Following World Oceans Day (June 8th), 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.

Balance has long been at the core of the Novotel brand, and today Novotel furthers that commitment by choosing to help the greatest source of balance on our planet – the ocean. 

Discover more about the Partnership’s Ambition

Preserving the Ocean for Future Generations

The ocean is the world’s biggest carbon sink and greatest source of planetary balance. It regulates the climate, provides economic balance by providing livelihoods for 3.5bn people, nearly half the world’s population, and protects habitats and wildlife. However, today there is a deep imbalance in the way the world treats the ocean, as it is currently challenged by overfishing, habitat destruction, pollution, and insufficient sustainable investment. Its health affects us all, making it essential to support its well-being. By changing how we engage with the ocean, use its resources, and invest in its care, we can help ensure its future health and resilience.

Working with WWF for Nature

To make this ambition a reality, Novotel has proudly unveiled a groundbreaking partnership with the WWF for Nature, a global leader in building a sustainable future for people and the planet. 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’s Positive Impact Plan

Novotel will build a three-year science-based action plan, rooted in three of the United Nations’ priority ocean-related actions: 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 Positive Impact Plan will determine short- and long-term initiatives across four pillars:

• 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;
• Make sustainable food choices – reducing meat, fish and waste within Novotel’s food and beverage operations, and further development of sustainable seafood policies;
• Enhance education & ocean awareness – educating guests, hotel teams and local communities on the necessity of ocean conservation and how to positively contribute;
• Contribute to research & innovation – partnering with NGOs and investing in sustainable innovation.

Making a Positive Impact

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

The WWF France Conservation Projects around the World

The partnership will see Novotel supporting essential WWF France conservation projects around the world, including:

• The protection of Posidonia, an endemic flowering plant of the Mediterranean which plays a key role as a carbon sink – removing carbon from the atmosphere - and provides benefits to 25 different marine ecosystems.
• The identification and removal of “ghost gear” – lost, abandoned and otherwise discarded fishing gear - the deadliest form of marine plastic waste which impacts marine turtles and mammals, elasmobranchs such as sharks, rays and skates, and marine birds.
• Supporting the WWF France’s Blue Panda boat, which sails across the Mediterranean carrying out work including scientific dives, protecting cetaceans from collisions with marine vehicles, and protecting endangered species of rays and sharks; as well as introducing the public to the Mediterranean, its conservation challenges, and the work being done to protect it.
• Tracking and tracing marine turtles in Asia-Pacific, gathering knowledge on their movements from nesting beaches to migratory corridors and foraging grounds, and mapping critical populations and conservation areas. Six of seven species of marine turtles remained threatened by harvesting, illegal trade, being caught by commercial fisheries and the loss of nesting beaches.
• Protecting the sea turtles of the Western Atlantic, strengthening regional cooperation on sustainable fishing techniques and combating illegal fishing. Fighting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing will help protect leatherback turtles breeding on coastal areas of the Guianas, and green and olive ridley turtles from Brazil to Venezuela.