Ahead of World Ocean Day (8 June), Novotel marks the primary anniversary of its transformative three-year partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), reaffirming its dedication to defending the wellbeing and longevity of the ocean with the launch of two new meals insurance policies: Novotel’s Sustainable Seafood Principles in partnership with WWF France and the launch of a pioneering international Plant-Forward meals ambition throughout 600 resorts.
“At Novotel, we are taking decisive action to protect our oceans, and the partnership with WWF is a driving force of this commitment,” said Jean-Yves Minet, Novotel Global Brand President. “Through their guidance and expertise, we can drive change at scale across our 600 hotels and more widely across the industry and communities we reach. At Novotel, we’re committed to making it easier to make choices that have a positive impact on the longevity of the planet, on marine life, and on future generations. From responsible sourcing to a Plant-Forward approach, our ocean impact strategy is designed to drive real change. Together, we can lead the way toward a healthier, more sustainable future – one positive choice at a time.”
Ludovic Frère Escoffier, Ocean Program Manager, WWF France, stated: “Protecting the ocean also means protecting our common future. Faced with the growing threats of overfishing, pollution and loss of biodiversity, economic players have a key role to play. We welcome Novotel’s commitment to integrating the preservation of marine ecosystems into its strategy. By collaborating with influential companies in the tourism sector, together we are accelerating the transition to more sustainable, responsible practices that are compatible with ocean resilience.”
“The ocean is our planet’s greatest source of balance – the ‘lungs of the world’,” added Jean-Yves Minet. “It regulates climate, supports livelihoods, and protects ecosystems. But that balance is at risk. To secure a sustainable future, we must rebalance our relationship with the oceans, reducing our impact and ensuring marine health. Our wellbeing is deeply tied to the health of the ocean. Protecting the ocean isn’t just about the environment, it’s about supporting human health and longevity too.”
Delicious, more healthy, extra sustainable meals
The new Sustainable Seafood Principles had been created in partnership with WWF and led by the fisheries specialists at WWF France. The new tips, launched globally throughout Novotel’s 600 resorts, embody banning of 350 species of endangered seafood species, and selling accountable fishing by 2027, serving solely MSC-certified wild-caught species or responsibly sourced native fish, and use ASC- or organic-certified farmed seafood for salmon and shrimp, fostering provider collaboration the place wanted. WWF France has created Sustainable Seafood Training, a complete international coaching programme for Novotel cooks, meals and procurement groups, and is working alongside Novotel and Accor to enhance traceability.
Furthermore, Novotel has pioneered a Plant-Forward ambition, concentrating on all its 600 resorts to have a minimal of 25% plant-based menus by 2026. Today 39% of resorts dedicate not less than 25% of their menus to plant-forward choices. Novotel is dedicated to providing market main, tasty, sustainable, and Plant-Forward philosophy at scale, guided by a number one culinary institute.
Education & consciousness for the following era
Novotel welcomes greater than two million household stays a year and this summer season households at Novotel will expertise two new edutainment video games designed by WWF France and Novotel to encourage and empower youngsters to be ambassadors for the ocean. “Guardians of the Mediterranean” is an interactive card and digital sport impressed by the WWF Blue Panda boat, created to coach households about ocean conservation in a enjoyable, participating method. “Sea Turtle” is a energetic digital quiz that helps youngsters be taught concerning the threats confronted throughout turtle migration, together with ghost gear, plastic and air pollution.
“Inspiring and educating the next generation is key to protecting our ocean,” added Jean-Yves. “By engaging young minds through play, we plant the seeds of awareness, empathy, and action for a healthier, more sustainable marine future. As a leading family-friendly hotel brand, Novotel is perfectly placed to champion this vital mission.”
A year of progress: strengthening Novotel’s dedication to the oceans
Since its launch in June 2024, Novotel has made vital strides to ship upon its ocean preservation and sustainable affect plan:
1/ REDUCE IMPACT
Novotel’s dedication to lowering its affect aligns with Accor’s industry-leading mission in the direction of optimistic hospitality, together with:
- Phasing out single-use plastics throughout Novotel resort operations
- Installing large-format and refillable dispensers in resorts
- Minimizing meals waste by revolutionary options and visitor engagement
- Launched microplastic filter pilots in two Novotel resorts2 in France to cut back affect from resort laundry
2/ DELICIOUS, HEALTHIER & MORE SUSTAINABLE FOOD CHOICES
In addition to the brand new Plant-Forward ambition and Sustainable Seafood Principles, Novotel has applied vital actions:
- A globally managed Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) was launched in Q1 2025 in collaboration with WWF, together with help of the Indian Squid FIP in Kerala, India
- Launched a partnership with Seafood Souq to make sure all seafood suppliers and merchandise are onboarded to SFS Trace and meet required traceability requirements, together with an 18-hotel pilot within the Middle East3.
