By
Alex Smith |
Costa Cruises has cut carbon dioxide emissions by 40 per cent since 2008, according to its Sustainability Report 2019: Building the Future Together, which presents the progress the company has made in its sustainability strategy.
“The publication of our Sustainability Report 2019 comes at a very special time, in which we have just responsibly and safely restarted our operations after a long pause,” said Michael Thamm, CEO of Costa Group and Carnival Asia. “The report is an opportunity to showcase our tangible projects and the results achieved in 2019, but also to confirm that now more than ever we renew our commitment towards a sustainable development of our business model. We want to continue to guide the transformation of our company and our industry in the coming years, working closely and transparently with all our stakeholders.”
According to the report, the company reduced its carbon dioxide emissions by 8.06 per cent in 2019 compared to the previous year. Costa has therefore reduced its emissions by 40 per cent compared to 2008, achieving the targets set by the International Maritime Organization 10 years ahead of schedule.
The cruise line has also reduced its plastic usage, producing 50 fewer tons of waste than in 2019. Costa has also decreased water wastage and now produces 76.29 per cent of water used in operations onboard its ships.
In addition, Costa made 4,416 port calls throughout the year, and has signed several environmental protection agreements in collaboration with ports. These include the Environmental Ship Index Implementation Protocol and the Blue Maritime Charter with the Port of Marseille, the Genoa Blue Agreement with the ports of Genoa and Savona, and the Blue Flag agreement with the port of La Spezia.
The report also highlights the delivery of the company’s first LNG-powered ship, Costa Smeralda, in 2019, with sister ship Costa Toscana to follow in 2021. For 2020, the company is aiming to increase the number of its ships able to make use of shore power to 50 per cent, as well as reducing its food waste by 50 per cent.
To read the full report, click here.