Positive plan for staying sustainable

Over the past two decades, hotels and guests have become increasingly aware of their environmental impact and the importance of sustainability. Indeed, an increasing number of guests make their choice of a hotel based on its sustainability practices.

AccorHotels has been actively pursuing sustainable hotel management practices for over 20 years and, as part of its policy for progress and transparency, the group recently asked its customers for their views on sustainability issues.

The results of the survey, carried out at the end of 2015, showed that globally, eight out of 10 hotel guests state they are sensitive to sustainable development and want hotels to show commitment to concrete, daily aspects of sustainable development, especially water and energy conservation, waste reduction and child protection.

AccorHotels implemented a sustainable development program called Planet 21 from 2011 to 2015, and says the actions taken over that period delivered two-thirds of the program's 21 objectives. The group has now assessed its environmental and socioeconomic footprint to construct a new five-year program.

"The results of the first phase of the plan have been very encouraging," said Sebastien Bazin, the group's chairman and CEO. "Now we want to scale up our ambitions by banking on innovation and accountability."

The program for 2020 not only reinforces some of the group's fundamental commitments, such as reducing its environmental footprint, it also identifies new objectives which dovetail with both the changes to the business model and its strategic priorities, such as sustainable management of its property portfolio through HotelInvest.

"Our vision is to drive the change towards positive, more responsible and inventive hospitality, wherever we are," Bazin said.

Planet 21 (2016-2020) enlists the group's employees, customers, partners and local communities into four areas of action, and has two priorities - food and beverage, and buildings.

Charter 21, the in-house sustainable development management system for hoteliers, has evolved and been renamed Planet 21 in Action.

The group said the new system aims higher and is more accommodating as regards local specifics and operational realities, being more flexible and based on a participatory approach that allows each hotel to set its own objectives and map out its own action plan.

A common baseline comprising 16 mandatory actions sets a first level of commitment, while hotels then select the actions they wish to implement from a wider range of initiatives to upgrade their status.

Bazin said the core aims of Planet 21 Season 2 are to create wealth sustainably and to curb the negative impacts of the group's operations "through the mobilization of our employees, guests, partners and local communities".

lindsayandrews@chinadaily.com.cn

Achievements

Planet 21 Season 1 (2011-15): results for China

97 percent of hotels use ecolabeled products

97 percent of hotels promote balanced dishes

96 percent of hotels organize disease prevention training for employees

91 percent of hotels recycle their waste

48 percent of hotels have at least three eco-friendly designed room components

93 percent of hotels purchase and promote locally sourced products

99 percent of hotels ban endangered seafood from restaurant menus

(China Daily 05/21/2016 page10)