Novotel announces ocean protection...

Accor’s founding brand to champion conservation projects

French midscale hotel brand Novotel, owned by Accor, has embarked on a global partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) charity.

Under the three-year agreement (2024-2027) Accor’s founding brand will champion the protection and restoration of the ocean through science-based action and conservation projects.

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.

As part of this agreement, 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.

Novotel’s positive action plan spans empowering Novotel hotels to deliver positive impact action plans to reduce pressure on natural resources, with a strong focus on plastic, water and energy usage, as well as reducing meat, fish and waste within Novotel’s food and beverage operations, and educating guests, teams and local communities on the necessity of ocean conservation.

Commenting on the Novotel WWF partnership, Karelle Lamouche, Chief Commercial Officer, Premium, Midscale & Economy Division, Accor, said: “Today, we are starting a bold new ambition, championing a sustainability cause globally. Novotel has a long-standing commitment to innovation and balance, and we now take that commitment further, by choosing to help the greatest source of balance on our planet – the ocean."

WWF Conservation Director, Yann Laurans added: "WWF is committed to strategic and innovative partnerships with the largest international and national companies in the world to help them concretely reduce their ecological footprint 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”.