- A Seafood Taskforce procurement venture has been launched in Europe in collaboration with WWF France, working instantly with 5 suppliers to enhance traceability as half of the model’s dedication to help WWF’s ambition for sector-wide change all through the availability chain.
3/ ENHANCE EDUCATION & OCEAN AWARENESS
Novotel is dedicated to elevating consciousness of the significance of the ocean to fashionable life, inspiring resort groups, friends and communities to positively contribute to a extra balanced life with the ocean.
- New international Ocean Awareness Training for all Novotel groups in all 600 resorts, enhancing their information and provoking their motion and dedication. The coaching has been developed in partnership with AXA Climate.
- New WWF Sustainable Seafood Training: for all chef, F&B and procurement groups, together with the affect of overfishing, sustainable seafood sourcing and best-in-class sustainability practices in eating places.
- Edutainment in-hotel occasions, programming and video games to encourage optimistic motion amongst the Novotel neighborhood.
4/ CONTRIBUTE TO RESEARCH & INNOVATION
Novotel is supporting important WWF France conservation tasks around the globe, investing to help ocean affect, analysis and motion by vital tasks.
1/ The safety of Posidonia within the Mediterranean
- Where: Europe
- Why: Per hectare, the Posidonia meadow sequesters 5 to seven instances extra carbon than the tropical forest
- Status: Action plans underway in 9 coastal cities; 8 mooring fields in venture; and 73 buoy conversions accomplished in 2024 and 41 deliberate in 2025.
2/ The identification and elimination of “ghost gear”
- Where: Mediterranean Sea
- Why: Lost, deserted and in any other case discarded fishing gear are a serious menace to marine life
- Status: Over 1,000 hectares prospected in Bonifacio; a number of4 nets recognized; pilot retrieval with underwater robots scheduled for 2025–2026; new prospection missions in Calanques and Ajaccio deliberate.
3/ Supporting the WWF France’s Blue Panda boat
- Where: Europe – France, Greece, Türkiye, Italy and Croatia
- Why: The Blue Panda sails throughout the Mediterranean conducting missions to develop science-based options and suggestions to guard Mediterranean marine life, to boost public consciousness, and main lobbying missions with international locations and communities.
- Status: 2024 marketing campaign accomplished throughout France, Greece, Turkey, Italy and Croatia; academic visits reached 550+ youngsters in France; Cap Cétacés anti-collision system examined; ghost gear prospection and Marine Protection Areas research carried out; Blue Panda to be in Nice 8–14 June for UNOC with stakeholder occasions.
4/ Tracking and tracing marine turtles
- Where: Global, with a selected concentrate on Asia-Pacific
- Why: Six of seven species of marine turtles remained threatened by harvesting, unlawful commerce, being caught by industrial fisheries and the loss of nesting seashores. Mapping nesting seashores, migratory corridors and foraging grounds for vital turtle populations.
- Status: ‘Blue Corridors’ initiative launched October 2024; over 12,600 turtles tracked globally; information gathering and connectivity evaluation ongoing in 2025; replace to be revealed by WWF at UNOC 2025.
5/ Protecting the ocean turtles of the Western Atlantic
- Where: Guiana Shield
- Why: Mobilising civic society and combating unlawful, unreported and unregulated fishing will assist defend leatherback turtles breeding on coastal areas of the Guianas, and inexperienced and olive ridley turtles from Brazil to Venezuela.
- Status: Youth ambassador programme launched; regional delegation to attend UNOC in June 2025; subject tasks together with eco-guide coaching, citizen science, and advocacy actions ongoing by 2025-2026.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR NOVOTEL? POSITIVE STEPS TO IMPACT OCEAN LONGEVITY
Looking forward, Novotel stays dedicated to amplifying its affect by:
✅ Collaborating with {industry} leaders at UN Ocean Conference in Nice to drive significant change
✅ WWF Sustainable Seafood Training – launching summer season 2025
✅ Ocean Awareness Training in partnership with AXA Climate – launching summer season 2025
✅ Expanding sustainable seafood practices throughout all resorts
✅ Embedding a brand new Plant-Forward menu technique in all resorts
✅ Introducing new visitor engagement packages targeted on ocean preservation
✅ Continuing to help vital WWF France ocean preservation tasks around the globe
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