Carnival Corporation released its eighth annual sustainability report, announcing that in 2017 it achieved its 25% carbon reduction goal three years ahead of schedule and is on track with its nine other 2020 sustainability goals.
The company continues its sustainability journey, using the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals as a base to identify new environmental management, energy efficiency, health, safety and wellbeing objectives to strive toward by 2030.
Carnival Corporation first shared its 2020 sustainability goals in 2015, identifying 10 objectives that include reducing its carbon footprint, improving ships’ air emissions, reducing waste generation, improving water use efficiency, and supporting guests, crew members and local communities. The latest report shows that the company is on track to meet those goals, realizing the following environmental advancements by the end of 2017:
- Carbon Footprint: achieved 26.3 percent reduction in CO2e relative to 2005 baseline;
- Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS): 62 percent of fleet equipped with EGCS, capable of reducing sulfur compounds and particulate matter in ships’ engine exhaust at any operating state of a ship, resulting in improved quality of air emissions;
- Cold Ironing: 43 percent of fleet equipped with capability to use shoreside electric power while the ship is docked;
- Advanced Waste Water Purification Systems: increased coverage of fleet-wide capacity by 6.2 percentage points from 2014 baseline. Together, the company’s standard and AWWPS systems meet and/or exceed water treatment requirements established by the International Maritime Organization, and national and local authorities;
- Waste Reduction: reduced non-recycled waste generated by shipboard operations by 3.7 percent relative to 2016 baseline, and sent 79 percent of the U.S. food and municipal type waste to a facility that captured the energy from the waste;
- Water Efficiency: improved water use efficiency of shipboard operations by 4 percent relative to 2010 baseline, to a rate of 60 gallons per person per day, versus the U.S. national average of 90 gallons per person per day.
In addition, as the company wants to further reduce air emissions and improve air quality in the ports and ecosystems it visits, Carnival invested in EGCS and LNG, that provide a balanced approach to fuel usage and clean-air emissions.
In 2017 Carnival Corporation welcomed the second cruise ship in the world powered by LNG while in port, as dual-fueled AIDA Perla began LNG operations when docked in three European ports.
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In December 2018, AIDAnova will start its voyage as the first fully LNG-powered cruise ship in the world, capable of running exclusively on LNG both in port and at sea. Six more Carnival ships fully powered by LNG will be operating by 2022.
What is more, the company seeks to contribute to the social, environmental and economic wellbeing of communities. For this reason it will work with governments, associations, tourism organizations and other community stakeholders to invest in the ports of call its ships visit.
In fact, when hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria hit the United States and several Caribbean destinations in 2017, the company supported the ports and islands impacted by the storms. Carnival raised up to $12 million in aid for relief and rebuilding, as cruise ships delivered supplies to residents in Barbuda, St. Maarten, Dominica and other affected areas.
