El Gouna has been officially recognized as Egypt's most environmentally-friendly holiday destination, and El Gouna management has worked hard in cooperation with local hotels, businesses, residents and visitors to maintain, protect, and preserve its unique environment. The town’s environmental programs and grassroots environmental organization paved the way for several awards, including the Green Globe.

Green Star Hotel: The Green Star Hotel Initiative aims to improve environmental standards in the Egyptian hotel industry. El Gouna has served as the pilot location, and the progress that has been made over the course of the previous year has illustrated that a national ecolabel can serve as a valuable tool in combating the environmental risks posed by the country’s rapidly expanding tourist sector. Green Star Hotel is the first ecolabel designed to address the specific conditions of hotels and resorts in the Egyptian tourist industry with the aim of minimizing their impact on the environment while maximizing their appeal to foreign guests. www.greenstarhotel.net

Green Globe Awards: These prestigious awards are bestowed around the world by Green Globe International, a non-profit organization that promotes environmentally and socially responsible tourism. Currently, five hotels in El Gouna have received Green Globes, including Mövenpick Resort & Spa, Sheraton Miramar Resort, the Steigenberger Golf Resort, Club Med El Gouna, and Panorama Bungalows Resort.

Green Gouna: El Gouna’s grassroots environmental organization was founded in 2002 by a group of concerned and caring residents. The goals of Green Gouna are to help develop the resort as an ecotourism destination. Green Gouna pursues this goal by involving the entire community in protection and preservation through education, recycling, clean-up campaigns, festivals and the establishment and the enforcement of environmental standards and guidelines.

Environmental Initiatives
• Earth Day is celebrated bi-annually to increase public awareness of and support for important conservation issues.
• There is an ongoing push in El Gouna to eradicate the use of plastic bags, replacing them with recyclable paper bags or other re-usable materials.
• Installation of recycling bins for glass, paper, plastic and cans in El Gouna.
• Conservation awareness campaigns directed to staff, residents and visitors.
• Establishment of an educational photo gallery on El Gouna wildlife.
• Installation and maintenance of mooring systems for diving boats in cooperation with the Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association (HEPCA).