the environmental approach.

What is the difference between an Écogîte and a Gîte Panda? The Écogîte is a label created by Gîtes de France®: the property was built or renovated using techniques or materials recognised as having a low environmental impact. A Gîte Panda is a house built in the heart of a protected area, to which the WWF grants its label under certain conditions. The first one is about the building, the second about where it stands.

Is the label enough to make my stay green? No, the effort goes both ways. Sort your waste, buy local, cut down your water and energy use during the stay. A certified property whose guests leave the heating on with the windows open loses much of the point.

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