Novotel has expanded its global partnership with WWF into Australian waters, partnering with WWF-Australia to support ocean conservation, whale migration research and advocacy for critical marine pathways known as “Blue Corridors”, raising awareness of the importance of whales as a unique and threatened megafauna.
Launching locally this year, the partnership marks the first market expansion of Novotel’s global WWF partnership, which began in 2024. Under the partnership platform Together for Oceans Protection, Novotel is supporting WWF-Australia’s ambition to protect 100 million hectares of ocean in the Southern Hemisphere, contributing to global efforts to protect 30 per cent of the world’s oceans by 2030.
SUPPORTING WWF-AUSTRALIA’S BLUE CORRIDORS INITIATIVE
The WWF-Australia Blue Corridors initiative sits at the heart of the Australian partnership. The project focuses on better understanding the migratory pathways used by whales and other marine wildlife as they travel between critical feeding, breeding and resting habitats. These ocean “superhighways” are vital to the survival of migratory species, but are increasingly affected by shipping traffic, underwater noise, pollution, fishing activity and climate change impacts.
Novotel is supporting WWF-Australia’s work to close data gaps for marine mammals, such as whales, advance mapping tools and support advocacy for the Western Pacific Blue Corridors initiative, including across Australian waters and other key marine areas in the Southern Hemisphere. This work draws on science and the knowledge, stewardship and enduring connections of Traditional Owners, Indigenous peoples and local communities across Australia and the Pacific. It will help to inform future marine protection efforts and support the identification of high-value ocean areas requiring greater protection, including areas such as the waters around Lord Howe Island.
WWF-Australia CEO, Dermot O’Gorman, said: “Growing evidence shows whales play a vital role in maintaining healthy oceans, which in turn help regulate the climate, supply food for billions of people, and support livelihoods and coastal communities. Yet whales face growing cumulative threats from climate change, ship traffic, underwater noise and fishing activity.
“The Blue Corridors initiative is building a clearer picture of the ocean habitats that need stronger protection from human activities. By working together with communities, First Nations peoples, scientists, governments and business partners like Novotel, we can help safeguard whales and our oceans for future generations.”
NOVOTEL’S LOCAL ROLE IN OCEAN CONSERVATION
The Australian partnership is part of Novotel’s broader global commitment to help protect and restore the world’s oceans through science-led conservation, education and operational change. Across its global network, Novotel’s ocean commitment is focused on four key pillars: reducing operational impacts on oceans, promoting more sustainable food choices with updated hotel menus, enhancing ocean awareness, and contributing to research and innovation.
In the Pacific, Novotel hotels are supporting the partnership by helping raise awareness of ocean protection, advancing more responsible hotel practices and championing conservation initiatives that protect marine biodiversity. These efforts align with Novotel’s global ocean roadmap, which includes reducing single-use plastics and water usage, improving sustainable seafood practices, offering plant-forward menus, educating teams and guests on ocean health, and investing in conservation projects that support marine ecosystems.
Adrian Williams, Chief Operating Officer, Accor Pacific, said: “Novotel has always been a brand focused on helping guests reconnect with themselves, with others and the places they visit. Through our partnership with WWF-Australia, we’re extending that commitment beyond the hotel stay to support the protection of our oceans and marine wildlife.
“Australian’s have a strong connection to the ocean, and a shared responsibility to protect it. By supporting the Blue Corridors initiative, Novotel is contributing to important research and advocacy that helps strengthen protection for migratory whales and marine ecosystems across our region.”
BUILDING ON NOVOTEL’S GLOBAL OCEAN COMMITMENT
The Australian partnership builds on Novotel’s international ocean commitment, which has already driven measurable progress across the brand’s local and global network of more than 600 hotels. According to Novotel’s second Ocean Impact Report:
- In Australia 90% of Novotel hotels are now compliant with Accor’s single-use plastic policy
- Locally, 80% of the network is eco-certified by a third party (with the remaining 20% in progress)
- Globally, more than 1,600 chefs and kitchen team members have completed WWF Sustainable Seafood Training
- And more than 3,200 hotel team members have completed Ocean Awareness training.
Global Lead for WWF’s Protecting Whales and Dolphins Initiative, Chris Johnson, said: “Blue corridors are more than just migration routes, they’re lifelines connecting the ocean’s giants to the habitats they depend on.
“BlueCorridors.org turns decades of science into a tool for action, showing when, where and how whales need protection in a changing ocean. This is more than a map, it’s a collaborative movement, and with Novotel’s support, we can scale up our efforts to grow this tool and secure these critical routes for whales worldwide.”
Australia is home to more than 33,000 recorded marine species, with scientists estimating many more are yet to be discovered. However, warming waters, plastic pollution, overfishing and industrial pressures continue to place marine environments under strain. Through Together for Oceans Protection, Novotel and WWF-Australia are working to help raise awareness of these challenges while supporting practical conservation efforts that contribute to healthier, more resilient oceans.
