Accor has unveiled its 2026-2030 sustainability roadmap, Hosting Change, designed to integrate environmental and social commitments with core business performance. The strategy builds on the company’s 40-year history of sustainability initiatives while establishing a framework applicable across more than 5,800 hotels operating in 110 countries under 45 brands.
The roadmap addresses four primary areas: future-proof operations, guest experience, talent development, and broader ecosystem engagement. Key focus areas include carbon emissions reduction, food waste minimization, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and eco-certification. The company has also identified four additional priorities termed Extra Miles: reducing energy and water consumption, decreasing waste, promoting plant-forward dining options, and creating employment pathways while supporting vulnerable populations.
Coline Pont, who returned to Accor as chief sustainability officer in 2025 and joined the Group Management Board, emphasized that the strategy connects business and sustainability objectives rather than treating them as competing priorities. Pont highlighted the financial case for hotel owners, noting that energy and water costs represent approximately 7% of annual operating expenses. In 2025, Accor reduced water intensity by 5.2% across its network. Additionally, more than 73% of the company’s largest corporate clients require ESG criteria when selecting hotel partners, creating commercial incentives for sustainability investment.
The company recognizes that guest preferences influence strategy development. While guests value sustainability, quality, price, and location remain primary decision factors. Accor’s approach emphasizes embedding sustainability into the guest experience rather than promoting it as a standalone feature. Examples include phasing out single-use plastics, which began in 2019 and has eliminated over 50 types of single-use items, and committing to 35% plant-forward dishes by 2030 while maintaining meat options.
Workforce development represents a significant strategy component. Accor’s School for Change program, rolled out since 2022, trains employees to integrate sustainability into daily operations. The company emphasizes safe and dignified working conditions as foundational, alongside growth opportunities and belonging within the organization.
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