THE PROMOTION of healthy meals and the removal of endangered seafood species from all menus are two of the standout targets in a new sustainability plan launched by Accor today.
Planet 21 identifies 21 areas of the hotel groups activity Accors where improvements will be made, each with a specific policy for action and a measurable goal for 2015.
The global undertaking will span its hotel brands, which include Ibis and Novotel, and involve all of the Groups 145,000 employees and many millions of its guests.
Health is high on the groups agenda. At the end of 2011, 62% of its 4,200 hotels offered balanced dishes to customers; by 2015 this figure will be 80%. There are currently no details on how broad the definition for balanced goes. Accor has suggested that new smarter menus, which account for the environmental impacts of different food groups, are a possibility in the future.
The plan does include some more general environmental targets, such as a 10% cut in energy consumption across all owned and leased hotels, a15% cut in water consumption across the same hotels and the use of eco-label products in at least 85% of hotels.
Planet 21 builds on Accors previous five-year sustainability plan, Earth Guest, which launched in 2006. The plan was a mixed success, with the group missing the10% energy reduction target by 4.5%, but surpassing the 10% water reduction target by 2%.
The plan comes on the back of a thorough assessment of the groups environmental impacts. The year-long study, carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers, included life cycle analyses and unearthed some astounding findings
Chairman and CEO Denis Hennequin said Planet 21 will prove to be a powerful driver of competitiveness for our brands, increasing our appeal among our customers and partners and improving loyalty among our employees.
Sophie Flak, executive VP for sustainable development, added: Today, 70% of our major-account customers include sustainability among their criteria for appointing suppliers, and half of our customers apply this policy when choosing hotels. That is one reason why we believe it is important and appropriate to involve our customers in PLANET 21.
