AccorHotels makes sustainability breakthrough

AccorHotels continues to progress in its goal of planting 100,000 trees in the UAE over the next decade, a commitment made in April 2015.

The sustainability initiative is a part of a continued and active collaboration with the Dubai Municipality, Goumbook for the Give a Ghaf tree planting program and SynergY, an environmental activist youth group founded by Simran Vedvyas.

The trees were planted by sixty young SynergY members along with volunteers from AccorHotels.

“The Plant for the Planet program is unique as we see 1,900 of AccorHotels’ properties donating half of their laundry savings to finance reforestation projects in 24 countries. For the UAE, we have selected to partner with Goumbook for the Give a Ghaf tree planting project to accompany us towards our goal of planting 100,000 trees within the next 10 years,” said Arnaud Herrmann, vice president for sustianable development, AccorHotels.

The initiative to plant more of the UAE’s native trees at the landfill was backed by Eng. Abdul Majeed Saifaie, director of waste management department at Dubai Municipality.

“The Ghaf trees planted in the landfill will aid vegetation and conservation within the fragmented landscape to maintain and improve the broader ecosystem across the area and support the green vision of the UAE government,” added Goumbook managing director and Give a Ghaf tree planting program founder Tatiana Antonelli Abella.

“It is a privilege to have the strong support of Dubai Municipality for this initiative, and seeing the enthusiasm of these volunteers from AccorHotels and SynergY, we will no doubt be able to accomplish our sustainability goals,” added Christophe Landais chief operating officer AccorHotels Middle East.

Worldwide, AccorHotels’ Plant for the Planet Programme has financed the planting of four and a half million trees in 24 countries. AccorHotels is also committed to planting 10 million trees before 2021 globally.