Despite agreeing a $20 mill deal with US federal prosecutors as settlement for allegedlyviolating its probation oncharges of causing pollution, Carnival Corp painted a bright picture in its ninth annual sustainability report recently published.
The report details the key initiatives and progress made in 2018 toward the group’s 2020 sustainability performance goals.
Carnival Corp claimed that it achieved its 25% carbon reduction goal three years ahead of schedule in 2017 and made additional progress on that goal in 2018.
This was revealed in the group’s ninth annual sustainability report, which detailed the key initiatives and progress made in 2018 toward its 2020 sustainability performance goals.
As part of its ongoing strategy to reduce carbon emissions, Carnival introduced the ‘AIDAnova’ in December, 2018, the world’s first cruise ship to operate o LNG.
Carnivalsaid that it continued to chart its sustainability journey, using the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals as a framework to develop a new set of goals for 2030 to improve environmental management, energy efficiency, health, safety and well-being objectives.
In 2018,the group also launched Operation Oceans Alive, a company-wide internal project to ensure that all employees receive correct environmental education, training and oversight.
Carnival first aired its 2020 sustainability goals in 2015, identifying 10 key objectives, including reducing its carbon footprint, improving ships’ air emissions, reducing waste generation, improving water use efficiency, and supporting guests, crew members and local communities.
Carnival listed its accomplishments as follows:
Carbon Footprint – Achieved 27.6% reduction in CO2 intensity relative to a 2005 baseline.
Advanced Air Quality Systems – 74% of its fleet is equipped with advanced air quality systems (scrubbers), capable of removing most of the sulfur from ships’ engine exhaust, enabling cleaner overall air emissions.
Cold Ironing – 46% of its fleet is able to use shoreside electric power while berthed, where this option is available.
Advanced Waste Water Purification Systems – Increased coverage of fleet-wide capacity by 8.6% from the 2014 baseline. Together, the standard and AWWPS systems meet and/or exceed IMO water treatment requirements and national and local authorities.
Waste Reduction – Reduced non-recycled waste generated by shipboard operations by 3.8% relative to a 2016 baseline. In 2018, Carnival started an initiative to evaluate its collective use of non-essential single-use plastic items and alternative options available in the market, with the goal of significantly reducing single-use plastics across the global fleet.
Water Efficiency – Improved water use efficiency of shipboard operations by 4.8% relative to a 2010 baseline to a rate of 59.6 gallons per person per day, versus the US.national average of 90 gallons per person per day.
Carnival also said it had another 10 LNG-fueled vessels due for delivery between 2019 and 2025, in addition to the ‘AIDAnova’, for the Costa, AIDA, P&O (UK), Carnival and Princess brands.
Through an estimated $500 mill investment in scrubbers to date, the company said it planned to deploy the systems on more than 85 ships across its global fleet by 2020. Independent testing has confirmed that the system outperforms lowsulfur fuel alternatives, such as marine gasoil (MGO), in providing cleaner overall air emissions from ship operations at port and at sea without impacting the marine environment in full compliance with the IMO 2020 regulations for sulfur emissions, Carnival claimed.
As part of its company-wide commitment to protecting the oceans, seas and destinations in which it operates, Carnival has made additional strides to support the people and communities in the more than 700 ports visited by its global fleet, the report said, adding that it works with local governments, tourism organisations, non-profit groups and other community stakeholders to invest in the ports which its ships visit and to support healthy, sustainable development.
Carnival also claimed that it is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce, employing people from around the world and hiring people based on the quality of their experience, skills, education, and character, without regard for their identification with any group or classification of people.
