WWF France will provide technical expertise to Novotel, helping its 580 hotels worldwide to have a positive impact on the ocean, challenging and guiding the brand throughout many aspects of its operations
Novotel, Accor’s founding brand announced the launch of an international partnership with WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) that will see Novotel champion the protection and restoration of the ocean through science-based action and conservation projects. WWF is a global leader in building a sustainable future for people and the planet.
Under the three-year agreement, from 2024 to 2027, WWF France will provide technical expertise to Novotel, helping its 580 hotels worldwide to have a positive impact on the ocean, challenging and guiding the brand and its properties throughout many aspects of its operations. The partnership will also see Novotel sponsoring several critical WWF ocean-related conservation projects across the world.
Novotel will build a three-year science-based action plan, rooted in three of the United Nations’ priority ocean-related actions, namely: reducing marine pollution and ocean acidification, particularly from land-based activities; fighting overfishing and promoting sustainable fishing models; and increasing scientific knowledge and research for ocean health.
The Novotel action plan will aim to rebalance its impact on the planet, determining short and long-term initiatives across four pillars which form Novotel’s Positive Impact Plan:
1. Reduce plastic, water & carbon footprint impact – empowering Novotel hotels to deliver positive impact action plans to reduce pressure on natural resources, with a strong focus on plastic, water & energy usage;
2. Make sustainable food choices – reducing meat, fish and waste within Novotel’s food and beverage operations, and further development of sustainable seafood policies;
3. Enhance education & ocean awareness – educating guests, hotel teams and local communities on the necessity of ocean conservation and how to positively contribute;
4. Contribute to research & innovation – partnering with NGOs and investing in sustainable innovation.
The partnership with WWF will help Novotel drive operational change and action for the greater good of the ocean and deliver upon its Positive Impact Plan.
With a specific focus on the ocean, the WWF partnership has four main objectives:
- Work on sustainable seafood policies and supply chains for Novotel hotels and restaurants
- Raise guests’ and employees’ awareness of the importance of the world’s oceans
- Advocate for ocean preservation to inspire industry and policy makers
- Preserve and restore marine biodiversity through support of five WWF flagship projects around the world
To inform Novotel’s work, WWF is conducting extensive site visits to Novotel hotels to understand property-level operations and practices, assess procurement data and make recommendations. WWF will provide a dedicated steering committee to assess Novotel’s progress on its commitments throughout the partnership.
Commenting on the Novotel WWF partnership, Karelle Lamouche, Chief Commercial Officer, Premium, Midscale & Economy Division, Accor, said,“To make this ambition a reality, we are proud to unveil a groundbreaking partnership with the WWF – the World Wide Fund for Nature. Together with our partners, teams and guests, Novotel will lead the charge toward a sustainable future for our oceans, pioneering a new era of environmental stewardship in our hotels and driving industry change.”
Yann Laurans, Conservation Director, WWF France,said, “WWF is committed to strategic and innovative partnerships with the largest international and national companies in the world to help them reduce their ecological footprint in a concrete way and to make a positive contribution to the environment. We are confident our world-renowned technical and scientific expertise will help Novotel drive operational change for the greater good of their business and the ocean”.
Brune Poirson, Chief Sustainability Officer, Accor, commented,“Our responsibility is not only to mitigate this impact but also to come up with impactful solutions that will help the industry adapt to climate change and its consequences. Our ambition is thus to support our owners in turning social and environmental challenges into sources of opportunities, for their assets and for the societies in which they operate.”
