On the occasion of the first anniversary of its three-year partnership with WWF, Novotel reaffirms its commitment to ocean health by launching sustainable seafood principles and a global “Plant Forward” program aimed at increasing plant-based offerings across its 600 hotels, ahead of World Oceans Day.
Enhanced commitment to sustainable seafood
Developed with experts from WWF France, the Novotel Sustainable Seafood Principles will be implemented across all Novotel hotels. These principles prohibit over 350 endangered species and require that by 2027, wild-caught seafood served is either MSC-certified or responsibly sourced locally. For farmed salmon and shrimp, ASC certification or organic standards will be required. Novotel is also working to improve supply chain traceability with its suppliers.
“Novotel is taking concrete measures to protect marine ecosystems, with the WWF partnership as a key driver of this commitment.” – Jean-Yves Minet, Novotel International Brand Director
Plant Forward program to expand plant-based offerings
Novotel aims for 25% of its menu items to be plant-based by 2026, compared to 39% of hotels currently offering at least 25% plant-based dishes. The brand collaborates with a culinary institute to design flavorful and sustainable menus.
Education and awareness
Welcoming over two million family stays annually, Novotel is launching two new educational games developed with WWF France to raise ocean conservation awareness among children. Jean-Yves Minet adds: “Inspiring and educating the next generations is essential to ocean protection.”
Operational and environmental actions
Measures include phasing out single-use plastics, reducing food waste, installing refillable dispensers, and piloting microplastic filters in select hotels. Dedicated training on ocean awareness and sustainable seafood, developed in partnership with AXA Climate and WWF, is being rolled out to teams.
Support for major marine conservation projects
Novotel supports several WWF projects worldwide, including:
-
Protection of seagrass meadows in the Mediterranean
-
Identification and recovery of ghost fishing gear
-
Educational missions with the Blue Panda sailing vessel
-
Tracking of sea turtles in the Asia-Pacific and Atlantic regions
-
Conservation of marine turtles in French Guiana
“Engagement from economic actors like Novotel is crucial to accelerate the transition towards more sustainable practices.” – Ludovic Frère-Escoffier, Head of Ocean Programs at WWF France
“The ocean regulates the climate and sustains billions of people. Protecting the oceans is protecting our health and that of communities.” – Jean-Yves Minet
Next steps
Novotel plans to:
-
Participate in the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Nice
-
Launch WWF sustainable seafood and ocean awareness trainings in summer 2025
-
Extend sustainable seafood practices to all hotels
-
Deploy the Plant Forward strategy across all properties
-
Implement new customer awareness programs focused on ocean preservation
-
Continue supporting global ocean conservation projects led by WWF France
This partnership demonstrates Novotel’s intention to embed environmental responsibility at the core of its hotel operations, aiming to reduce its impact on marine environments and promote more sustainable consumption.
