Novotel, Accor’s founding brand, has 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 worldwide.
Balance has long been at the core of the Novotel brand, both in its business fundamentals and in its commitments to the work-life experience of its guests. The brand’s focus on the ocean, the world’s biggest carbon sink and greatest source of planetary balance, which regulates the climate and protects habitats and wildlife, is a continuation of this purposeful commitment to balance.
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.
Mapped against these priorities, 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: reduce plastic, water and carbon footprint impact, make sustainable food choices, enhance education and ocean awareness, and contribute to research and innovation.
To inform Novotel of its work, WWF will conduct 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.
“We are delighted to announce that Novotel is embarking on an exciting new chapter. Novotel, Accor’s founding brand, is a powerful brand, leading the Midscale segment in most of the world. Today, we are starting a bold new ambition, championing a sustainability cause globally," said Karelle Lamouche, Chief Commercial Officer, Premium, Midscale and Economy Division at Accor.
“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."
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