Biodiversity
1 out of every 4 mammals, 1 out of every 5 fishes, and 1 out of every 8 plants are in danger of extinction. If the loss of biodiversity continues, will future generations be able to eat tuna or honey? Will scientists have the possibility to keep on creating new medicines if certain plants disappear? Accor is working to mobilize guests, employees and suppliers on this issue.
1.8m tourists visit the Great Barrier Reef off the Australian coast every year. The beauty of a natural site attracts visitors, to the point that tourist hotels are often located in fragile ecosystems. Accor is therefore committed to the preservation of the natural environment by mobilizing regularly its staff.
Accor 2010 objectives
1 - Involve all hotels in environmental protection or tree-planting initiatives.
2009 year-end indicator: 77% of hotels are involved in such activities locally.
2 - Increase the number of hotels serving organic products.
2009 year-end indicator: more than 850 hotels serve organic products, compared with 456 in 2006.
Achievements
The management and progress tools
- Accor Hotels Environment Charter: through its Hotels Environment Charter, Accor recommends 8 measures to preserve biodiversity: reduce use of insecticides, use organic fertilizers, water plants in a rational way, etc.
- "Nature gardens": in France, the Novotel brand is offering an interactive guide to its hotels to transform their green spaces into "nature gardens" – spaces that are more respectful of nature, less dependent on human inputs and richer in biodiversity.
- "Biodiversity: My hotel in action" guide: Accor has teamed up with the IUCN, the world leading organization for the protection of biodiversity, to produce a guide for industry professionals which details how a hotel can make a concrete contribution at its level to preserve local biodiversity. A movie "Biodiversity: My hotel in action" was also produced to promote the guide.
- See the "Biodiversity: My hotel in action" guide (3.2M)
- Learn more about the "Biodiversity: My hotel in action" guide (100k)
- See the IUCN website
Partnerships with expert associations
- Etap Hotel France and the LPO (French League for the Protection of Birds): since 2006, the LPO and the Etap Hotel brand in France have partnered to increase employees and guests' awareness of the need to protect biodiversity. For instance, guests receive awareness kits and can participate in nature discovery excursions.
- Accor in Africa and Océanium Dakar: in Africa, hotels in Togo and Senegal, backed by the expertise of the Océanium Dakar association, removed over-fished species from their menus.
- Mercure Italy and Slow Food: in 2008 Mercure Italy has teamed up with the Slow Food association, whose missions are to increase taste awareness while preserving biodiversity.