Accor CSR supports Plant for the Planet The Billion Tree Campaign
Last updated 11/06/2009 15:53:28
Accor CSR supports Plant for the Planet The Billion Tree Campaign
Hotel group Accor will further support the global reforestation programme ‘Plant for the Planet: the Billion Tree Campaign' by actively involving a thousand of its hotels over the next 10 months.
The programme was launched last year in association with the United Nations Environment Program designed to finance seven tree-planting projects around the world.
Accor has pledged to donate 50% of the savings on laundry costs resulting from the responsible behaviour of hotel operators and their customers. Since last year, 50 Accor hotels on five continents have already financed the planting of 50,000 trees through seven local economic development projects created by Accor-selected NGOs.
"During the pilot phase, our hotel teams and customers demonstrated their support for the project," said Hélène Roques, Accor's sustainable development director. "This conclusive test has convinced us that the campaign should be conducted on a larger scale.
Of the 4,000 hotels in the Accor network, 1,000 have confirmed that they will join the program by April 2010. The group's goal is to plant three million trees by 2012.
Planting has begun in Romania and Brazil and will start in the new few months in Australia, the United States, Indonesia, Senegal and Thailand, when seasonal conditions are right.
An awareness-building campaign has been organised in participating hotels, asking customers to keep their bath towels for more than one night. To help this, a message such: "Here, YOUR towels plant trees", is posted in each bathroom informing guests to understand the full importance of reusing towels.
Accor is also providing special training to floor staff and chambermaids in charge of linen.
Accor's support for Plant for the Planet: the Billion Tree Campaign is part of the Earth Guest program, introduced by the Group in 2006 to lead its social and environmental responsibility policy, around the world and across all businesses.
Through Earth Guest, Accor has launched initiatives to support local development, protect children, lead the fight against epidemics, promote balanced nutrition and, with regard to the environment, reduce energy and water consumption, effectively manage waste and preserve biodiversity.
On April 22—Earth day 2009—Accor's 150,000 employees supported the eight priorities of the group's Earth Guest program, for its 3rd Earth Guest day.