Why Accor is Leading on Sustainable Procurement

French multinational hospitality company, Accor, has been awarded the maturity level, “Leading,” following an independent assessment of its sustainable procurement practices using the ISO 20400 methodology. 

Provided by the International Organisation for Standardisation, the ISO20400 provides guidance to organisations, independent of their activity or size, on integrating sustainability within procurement

The “Leading” rating, which is the highest maturity level, recognises excellence across policy, governance, procurement processes and supplier engagement. Accor says it underscores its leadership in embedding sustainability across its global supply chain.

Accor’s sustainable procurement process

The assessment highlights that Accor's Responsible Procurement Charter and CSR & Ethics Charter are effectively embedded within the Group's procurement processes, purchasing decisions and supplier agreements.

Caroline Tissot, Group Chief Procurement Officer Accor, says: “Achieving the 'Leading' maturity level in the ISO 20400 assessment is a major recognition of the hard work and commitment shown by our procurement teams, category managers and suppliers worldwide. 

“This result demonstrates that our policies, tools and day-to-day practices are delivering tangible and measurable progress. It also confirms Accor's leadership in building a sustainable, low carbon and responsible supply chain.” 

Driven by strong governance 

Accor's 2026 Sustainable Procurement roadmap was praised for clear priorities, SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound) targets and dedicated resources. 

The Group’s Supplier Control Plan, applied during the tender process and throughout the contract lifecycle, was recognised as a robust and operational mechanism applied at scale to secure supplier compliance, drive improvements and manage procurement risk categories.

The assessment also highlighted strong governance and clearly defined responsibilities across top management, the sustainable procurement team and all local procurement teams. 

Procurement sustainability driving a competitive edge

The ISO 20400 guidance says that procurement is a powerful instrument for organisations wishing to behave in a responsible way and contribute to sustainable development and to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. 

McKinsey has argued that new opportunities are coming for organisations to use procurement to gain a competitive edge and drive sustainability impact through innovation and strategic partnerships.

Analysis from McKinsey shows that top environmental, social and governance (ESG) performers enjoy faster growth and higher valuations than other players in their sectors, by a margin of 10% to 20% in each case.

The consulting firm adds that strong ESG credentials drive down costs by 5% to 10%.

Building on Accor’s earlier recognition 

In 2025, Accor won the World's Leading Climate Action Initiative category at the 2025 World Sustainable Travel and Hospitality Awards for the Group's high-impact supply chain decarbonisation program called Achieving Net Zero Together.

Caroline said at the time: “This recognition highlights Accor's commitment to turning ambition into action. Through the Achieving Net Zero Together program, we and our partners are driving tangible progress on our journey toward net zero.”

Launched in 2024, the Achieving Net Zero Together program tackles a key challenge in corporate climate action: how to reduce supply chain emissions in a context of low supplier maturity and limited carbon data availability.