Carnival Corporation Releases Sustainability Report, Reduces Rate of CO2 Emissions by 20 Percent

World’s largest cruise company releases 2013 Sustainability Report highlighting key initiatives from company and its nine brands

Company meets goal for 20 percent reduction in rate of CO2 emissions a full year ahead of schedule

Other report highlights include investment in environmental technology, improvements in ship energy efficiency and reduction in shipboard water consumption


MIAMI (November 20, 2014) – Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world's largest cruise company, today released its 2013 Sustainability Report detailing the company’s sustainability efforts, including initiatives which enabled it to meet its corporate goal to reduce its rate of CO2 emissions from shipboard operations by 20 percent – a year ahead of its initial plan. The Sustainability Report was prepared in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G4 ”core” level, and a full copy can be downloaded from Carnival Corporation’s site.

To meet its corporate CO2 sustainability goal, Carnival Corporation and its nine global brands developed energy reduction and conservation initiatives, many of which exceed current laws and regulations. The company’s brands include Carnival Cruise Lines, Cunard, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Seabourn in the U.S.; AIDA Cruises in Germany; Costa Cruises in Italy; and P&O Cruises (United Kingdom) and P&O Cruises (Australia).

As a part of its air emission reduction initiatives announced in September 2013, Carnival pioneered an industry-first effort to develop ground-breaking exhaust gas cleaning technology, called ECO-EGC™, that removes pollutants from the exhaust gases at any operating condition of a ship – at sea, during maneuvering and in port. Carnival Corporation is currently installing the systems on its fleet with plans for installations on more than 70 percent of its fleet, representing a significant advancement in environmental technology and reduced air emissions.

In addition to this initiative, Carnival and its nine brands implement extensive measures to deliver on the corporate commitment to continue to keep guests and crewmembers safe and comfortable, protect the environment, develop and provide opportunities for its workforce, strengthen its stakeholder relations and enhance the communities in which the company visits and operates. These efforts are detailed in this year’s Sustainability Report – highlights include:

• Committing to invest more than $400 million to install an industry-first exhaust gas cleaning technology to 70 percent of the fleet
• Introducing two new ships, Royal Princess and AIDAstella, that are among the most efficient ships at sea today, both from a unit cost and fuel efficiency standpoint
• Investing up to $700 million into the company’s ships and operations to ensure its ships operate safely and reliably, underscoring that the safety and comfort of guests and crew are the top priority for the company
• Adopting a Passenger Bill of Rights along with other members of the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) to commit to further inform cruise guests of the industry’s commitment to their comfort and care
• Donating over $1.5 million to Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts in addition to other efforts to support the communities in which the company operates
• Making progress with its Asian growth strategy, positioning the company to capitalize on the emerging region including doubling its presence in China, successfully launching an inaugural homeport in Japan and opening offices in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore

“At Carnival Corporation we believe that sustainability is about preserving our environment, respecting our employees and communities and returning value to our shareholders,” said Bill Burke, chief maritime officer for Carnival Corporation. “Today’s report details our progress towards both our goal to reduce emissions, and our ongoing commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen. For us, sustainability is a core part of how we conduct business. We continue to make major progress and are committed to maintaining our leadership in sustainability and setting industry standards for corporate citizenship.”

In October, Carnival released the results of its multi-year Fleet Fuel Conservation Program that by the end of 2014 will have saved more than one billion gallons of fuel and reduced fleet carbon emissions by 12 billion kilograms over a seven year period. By that time, the program will also have improved the fleet’s overall fuel efficiency by 24 percent compared to 2007, while saving approximately $2.5 billion in fuel costs, the company’s single biggest expense.

Source: Carnival Corp

Port of Seattle Chooses Holland America as Marine Environmental Business of the Year

Holland America Line Named 2014 Marine Environmental Business of the Year by Port of Seattle
Company praised for sustainable seafood program and natural resource conservation

Seattle, Wash., May 22, 2014 — Holland America Line was named the 2014 Marine Environmental Business of the Year by the Port of Seattle. Port commissioner Courtney Gregoire presented the award to Keith Taylor, senior vice president, fleet operations, at the Seattle Propeller Club’s Maritime Festival Lunch held Tuesday, May 13, 2014, aboard Carnival Miracle, which was docked at Port of Seattle.

The cruise line was recognized for its efforts to reduce its global environmental footprint through a series of objectives that greatly reduce consumption of fuel and water, engine emissions and generation of solid waste, along with increasing recycling across its fleet of 15 ships.

