Accor joins Sustainable Hospitality Alliance
French hotel giant Accor has become a member of the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance.
Aimed at supporting businesses to operate responsibly, the alliance is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and is committed to taking action on human rights, youth employment, climate action and water stewardship.
The alliance's members make up 25% of the global hotel industry by rooms and include the likes of Hilton, Hyatt, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International and Radisson Hotel Group. They work together in the belief that their collective power will help to improve supply chain standards and mitigate climate change.
Sébastien Bazin, chairman and chief executive at Accor, said that sustainability and social responsibility essential to the company.
"As a global hospitality group, we have a responsibility that goes far beyond our own impacts and it's our role to shape the future of travel and take care of our planet and the communities in which we operate. We believe working together as an industry on sustainability makes us stronger and is the most effective way in finding new ways to contributing positively to the environment and the local communities globally."
In 2011 Accor, which operates more than 5,200 properties and 10,000 food and beverage venues across 110 countries, identified 21 areas of business activity where significant improvements on sustainability could be made across the company.
These included targets around reducing energy and water consumption, a move towards carbon-neutral buildings, and promotion of healthier and sustainable food with a drastic reduction on food waste.