EUROPE: Novotel and WWF are marking the first year of their three year partnership with the launch of two food initiatives aimed at ocean conservation.
The initiatives include Novotel’s Sustainable Seafood Principles, in partnership with WWF France and the launch of a global Plant-Forward food ambition across 600 hotels.
But the partnership goes further than this with scientific projects, educational awareness and training programmes aimed at protecting and conserving marine ecology around the world.
Sustainable Food Programmes
The new Sustainable Seafood Principles were created in partnership with WWF and led by the fisheries experts at WWF France.
The guidelines include the banning of 350 species of endangered seafood species, and promoting responsible fishing by 2027, serving only MSC-certified wild-caught species or responsibly sourced local fish, and use ASC- or organic-certified farmed seafood for salmon and shrimp, fostering supplier collaboration where needed.
WWF France has also created Sustainable Seafood Training, a comprehensive global training programme for Novotel chefs, food and procurement teams, and is working alongside Novotel and Accor to improve traceability.
The Plant-Forward initiative means hotels will have a minimum of 25 per cent plant-based menus by 2026. Today 39 per cent of hotels dedicate at least 25 per cent of their menus to ‘plant-forward’ options.
Jean-Yves Minet, Novotel global brand president said: “At Novotel, we are taking decisive action to protect our oceans, and the partnership with WWF is a driving force of this commitment. Through their guidance and expertise, we can drive change at scale across our 600 hotels and more widely across the industry and communities we reach.
“At Novotel, we’re committed to making it easier to make choices that have a positive impact on the longevity of the planet, on marine life, and on future generations. From responsible sourcing to a Plant-Forward approach, our ocean impact strategy is designed to drive real change. Together, we can lead the way toward a healthier, more sustainable future – one positive choice at a time.”
Gamification
Visitors to Novotel will also experience two new games designed by WWF France and Novotel to inspire and empower children to be ambassadors for the ocean. ‘Guardians of the Mediterranean’ is an interactive card and digital game inspired by the WWF Blue Panda boat, created to educate families about ocean conservation in a fun, engaging way. ‘Sea Turtle’ is a lively digital quiz that helps children learn about the threats faced during turtle migration, including ghost gear, plastic and pollution.
Jean-Yves said: “Inspiring and educating the next generation is key to protecting our ocean. By engaging young minds through play, we plant the seeds of awareness, empathy, and action for a healthier, more sustainable marine future. As a leading family-friendly hotel brand, Novotel is perfectly placed to champion this vital mission.”
In Action
Since its launch in June 2024, Novotel has made significant strides to deliver upon its ocean preservation and sustainable impact plan aligning with Accor’s mission towards positive hospitality, including phasing out single-use plastics across Novotel hotel operations, installing large-format and refillable dispensers in hotels, minimising food waste through innovative solutions and guest engagement, and launching microplastic filter pilots in two Novotel hotels in France to reduce impact from hotel laundry
A globally managed Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) launched in Q1 2025 in collaboration with WWF, including support of the Indian Squid FIP in Kerala, India
Partnership with Seafood Souq to ensure all seafood suppliers and products are onboarded to SFS Trace and meet required traceability standards, including an 18-hotel pilot in the Middle East.
A Seafood Taskforce procurement project has been launched in Europe in collaboration with WWF France, working directly with five suppliers to improve traceability as part of the brand’s commitment to support WWF’s ambition for sector-wide change throughout the supply chain.
WWF France Conservation Projects
Novotel is supporting WWF France conservation projects around the world. In Europe the protection of Posidonia in the Mediterranean. Per hectare, the Posidonia meadow sequesters five to seven times more carbon than the tropical forest. The identification and removal of “ghost gear” in the Mediterranean Sea. More than 1,000 hectares prospected in Bonifacio; several nets identified; pilot retrieval with underwater robots scheduled for 2025–2026; new prospection missions in Calanques and Ajaccio planned.
Supporting the WWF France’s Blue Panda boat in France, Greece, Türkiye, Italy and Croatia as it explores science-based solutions and recommendations to protect Mediterranean marine life, raise public awareness, and lead lobbying missions with countries and communities.
Tracking and tracing marine turtles with a specific focus on Asia-Pacific where six of seven species of marine turtles remained threatened by harvesting, illegal trade, being caught by commercial fisheries and the loss of nesting beaches. Mapping nesting beaches, migratory corridors and foraging grounds for critical turtle populations.
Protecting the sea turtles of the Western Atlantic in the Guiana Shield, fighting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing will help protect leatherback turtles breeding on coastal areas of the Guianas, and green and olive ridley turtles from Brazil to Venezuela.
Ludovic Frère Escoffier, ocean programme manager, WWF France, said: “Protecting the ocean also means protecting our common future. Faced with the growing threats of overfishing, pollution and loss of biodiversity, economic players have a key role to play. We welcome Novotel’s commitment to integrating the preservation of marine ecosystems into its strategy. By collaborating with influential companies in the tourism sector, together we are accelerating the transition to more sustainable, responsible practices that are compatible with ocean resilience.”
Jean-Yves Minet added: “The ocean is our planet’s greatest source of balance – the ‘lungs of the world’. It regulates climate, supports livelihoods, and protects ecosystems. But that balance is at risk. To secure a sustainable future, we must rebalance our relationship with the oceans, reducing our impact and ensuring marine health. Our wellbeing is deeply tied to the health of the ocean. Protecting the ocean isn’t just about the environment, it’s about supporting human health and longevity too.”
Image: © Antonio-Busiello WWF-US
