The Passchendaele Museum in Zonnebeke has proudly been awarded the international Green Key label. This makes it the first museum in West Flanders to receive this recognition for its sustainable operations.

Green Key is an international sustainability label for tourism businesses and organisations, active in more than 70 countries across five continents. In Belgium, the label is awarded annually by Tourism Flanders and GoodPlanet Belgium and recognises organisations that are committed to sustainable and future-oriented operations. Each application is assessed by an independent jury, making Green Key a strong guarantee of quality and credibility.

A strong journey and broad collaboration

The achievement of the label followed participation in the impACT programme and an intensive guidance process, involving close collaboration within the museum team as well as across various departments of the Municipality of Zonnebeke. This integrated approach aligns with the municipality’s policy, which is built around the principles of people, planet and profit.

“The process was intensive but highly rewarding. We realised just how deeply sustainability is already embedded in our day-to-day operations and how broad the concept really is. It was precisely this diversity that encouraged us to work across departments, which proved essential in successfully completing the process”, said Debbie Manhaeve, Managing Director of the Passchendaele Museum.

The impACT programme, organised by Westtoer, also provided an important baseline assessment and direction for future improvements.
“We gained a clear understanding of the efforts we were already making and where further opportunities for growth existed. It encouraged us to take the next step and fully commit to obtaining the Green Key label. The coaching process provided valuable support, with expertise and guidance from both Westtoer and Ecotel Consultancy”, Debbie continued.

Recognition and awareness

The label represents important recognition of the efforts already made, but its impact extends beyond that.

“The international recognition of the label makes it a familiar and trustworthy reference point for our visitors. At the same time, it helps us continue raising awareness among both staff and visitors about the importance of sustainability and the role each of us can play”, said Joachim Jonckheere, Chair of the Passchendaele Museum.

Part of the Passchendaele Museum team whose close collaboration, both within and across departments, helped make this achievement possible.



Looking ahead

Having obtained the Green Key label, the museum is now looking ahead to further sustainability initiatives.

Debbie Manhaeve explained: “We are currently finalising our sustainability policy plan and will focus over the coming years on the systematic implementation of the associated action points, with an annual evaluation carried out by the team. In addition, we aim to continue growing by exploring which Green Key actions that were not yet feasible today can be achieved in the future.”

The museum will adopt a data-driven approach, including the systematic monitoring of energy and water consumption and CO₂ emissions. These insights will form the basis for targeted improvements and strategic decision-making.

The museum also intends to take further steps in its procurement policy and partnerships, paying close attention to lifecycle considerations, origin and overall impact. Through training, awareness-raising and employee engagement, sustainability will increasingly become a natural part of everyday operations.

Read more: https://passchendaele.be/en/about-us/sustainability