Accor commits to environmental protection for three years running

Accor commits to environmental protection for three years
running 20 April 2015. Accor has made great strides in protecting the environment and strengthening
communities since the launch of its sustainable development program, Planet 21 in April 2012. Accor’s Australia hotels performed well through Planet 21 with the following results in 2014:  93% of 200 Australian hotels achieved Planet 21 Bronze* status after having fulfilled
at least ten fundamental action items (up from 80% in 2013).  99% of Australian hotels use eco-friendly cleaning products  A commitment to plant more than 50,000 trees over 5 years in partnership with
Greening Australia as part of Plant for the Planet.  Since 2011, Accor’s Race to Survive has raised well over $1 million dollars for
Mission Australia services across the country to help transform the lives of
Australians in need. Planet 21, Accor’s global sustainable development programme, defines 21 specific
commitments and quantifiable goals within these seven pillars of social, environmental and
community investment actions: Health, Nature, Carbon, Innovation, Local, Employment and
Dialogue. This commitment to sustainable development dates back to 1994, when the Group
created a department charged with mitigating its hotels’ environmental impacts. Australia’s Leadership in Sustainability Accor hotels commitment is paying off in terms of operating efficiencies. In 2014, Australian
hotels benefitted from a 4.64% reduction in water consumption and a 3.6% decrease in energy
use versus 2013. Accor’s hotels in Victoria have partnered with Soap Aid and are helping to reduce landfill and
more importantly, are helping to bring better hygiene practices to disadvantaged communities
in India. It is expected more than 1000kg of previously used soap across 40 hotels will be
stockpiled each week and collected by Soap Aid to be reprocessed, packaged then sent for
global distribution. The Pullman, Novotel and ibis at Sydney Olympic Park are equipped with electricity and
water heating systems based on solar energy. The Pullman has an innovative water heating
system with solar tubes. The Novotel and ibis hotels have nearly 140 solar panels to heat
the water they need, while the Novotel Sydney Olympic Park has equipped its roof with
nearly 300 solar panels to produce electricity. A 2014 highlight for Planet 21 is the formation of an Ethics and CSR Committee and the roll
out of an Ethics and CSR Charter that focuses on management ethics, integrity and regulatory
compliance, further strengthening Accor’s social and environmental responsibility. Accor Australia leads Asia Pacific in its drive for equal gender representation in General
Manager positions, with an ambitious target being set by Accor Australia to increase its
number of women in senior leadership and executive positions, from 27% to 50% by 2018.
In just 18 months following this commitment, the number of females in general manager
roles at Accor has increased to 36%. Accor Australia is also committed to employing 500
indigenous employees across the network by the end of the year. “Accor is proud of its commitment to Planet 21 and strives to minimize its environmental
footprint while maximizing its corporate social responsibilities across all levels of hotel
operations, and we are committed to hitting ambitious targets in 2015,” said Simon McGrath,
Chief Operating Officer for Accor Pacific. Regional Leadership in Sustainability Highlights from Accor Asia Pacific Planet 21 achievements include:  91% or more than 500 hotels achieved Planet 21 Bronze after having fulfilled at least
ten fundamental action items (up from 80% in 2013).  97% of Asia Pacific hotels offer guests eco-labelled products  More than 225,000 trees planted around ten sites in this region since 2008 With over 630 hotels in Asia Pacific, Accor is the largest international hotel operator in AsiaPacific and has a long-standing commitment to promoting responsible development across 19
countries. Waste recycling is practiced in 86% of the hotels while 93% of Accor hotels ban
endangered seafood products like shark’s fin and are progressing towards a total ban by 2015. In terms of health, 97% of Asia Pacific hotels use eco-labelled products to minimise health
and environmental impact and 89% of hotels organize disease prevention training for
employees. There has been significant progress in the area of responsible food and beverage,
with 97% of hotels offering healthy menu options (up from 87% in 2013 against a target of
80%) and 87% promoting locally-grown produce (up from 82% against a target of 70%). On the 21st of April, also known as Planet 21 Day, Accor employees take part in various
activities such as tree planting, beach cleanup and the creative reuse of waste in the form of
handicraft and fashion apparel in favour of sustainable development. In recognition of its
efforts, Pacific Asia Travel Agency (PATA) awarded Accor the prestigious PATA Gold Award
for Corporate Environmental Programme in 2013 and 2014. GLOBAL HIGHLIGHTS IN 2014 Water: - 5.6% in water consumption since 2011 (owned and managed hotels) Accor, which serves 56 million breakfasts a year on average, embarked on a new collaborative
venture with Bridor, leader in bakery and pastry products, to reduce the environmental
footprint of the baguettes and croissants. Improvements in the manufacturing process have
enabled electricity and water consumption reduction by 10% and 30% consecutively in the
last two years. Energy: - 4.5% in energy consumption and – 3.8% in CO2 emissions since 2011 over
the owned and managed hotel base Through the Carbon Optimizer, B2B clients can reduce the carbon footprint of their meetings
and conventions. This online tool calculates the carbon footprint of a convention based on the
number of participants, the length of their stay and their catering choices. The client receives
the carbon assessment together with an invitation to participate in Accor's reforestation
projects. Waste: almost 90% of all the Group's hotels recycle their waste Hotels in many countries, including Thailand and the United Arab Emirates, participate in the
"Soap For Hope" operation. The used soaps are collected then recycled by Diversey, Accor's
main supplier of eco-label cleaning products, to be distributed to underprivileged communities. HotelInvest commits to greener buildings In 2014 the Group's asset management division strengthened its commitment to sustainable
construction with building certification according to environmental and energy performance
standards (LEED, BREEAM, HQE) for owned hotels built as of 2015. To date, 11 buildings
have been certified in five countries, including Mercure Kraków City Center, the first BREEAMcertified hotel in Poland, which will open at end 2016. In addition, almost 300 Group hotels
use renewable energy sources. The Olympic Park hotel complex in Sydney, Australia is
equipped with electricity and hot water production systems that harness solar energy. Plant For The Planet: More than 150 sites planted in 21 countries In seven years, Accor has planted four million trees through a tower re-use programme and
generated €13 million in laundry savings, of which half was reinvested in over 150 reforestation
projects that helps finance reforestation or agro-forestry projects, addressing local issues.” Accor will be submitting a very unusual resolution at its Shareholders Meeting on 28 April this
year: the "Tree Resolution". The Group is hoping to bring shareholders on board to step up
its Plant for the Planet program, with a commitment to plant 10 million trees looking to 2021. *To encourage hotels to use Charter 21 – a framework for their sustainable development initiatives
- Accor has developed a rating system with four levels – “Bronze”, “Silver”, “Gold” and “Platinum”.
This helps to guide the hotels in deploying the recommended actions, starting with the more basic
ones and then progressing gradually to the most complex. The hotel must be validated at each level
before it can move on to the next. Angela Cowley PR & Communications Executive Accor Pacific (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday) Tel : +61 (2) 9280 9825 Fax : +61 (2) 9280 9629 Mob: +61 (0) 401 318 385 Email: [email protected]