This year’s AA Hospitality Awards, amongst the most prestigious in the UK hospitality industry named Accor as Eco Group of the Year in recognition of its commitment to sustainable development. The jury, which was made up of hospitality industry professionals, was impressed with Accor’s sustainability program, PLANET 21.
Commenting on the award, Karelle Lamouche, VP multi-brand Marketing Services, Accor UK & Ireland declared:
“This recognition from the AA reflects the ongoing success of our sustainability program, PLANET 21, and our longstanding commitment to operating as a responsible and environmentally-conscious business. This year, we announced that our Plant for the Planet program will fund 200,000 trees in the United Kingdom in a pioneering project designed to promote sustainable food production and nurture links between hotels, guests and farms. We are proud to focus our efforts on protecting the planet, its people and the environment”
Pro-active group
Accor’s sustainable development strategy, PLANET 21, which was launched in April 2012, defines 21 commitments and ambitious goals the hotels must meet by 2015 and includes a program to inform guests and employees and encourage them to contribute to reinventing hotels, sustainably.
In addition, in May 2013, Accor Hotels in UK launched their agro-forestry partnership with Pur Project to mark the first anniversary of PLANET 21. So far, thanks to the laundry savings generated by the Plant for the Planet program, Accor hotels have funded the planting of 3 million trees worldwide.
From left to right: Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Anchor for Channel 4 (award presenter); Jonathan Sheard, SVP Mercure hotels Northern Europe; Karelle Lamouche, VP multi-brand Marketing Services, Accor UK & Ireland and Richard Short, Health, Safety and Environment Director Accor.