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Massive hotel group aims to involve 4,000 hotels in Planet 21

Accor claims to be the world’s largest provider of hotel rooms with around 40,000 new rooms added each year. The group has announced it is taking action to ensure that this business growth does not lead to an unhealthy drain on the planet.

Accor aims to involve its 4,400 hotels and millions of guests in PLANET 21, an innovative new sustainable development program.

The PLANET 21 strategy includes 21 areas of activity within the business, each with a policy for improvement and goals to achieve by 2015.

The program embraces a broad range of sustainable development issues including carbon emissions, energy and water use, biodiversity, local development, and health & wellbeing.

Targets to be met by 2015 include reducing its worldwide CO2 emissions by 10 per cent, reducing water consumption by 15 per cent and cutting energy consumption by 10 per cent in all owned and leased hotels.

One of the important goals of PLANET 21 is the preservation of ecosystems, an activity pioneered by Accor through its reforestation program. Two million trees, it says, have already been replanted, funded by savings in laundry bills as a result of the informed choices made by guests and employees alike.

The Accor Group established an Environment department in 1994, and has since adopted many methods to aid the development of local communities and reduce the environmental footprint of its hotels.

With PLANET 21, Accor says it is is deepening its determination to put sustainability at the heart of its operations. With the contribution made by their guests, the hotels participate directly in protecting their environment and the development of local communities.

Valere Tjolle
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