Both Royal Caribbean Group (RCI) and Carnival Corp have joined the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Centre for Zero Carbon Shipping.
This week, RCI formalised its collaboration by signing a Partnership Agreement by which, the Group becomes a Corporate Strategic Partner to the Centre.
The agreement commits the Group to a long-term strategic collaboration and contribution to the development of zero carbon technologies and solutions for the maritime industry.
In 2021, RCI unveiled a comprehensive de-carbonisation strategy ‘Destination Net Zero’, aimed at achieving zero carbon emission cruising by 2050.
The centre’s CEO, Bo Cerup-Simonsen (pictured), said: “Royal Caribbean Group provides unparalleled capabilities and insights to the de-carbonisation agenda.
“The company has a long history of innovation with their partners and have enormous competence in relevant areas, such as ship design, safety, emissions management, and energy efficiency in design and operation.
“We welcome them on board and look very much forward to the collaboration,” he said.
Jason Liberty, RCI President and CEO, added: “Collective action is imperative as we deploy our Destination Net Zero strategy to de-carbonise our business and catalyse innovation for our industry.
“By joining the centre, Royal Caribbean Group aligns itself with a network of like-minded companies with an unrelenting drive to find solutions for a sustainable future,” he said.
Last week, Carnival Corp announced that it has joined the Centre, becoming the first cruise company to join the centre’s global community, the company claimed.
The centre aims to advance the maritime industry’s transition to a low carbon future through collaboration across the entire value chain, with the long-term ambition of reaching zero carbon shipping by 2050.
Together with its partners, the centre is facilitating the development and implementation of sustainable solutions, new technologies and viable transition pathways while driving needed policies and regulations to enable the transition.
This closely aligns with Carnival’s own de-carbonisation goals and aspiration to achieve net carbon neutral ship operations by 2050. To achieve this, the company said it is partnering with key organisations to help identify and scale new technologies not yet ready for the cruise industry.
“We look forward to working with a strong alliance of some of the best minds in science, engineering and business who share our long-term ambition for a successful and sustainable de-carbonisation of the global maritime industry,” said Tom Strang, Carnival Corps’ Senior Vice President of Maritime Affairs.
“At Carnival Corporation, our highest responsibility and top priority is always compliance, environmental protection, and the health, safety and well-being of our guests, the people in the communities we visit and serve, and our shipboard and shoreside personnel.
“As part of our commitment to de-carbonisation and carbon footprint reduction efforts, we are continuing to innovate to effect change, and joining the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Centre for Zero Carbon Shipping is another important step as we continue our ongoing focus to establish a path to zero emission cruising over time,” he said.
Through the partnership, Carnival said that it will have the opportunity to collaborate with industry players and like-minded organisations across the energy and shipping sectors, and have access to learnings, knowledge, and research and development activities for identifying viable de-carbonisation pathways.
The centre’s partners comprise over 40 companies, including global stakeholders from a variety of shipping-related industries, such as fuel suppliers, classification societies, shipping companies, engineering and manufacturing companies, energy companies and more.
Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, the centre was established in 2020 as an independent player in the maritime eco-system to leverage the power of industry collaboration to help accelerate and contribute to the de-carbonisation of the global maritime industry.
Its strategic objectives include setting the course for a sustainable industry transition; driving collaboration and applied research and innovation; and advocating for regulatory reform, transparency and accountability that will ensure a level playing field and that long-term sustainable solutions are implemented.
