Accor: Our Planet, Our Commitment: Bats, Birdhouses and Organic Harvests near Marseille
In the second episode of the ‘Our Planet, Our Commitment’ series, we dive deeper into the initiatives that are making our commitment to sustainability a reality, with Grégor Onipenko, General Manager of Novotel & ibis budget Marseille Est Porte d’Aubagne.
Novotel & ibis budget Marseille Est Porte d’Aubagne are an oasis of greenery located between the center of the southern French city of Marseille and the Calanques National Park, which flanks the Mediterranean Sea. Guests and team members enjoy a vibrant, green setting that is home to different birds and insects – particularly bees and butterflies – as well as lizards, hedgehogs and bats. Having embraced biodiversity conservation in recent years, the teams are proud to have obtained the Green Key Label, the first European label for sustainable tourism, in 2022.
In action: Watch How Novotel & ibis budget Marseille Est Porte d’Aubagne Contribute to Local Biodiversity
Discover also our first episode illustrating how teams at Mövenpick Aswan lead biodiversity initiatives by the Nile here.
Clear Priorities with Concrete Results
To do their bit and help protect the local environment, the hotel teams have structured their approach around three key initiatives:
- Partnership with LPO: the hotels have developed a partnership with the Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO), the largest French nature conversation NGO. To protect local species, they have set up birdhouses, hedgehog shelters and bat nesting boxes.
- On-site organic garden: an 80 m² plot over 3 levels has been dedicated to fruits, herbs and vegetables including strawberries, tomatoes, raspberries, lemons and vines. In 2022, the hotels harvested 30 kg of fruits and vegetables used to supply the restaurant.
- Waste management: to transform the biowaste produced into a resource, the teams have partnered with a local company that collects and composts biowaste. So far, 1.2 tons of biowaste have been collected, generating 212 kg of compost to fertilize 21 m² of soil. To intensify their efforts, the hotels have also teamed up with a Marseille-based association that collects and incinerates cigarette butts to produce electricity.
Building a Greener Tomorrow
Keen to go further, the teams hope to work with the Calanques National Park and local authorities to create an ecological corridor, encompassing both hotels, to further encourage sustainable development and protect biodiversity. In the coming months, they will also continue to raise awareness about the importance of protecting flora and fauna among younger generations by organizing events in partnership with LPO.
About Accor, a world-leading hospitality group
Accor is a world leading hospitality group consisting of more than 5,300 properties and 10,000 food and beverage venues throughout 110 countries. The group has one of the industry's most diverse and fully-integrated hospitality ecosystems encompassing more than 40 luxury, premium, midscale and economy hotel brands, entertainment and nightlife venues, restaurants and bars, branded private residences, shared accommodation properties, concierge services, co-working spaces and more. Accor's unmatched position in lifestyle hospitality – one of the fastest growing categories in the industry – is led by Ennismore, a joint venture, which Accor holds a majority shareholding. Ennismore is a creative hospitality company with a global collective of entrepreneurial and founder-built brands with purpose at their heart. Accor boasts an unrivalled portfolio of distinctive brands and more than 260,000 team members worldwide. Members benefit from the company's comprehensive loyalty program – ALL - Accor Live Limitless – a daily lifestyle companion that provides access to a wide variety of rewards, services and experiences. Through its Planet 21 – Acting Here, Accor Solidarity, RiiSE and ALL Heartist Fund initiatives, the Group is focused on driving positive action through business ethics, responsible tourism, environmental sustainability, community engagement, diversity and inclusivity. Founded in 1967, Accor SA is headquartered in France and publicly listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ISIN code: FR0000120404) and on the OTC Market (Ticker: ACCYY) in the United States. For more information visit group.accor.com, or follow Accor on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
