The ISO 14001 certification involves the hotels in a continual improvement process, highlights employee commitment and raises guest awareness.
After a rigorous audit of its performances, the Novotel Athenes has obtained the ISO 14001 certification, an international reference in environmental management. This initiative is part of Accor’s sustainable development program, PLANET 21, which aims to certify 40% of the Group’s hotels by 2015.
The Novotel Athenes took this initiative itself and mobilized its teams to start the demanding procedure required to obtain this external certification which is verified by an independent body and reassessed every three years. It took the hotel team a year’s preparation of monitoring and assessing the hotel’s performances to establish a long-term, daily environmental management system.
The ISO 14001 certification involves the hotels in a continual improvement process, highlights employee commitment and raises guest awareness. It comprises: employee training, rigorous monitoring of regulatory requirements, controlling of water and energy consumption through a dedicated action plan, waste management including the implementation of a sorting system, using more environmentally-friendly chemical and cleaning products, preserving biodiversity, systematically responding to complaints and information requests about the environment and implementing a procedure to cater for a possible environmental emergency.
Novotel: committed to sustainable development
In 2008, the Novotel family committed to an international environmental and social certification program called EarthCheck. By the end of 2012, 220 Novotel and Suite Novotel establishments were EarthCheck certified in 34 countries.
In 2012, the Novotel family reasserted its ambition and decided to move towards the ISO 14001 certification, which is the reference in environmental management and better suited to its international presence. By the end of 2013, 72 Novotel and Suite Novotel establishments in France and 225 around the world were already ISO 14001 certified.
In addition, in 2012 Novotel decided to develop a range of 100% eco-certified bathroom products using the two European labels Ecocert and Ecolabel. The products’ bottles and display boxes are made from recycled and recyclable plastic. The cosmetics are made from raw materials of natural origin and contain no parabens or GMO by-products.
PLANET 21, reinventing hotels sustainably
PLANET 21, Accor’s sustainable development program, was launched in 2012. It encourages customer participation and unites employees around a program of 21 commitments and fixed objectives that must be met by 2015.
As part of the PLANET 21 program, the Group aims to have 40% of its network ISO 14001 certified by 2015, regardless of the hotels’ ownership structures (excluding the budget segment).
At the end of 2013, the Group had 315 ISO 14001 certified establishments (Novotel, Suite Novotel and ibis) in France, and over 900 around the world. This initiative is aided by the deployment of an e-learning device created by Accor that offers the hotels step by step assistance with the implementation of the ISO 14001 certification.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
