MIAMI, April 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of
Earth Day and the importance of
year-round environmental awareness, Carnival Corporation & plc
(NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world's largest cruise company,
today announced it will meet its goal to reduce its rate of
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from shipboard operations by 20
percent. This goal was established by the company as part of
Carnival's ongoing efforts to reduce environmental impact from its
operations.
To meet this goal, Carnival and its 10 brand lines around the
world have developed, and continue to develop, aggressive energy
reduction and conservation initiatives, many of which exceed
current laws and regulations.
"Carnival has made the amount of GHG emissions released an
indicator of our environmental improvement, and we are focused
every day on finding innovative ways to cut down on these
emissions," said Jim Van Langen,
vice president of management systems for Carnival
Corporation. "Announcing that Carnival is well on its way to
meeting this goal is a great way to celebrate Earth Day and all that it stands for. In
fact, Carnival has already reduced its emissions by more than 19
percent since 2005 and we are likely to exceed our goal of 20
percent by 2015. This speaks to our commitment to constantly
look for ways to raise the bar on environmental leadership and
performance."
As a part of its air emission reduction initiatives announced in
September 2013, Carnival has
pioneered an industry-first effort to develop ground-breaking
exhaust gas cleaning technology that removes pollutants from the
exhaust gases at any operating condition of a ship – at sea, during
maneuvering and in port. Carnival is currently installing the
systems in its fleet, representing a significant advancement in
environmental technology and reduced air emissions.
In addition to these noteworthy achievements, Carnival has made
the following advances in its environmental efforts:
- Continues to voluntarily install Advanced Waste Water Treatment
Systems, and work on research and development for potential
installations on new and existing ships. Almost half of the
company's fleet (48 of 101 ships) has installed such systems.
- Installed vessel shore power systems – known as "cold ironing"
– on 20 percent of the company's fleet to connect to a port's
electrical grid, significantly reducing air emissions at ports that
have shore power capabilities. In addition, several ships within
Carnival's fleet have partial plug-in installations which can be
retrofitted to full installation if they are deployed on an
itinerary where the port has infrastructure and capacity for shore
power connection.
- In 2013, fuel consumption decreased by more than five percent
since 2007.
- An 18 percent increase in non-hazardous waste recycled from
ships from 2011 to 2012.
- One hundred percent of Carnival's Operating Lines and ships are
certified in accordance with ISO 14001, one of the world's leading
environmental management system certifications.
In addition, AIDA Cruises, one of Carnival's 10 brands, will
operate the world's first cruise ships with the innovative
Mitsubishi Air Lubrication Systems (MALS), which reduces drag and
saves propulsion power. This system enables ships to glide on
an air-bubble carpet, which is projected to save seven percent of
the operating power.
AIDA also recently teamed with Becker Marine Systems to develop
a groundbreaking alternative concept – a Liquid Nitrogen Gas (LNG)
hybrid barge – that is scheduled to be put into operation in
Hamburg this year, reducing
nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 80 percent and carbon dioxide
emissions by 30 percent.
"This new technology enables us to operate cruise ships with the
lowest emissions and in the most eco-friendly manner to date,"
Van Langen said. "We are playing an
important role in protecting the environment, improving the quality
of air emissions and advancing technology for the industry."
Carnival Corporation is a member of several global and national
organizations driving environmental and sustainability efforts.
These include the Global Environmental Management Initiative
(GEMI), the Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI), the National
Association for Environmental Management (NAEM) and the Marine
Conservation Institute's (MCI) sustainable seafood program (in
coordination with Holland America Line).
In addition, the company actively participates in a number of
environmental initiatives around the globe. In the United Kingdom, for instance, Carnival UK has
created a partnership with the country's Science and Technology
Facilities Council to launch an instrument on board Queen Mary 2
that monitors Sea Surface Temperature (SST). Carnival Cruise
Lines and Holland America Line also have partnered with the
University of Miami in a project with
the International SeaKeepers Society.
Carnival Corporation & plc is the largest cruise company in
the world, with a portfolio of cruise brands in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia, comprised of Carnival Cruise Lines,
Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, AIDA Cruises,
Costa Cruises, Cunard, Ibero Cruises, P&O Cruises (Australia) and P&O Cruises (UK).
Together, these brands operate 101 ships totaling 208,000 lower
berths with eight new ships scheduled to be delivered between
spring 2014 and fall 2016. Carnival Corporation & plc
also operates Holland America Princess Alaska Tours, the leading
tour company in Alaska and the
Canadian Yukon. Traded on both the New York and London Stock Exchanges, Carnival
Corporation & plc is the only group in the world to be included
in both the S&P 500 and the FTSE 100 indices.
SOURCE Carnival Corporation & plc