This is the first anniversary of Novotel’s three year partnership with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in which the partners are working to protect sea turtles, fish ghost gear from the ocean and spread ocean literacy. In honor of the occasion, Novotel has launched two new food policies–Novotel’s Sustainable Seafood Principles and Plant-Forward–that will guide its menus across 600 hotels.
The Sustainable Seafood Principles include banning 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 ASC-or-organic-certified farmed seafood for salmon and shrimp; and fostering supplier collaboration where needed.
WWF France has created Sustainable Seafood Training, a comprehensive global training program for Novotel chefs, food and procurement teams, and is working alongside Novotel and Accor to improve traceability.
“At Novotel, we are taking decisive action to protect our oceans, and the partnership with WWF is a driving force of this commitment,” said Jean-Yves Minet, Novotel Global Brand President. “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.”
Novotel’s Plant-Forward ambition initiative aims to have a minimum of 25% plant-based menus by 2026. Today 39% of hotels dedicate at least 25% of their menus to plant-forward options.
The company, which has more than two million family stays a year, will also provide two new edutainment games for guests. “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; “Sea Turtle” is a digital quiz that helps children learn about the threats faced during turtle migration, including ghost gear, plastic and pollution.
“Inspiring and educating the next generation is key to protecting our ocean,” added Jean-Yves. “By engaging young minds through play, we plant the seeds of awareness, empathy, and action for a healthier, more sustainable marine future.”
Other efforts the company has made include:
- A globally managed Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) launched in Q1 2025 in collaboration with WWF
- A partnership with Seafood Souq to ensure all seafood suppliers and products are onboarded to SFS Trace and meet required traceability standards
- A Seafood Taskforce procurement project in Europe 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.
Novotel also supports WWF France conservation projects in the Mediterranean, including the protection of the blue carbon Posidonia meadow; preparing to remove ghost gear–lost, abandoned and discarded fishing gear that threatens marine life; supporting the WWF France Blue Panda boat conducting missions to develop science-based solutions and recommendations to protect marine life, to raise public awareness, and leading lobbying missions with countries and communities. It also supports tracking and tracing marine turtles in Asia Pacific and protecting sea turtles of the Western Atlantic.
“Protecting the ocean also means protecting our common future,” said Ludovic Frère Escoffier, Ocean Program Manager. “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.”