“Holland America Line is a company that takes corporate citizenship to heart, and we are honored to be recognized by the Port of Seattle for our efforts,” said Stein Kruse, Holland America Line’s president and chief executive officer. “We remain steadfast in a firm belief that we can grow our company while employing responsible business practices for sustainable ship operations — and keep improving on our efforts.”

Holland America Line also was named Environmental Business of the Year in 2010 and this year received the highest level of the Green Gateway Partner Award from the Port of Seattle in March 2014 for its use of shore power and comprehensive practices to reduce emissions. Every year Holland America Line sets goals and targets for its fleet that include decreasing fuel consumption, conserving energy, reducing the loss of refrigerant gasses, increasing recycling and decreasing water use.

The only cruise line recipient of the Rear Admiral William M. Benkert Environmental Protection Award from the U.S. Coast Guard in 2012, Holland America Line’s ships meet or exceed all provisions of the international regulations governing the environmental management of marine operations. But the company aims for superior environmental performance while operating responsibly via a firm promise to reduce all forms of pollution through improved policies, scientifically sound practices, consistent training of employees and innovative technology.

The company is among the pioneers in the maritime industry when it comes to investing in technology to reduce engine emissions while a ship is at berth. Six of the 15 Holland America Line ships — ms Amsterdam, ms Veendam, ms Noordam, ms Oosterdam, ms Westerdam, and ms Zuiderdam — use shore power at the ports of Seattle, San Diego and Port Metro Vancouver.

Holland America Line has a partnership with Marine Conservation Institute, a globally focused nonprofit organization based in Washington State dedicated to maintaining healthy, living oceans. The program includes guest and staff education, funding for marine conservation biology research, and a sustainable seafood program with environmentally responsible purchasing practices and menus that showcase sustainable seafood.

“Congratulations to the more than 16,000 worldwide employees at Holland America Line for receiving this esteemed award,” said Courtney Gregoire, co-President of the Port of Seattle Commission. “Through hard work and dedication, Holland America Line has made a true commitment to environmental stewardship.”

A Long Partnership
Holland America Line ships have been sailing from the Port of Seattle since the early 1970s. In May 2002, Holland America Line began using Seattle as a homeport for Alaska cruises. This year the company has two ships based in Seattle sailing 32 Alaska cruises from May through September.


Source: Holland America Line
Photo courtesy of Holland America Line. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without permission.

Norwegian Cruise Line Details Environmental Commitment

On Earth Day, Norwegian Cruise Line demonstrates continued commitment to environment through its Eco-Smart Cruising program


MIAMI – April 22, 2014 – For more than four decades, Norwegian Cruise Line has committed to the protection of the oceans through sustainable environmental practices, investments in technology and a commitment to exceed regulatory requirements, fulfilling its core company value of Environmental Protection. On this Earth Day, Norwegian celebrates key achievements from the past year that, as a part of the company’s Eco-Smart Cruising program, help preserve the world’s oceans.

With Eco-Smart Cruising, the company is leading the cruise industry with many innovative environmental policies and technologies—from garbage, waste and recycling programs to reducing the operational impact on the environment. In 2013 alone, Norwegian achieved the following earth-saving milestones:

• Recycled 1,254 tons of cardboard, saving 23,540 mature trees. This represents enough saved timber resources to produce more than 292 million sheets of newspaper.
• Additionally recycled 2,517 tons of scrap metal; 2,988 tons of glass; and 669 tons of plastic, along with managing 750 tons of refuse at Waste-to-Energy facilities, conserving enough kilowatt hours to fulfill the monthly electric needs of more than 1,700 homes.
• Total recycling and waste management efforts by Norwegian’s fleet conserved:
• 30,096 gallons of gasoline, enough gasoline to drive more than 842,680 miles;
• 6,349,000 gallons of water, enough fresh water to meet the daily fresh water needs of more than 117,040 people;
• 3,715 barrels of oil, which provides enough energy to heat and cool more than 772 homes for one month.

Earlier this year, Norwegian Cruise Line established a partnership with The Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, which funds inspired scientific research and innovative educational programs to encourage conservation and best management practices for sustainable marine environments. Famed marine life artist and champion of ocean conservation Guy Harvey designed the signature hull artwork for Norwegian’s newest ship, Norwegian Escape, which is set to debut in October 2015. Onboard Norwegian Escape, guest stateroom televisions will feature Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation-produced documentaries about endangered marine wildlife so that guests can be more educated on how they can help with ocean conservation.

Norwegian Escape will also be the first new build in the cruise industry to feature innovative scrubber technology, to ensure the vessel is compliant with the 0.1% sulphur limit in Emission Control Areas (ECA) beginning in 2015.

