Reducing Our Environmental Impact
The future of our business is closely intertwined with the health of our oceans and the destinations we visit, and environmentally friendly practices allow our business to thrive. We are committed to addressing climate change and doing our part to protect and preserve the environment. This commitment extends from our Board of Directors and executive management team to each of our ships and offices worldwide. We regularly evaluate environmental risks and have a company-wide emphasis on environmental leadership. We also continuously seek and invest in new technologies and innovations that will allow us to improve our environmental performance.
We aspire to:
- Combat climate change
- Protect our oceans
- Minimize waste to landfills
- Conserve water
- Increase our sustainable sourcing
Addressing Climate Change
In the face of climate change, we are committed to taking responsibility to be part of the solution. That’s why we are committed to pursuing net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This ambitious goal applies to our ship operations and importantly, covers all three emission scopes which include our supply chain, well-to-tank fuel emissions, business travel, and more.
To guide our path towards net zero, we have short- and near-term targets to reduce GHG intensity by 10% by 2026 and 25% by 2030, compared to a 2019 baseline with intensity measured on a per Capacity Day basis. These targets cover the Company’s emissions from its fleet of ships, islands and facilities (Scopes 1 & 2) as well as upstream fuel- and energy-related activities, including well-to-tank emissions (portion of Scope 3). As such, the targets capture the full well-to-wake emissions impact of the Company’s fuel consumption.
Our climate action strategy is centered around three key pillars: Efficiency, Innovation and Collaboration. Our mission is about acting now to implement solutions for efficiency today, innovate for future solutions and collaborate with our stakeholders along the way. Underpinning this strategy is good governance and effective risk management as we work to advance our climate action efforts and build our Company’s resilience.
Learn More about our Climate Action Strategy
Energy Conservation
Each ship in our fleet has a Shipboard Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP). The primary objective is to improve the overall operating efficiency of the ship on a long run by implementing optimized methods for energy and fuel savings. Those initiatives include improving voyage planning, optimizing ship’s speed, operating the main engines at their most economical loads, optimizing HVAC systems and improving our ships’ hydrodynamic capabilities by upgrading propulsion systems with more efficient propellers.
Open Jaw versus Closed Loop
We have started to shift, design and sell cruises with longer, open jaw itineraries, which means the ship embarks in a different port than it disembarks. We often find that not only do these itineraries reduce emissions but also increase guest satisfaction as it results in more time in port.
From a CLOSED LOOP to an OPEN JAW voyage, an emissions reduction of ~16% is achieved on average for 10 and 11-day cruises in the Greek Isles.
Water Stewardship
We have a responsibility to respect and protect our valuable shared water resources. Through a combination of onboard initiatives and technologies, our ships are consistently improving their water production rates while simultaneously working to decrease consumption. We self-produce ~89% of the water used onboard our vessels.
Waste Management
We strive to reduce onboard waste through innovative technologies, staff training and implementing stringent recycling programs. We are embracing the principles of a circular economy and working to adopt and apply these principles in our waste mitigation strategy. Our progressive waste mitigation program lessens the environmental impact of our operations, reduces pollution, promotes diversion of material from landfills, conserves natural resources and saves energy. Additionally, we have strict discharge standards and policies for all wastewater generated onboard and 100% of our ships have Advanced Wastewater Purification systems.
Responsible Sourcing
We are committed to working with diverse partners across the supply chain to source safe, high-quality, ethically responsible and sustainable products for our guests. We recognize the economic, environmental and social impact of our large global network of over 35,000 suppliers and believe we can work together to drive progress towards our responsible sourcing goals. We have formal policies, including a Supplier Code of Conduct, and clearly defined expectations in place for our suppliers regarding environmental management, health and safety, ethics, anti-bribery, human rights and labor practices. We recognize the value and importance of a diverse supplier base and are committed to facilitate, promote and encourage the growth of small businesses and businesses owned by diverse and/or economically disadvantaged populations.
