Carnival Joins Getting to Zero Coalition
Carnival Corporation has become the first cruise operator to join the Getting to Zero Coalition, a broad alliance focused on the decarbonization of the international shipping industry.
The newly-launched Getting to Zero Coalition is a partnership among the Global Maritime Forum, the Friends of Ocean Action the World Economic Forum, and 80-plus industry partners from multiple sectors. The coalition aims to attain the IMO's target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from shipping by at least 50 percent by 2050. As an interim goal, the Getting to Zero Coalition aspires to see commercially viable, zero-emissions deep sea vessels entering the global fleet as early as 2030. The alliance’s ambitions also include the production and distribution infrastructure for zero-carbon energy sources.
“We look forward to working with fellow coalition partners . . . to develop a roadmap that identifies the technologies, investments and actions we must pursue to begin introducing zero emission vessels into the global shipping and passenger fleet,” said Tom Strang, SVP of maritime affairs for Carnival Corporation. “We have a deep commitment to safety, environmental responsibility and consistently exceeding guest expectations, and being an active part of the Getting to Zero Coalition is another important step for the environment.”
Carnival already leads the cruise industry’s use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to power cruise ships, which can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately six to 20 percent. Carnival launched the world’s first cruise ship powered by LNG, AIDAnova, in late 2018, followed by a second LNG ship, Costa Smeralda, earlier this month. The firm is also a leading adopter of scrubber technology, with HFO-compatible exhaust gas scrubbers installed aboard 70 percent of its fleet. Another 40 percent of its fleet is equipped for cold-ironing where shore power is available.
Carnival - the largest company in the leisure travel sector worldwide - says that it is developing environmentally-friendly solutions as part of its commitment to compliance and performance. The company has also been building out its environmental compliance team, an initiative paralleling its efforts to comply with a court-supervised probation agreement for past oil pollution charges. In 2016, Carnival subsidiary Princess Cruises pleaded guilty to seven felony MARPOL charges and was sentenced to pay a $40 million penalty; earlier this year, Carnival paid an additional $20 million to settle charges related to MARPOL requirements and the terms of its probation agreement.