Guest Programs

Norwegian Cruise Line established a partnership with NextEra™ Energy Resources®, North America’s largest producer of wind and solar power, in 2011. This partnership continues to provide Norwegian guests an opportunity to help build new renewable energy projects and offset their carbon footprint. This innovative program, a first within the cruise industry, is just one initiative amongst the many environmentally conscious efforts Norwegian is committed to through its award-winning Eco-Smart Cruising practices.

Guests sailing on Norwegian Cruise Line are able to voluntarily contribute $10 per person, per cruise through NextEra Energy Resources’ EarthEra® Renewable Energy Trust via Norwegian’s website at www.ncl.com/environment. The EarthEra Renewable Energy Trust directs 100 percent of the funds received from Norwegian’s North American guests to build new renewable energy facilities across the United States.

Norwegian also has a comprehensive program to educate its guests and encourage everyone to participate in environmental programs. Young cruisers who participate in Splash Academy and Entourage can learn about the importance of clean water through the innovative Officer Snook Water Pollution Program. They learn about the effects and prevention of marine pollution with activities that include a simulated beach cleanup and an environmental poster contest. High school students can earn between one and five hours of community service for participating in the program.

Fleetwide Innovations

Norwegian’s newest ships, Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway, feature innovative and state-of-the-art environmental systems, including a second generation ballast water treatment system, innovative equipment to recover reusable fuel oil from waste fuel oil (thereby reducing the oil footprint), the use of the latest generation of silicon-based antifouling paint on the ship's hull to reduce friction, heat recovery and galley management systems to reduce energy consumption, as well as the latest generation of azipod propulsion units, smaller, more streamlined and much more efficient than the earlier versions. All of these features make these ships some of the most energy efficient cruise ships ever built.

To further the company’s commitment to environmental stewardship, Norwegian Cruise Line will make a significant investment in the installation of 28 scrubbers on six ships in the line’s fleet: Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Dawn, Norwegian Jewel, Norwegian Gem, Norwegian Pearl and Norwegian Sun. The scrubbers will be installed starting this spring and installation will continue through 2016. Exhaust gas scrubbers were installed on Norwegian’s Pride of America, sailing the islands of Hawaii year-round, in 2013.

Norwegian has implemented many of the most innovative policies and technologies in the cruise industry. As such, it meets or exceeds all international, US, State and local port regulations, including those set by MARPOL, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Norwegian is also accredited to the international ISO 14001 standard for Environmental Management Systems. This prestigious achievement recognizes that Norwegian utilizes a core set of standards for an effective environmental management system that reduces its environmental impact and increases its operating efficiency.

Norwegian strives to process and land ashore nearly all solid waste materials produced aboard. The only solid waste discharged to sea is food waste, which is considered biodegradable and results in zero impact on the ocean environment. Every Norwegian ship is equipped with an advanced wastewater treatment system that treats all wastewater to standards rivaling that of the best shore side treatment plants.

Norwegian Cruise Line has a shore side department devoted to environmental protection, and trained environmental officers sail on board every Norwegian ship. The Environmental Officers oversee all of the environmental operations and monitor their performance. All crew members receive initial and recurring training. The fleet is audited each year by a team of seasoned safety and environmental experts to ensure compliance to all company policies, as well as US and international regulations and standards.

For more information on Norwegian Cruise Line’s environmental commitment, visit www.ncl.com/environment.

About Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line is the innovator in cruise travel with a 47-year history of breaking the boundaries of traditional cruising, most notably with the introduction of Freestyle Cruising which revolutionized the industry by giving guests more freedom and flexibility. Today, Norwegian invites guests to “Cruise Like a Norwegian” on one of 13 purpose-built Freestyle Cruising ships, providing guests the opportunity to enjoy a relaxed, resort style cruise vacation on some of the newest and most contemporary ships at sea. Recently, the line was named “Europe’s Leading Cruise Line” for the sixth consecutive year, as well as “Caribbean’s Leading Cruise Line” and “World’s Leading Large Ship Cruise Line” by the World Travel Awards.

The Company recently took delivery of its most innovative ship to date, the 4,000-passenger Norwegian Getaway on January 10, 2014. Norwegian Getaway’s sister ship, Norwegian Breakaway, was named “Best New Ship of 2013” by the editors of Cruise Critic and “Best Rookie Cruise Ship” by the readers of Travel Weekly. Known as New York’s ship, Norwegian Breakaway is the largest vessel to homeport year-round in the city.

The Company has two 4,200-passenger vessels on order at Meyer Werft: Norwegian Escape with delivery scheduled in the fall of 2015; and Norwegian Bliss with delivery in the spring of 2017.


Source: Norwegian Cruise Line