Sustainable by Design: How Accor is Shaping the Future of Responsible Meetings & Events
From Pledge to Practice
Accor’s ESG strategy is more than a set of sustainability goals, it’s a guiding approach shaping every gathering we help create. We’ve set clear goals: to cut CO₂ emissions by 46% by 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Ambitious, yes, but grounded in daily, tangible action. Already, more than 60% of our hotels are tracking their carbon footprint, and over 1,400 have earned eco-responsible certification. Step by step, those commitments are transforming the way we host. From energy-saving lighting and smart temperature systems to renewable energy powering our meeting spaces, sustainability is becoming part of the everyday rhythm of MICE at Accor – built into the experience rather than added on.
The result is subtle but significant. A space that feels lighter, fresher, more intentional – proof that sustainability doesn’t have to announce itself loudly to be felt deeply. For event organisers, it means booking a venue that’s already crunched the numbers – where you can trust that every watt, litre and material choice has been made responsibly, so you can feel good about your event from start to finish.
Sustainable by Design: How Accor is Shaping the Future of Responsible Meetings & Events
A new generation of meeting spaces is emerging, where the way we gather reflects a wider commitment to thoughtful, sustainable practices. It’s where collaboration, connection, and responsibility all come together. The meetings and events industry, once defined by scale and spectacle, is being redefined by purpose.
For today’s companies, success isn’t just measured in attendance or applause. It’s measured in impact. How much energy was used? How far did guests travel? Even simple questions, like what happens to the leftovers, are becoming important considerations for event planning.
From Mercure to Mövenpick, SLS to Banyan Tree, we’re redefining what MICE can be. No longer a matter of logistics and schedules, it’s evolving into a space where intention leads the way, bringing people together and creating lasting impact. And when you host thousands of gatherings every day, those individual choices become a force for real change.
Accor’s ESG strategy is more than a set of sustainability goals, it’s a guiding approach shaping every gathering we help create. We’ve set clear goals: to cut CO₂ emissions by 46% by 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Ambitious, yes, but grounded in daily, tangible action. Already, more than 60% of our hotels are tracking their carbon footprint, and over 1,400 have earned eco-responsible certification. Step by step, those commitments are transforming the way we host. From energy-saving lighting and smart temperature systems to renewable energy powering our meeting spaces, sustainability is becoming part of the everyday rhythm of MICE at Accor – built into the experience rather than added on.
The result is subtle but significant. A space that feels lighter, fresher, more intentional – proof that sustainability doesn’t have to announce itself loudly to be felt deeply. For event organisers, it means booking a venue that’s already crunched the numbers – where you can trust that every watt, litre and material choice has been made responsibly, so you can feel good about your event from start to finish.
Innovation Behind the Experience
The shift toward sustainable events isn’t about sacrifice; it’s about smarter systems. One of the most impactful examples is our Net Zero Carbon Calculator for Events, a new tool allowing organisers to measure and offset the footprint of their meetings, from energy use to catering and travel.
Knowing exactly what your event emits means you can make better, faster, greener decisions. And that’s what today’s clients expect: 54% of corporate partners now rank carbon reduction as their number one CSR priority when selecting venues.
Accor’s response has been to give them choices that make sustainability simple, and beautiful.
At Sofitel London St James, guests gather in salons powered entirely by renewable energy, inside a hotel certified by both Green Key and EarthCheck Silver.
In Abu Dhabi, Fairmont Bab Al Bahr became the first property in the Group to earn Green Globe certification, weaving local sourcing and resource management into every meeting it hosts.
Meanwhile, at ibis Styles Paris Meteor Avenue d’Italie, creativity and inclusion go hand in hand: from composting partnerships with Les Alchimistes to collaborations with local companies employing people with disabilities.
Each hotel offers a different stage, but the same story: sustainability as a lived experience, not a line in a brochure.
Sourcing Locally, Thinking Globally
In partnership with WWF, we’re rethinking how events eat. Menus are becoming more plant-forward and ocean-friendly, built around ingredients that celebrate local flavours while treading lightly on the planet. And when the meal is over, nothing goes to waste – food is reused, composted, or shared through Too Good To Go and local food banks. Even the finer details have evolved: plastic bottles and cutlery have been replaced with glass, bamboo and paper.
Small gestures, multiplied across thousands of events, creating a tangible difference every day. And beyond the dining table, the same mindset shapes everything, from event essentials to the way each setting is thoughtfully set up – less waste, more intention.
At the centre of it all are the people who make events happen. Accor’s 330,000 Heartists® are the quiet force behind our sustainability transformation. Through programmes like School for Change, teams learn to weave responsible practices into the fabric of every event. From setting up energy-efficient spaces to advising clients on eco-conscious options.
The heart of a hotel’s sustainability often lies right at its doorstep. By collaborating with local social enterprises, we actively work to uplift underrepresented groups and create inclusive employment. It’s a crucial step that grounds the idea that sustainability means caring for people, not just the environment. And because the MICE world thrives on collaboration, it is this human factor, the shared values and impact, that elevates an event into a true, collective achievement.
The Future of Sustainable Meetings
The next generation of meeting spaces is already here. New openings like JO&JOE and TRIBE Auckland, debuting in 2025, have been designed from the ground up for low-carbon, collaborative events. These are places built for flexibility and connection, powered by renewable energy and guided by purpose.
Technology is driving the next frontier. Through partnerships with innovators like Fullsoon, Accor is using AI to measure the carbon footprint of menus in real time – giving chefs the power to design dishes as sustainable as they are memorable. And with our annual Accor Impact Report, clients have full visibility into our progress, keeping transparency at the heart of our ESG journey.
This is what the future of MICE looks like: connected, conscious, and creatively responsible.
Where Every Meeting Matters
What makes a meeting meaningful today isn’t just what’s said, it’s how it’s hosted.
At Accor, our approach to MICE combines operational excellence with genuine care for the world around us, so that every gathering, from a global conference to a local team workshop, leaves a lighter footprint and a stronger impression.
Hosting responsibly isn’t a trend or a checkbox; it’s what modern hospitality is built on. Because when people come together with purpose, ideas move faster, connections run deeper, and the impact lasts longer.
So the next time you step into an Accor meeting room, take a moment to notice what surrounds you: the light above, the meal on your plate, the atmosphere in the room. Every detail is part of a bigger story: one where progress isn’t promised, it’s practiced.