By
Toby Ingleton |
A new initiative has been launched to promote the design, build and maintenance of more sustainable maritime interiors.
The Sustainable Maritime Interiors (SMI) initiative was conceived by a group of designers, specifiers and maritime experts and centres on a declaration of environmental advocacy and action.
There are already over 80 supporters of the declaration, comprising individuals and organisations from the ship interiors industry.
Jon Ingleton, executive editor of Cruise & Ferry and one of the 32 SMI Ambassadors who developed the initiative and declaration, said: “The SMI Declaration aims to make a meaningful contribution to sustainability performance improvement throughout the ship interior life cycle via informed stakeholder guidance and in full support of the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact.”
The UN Global Compact is a voluntary United Nations initiative that seeks to encourage organisations worldwide to adopt, and report on, sustainable and socially responsible policies. “The SMI Declaration is a really powerful industry self-starting initiative that could lead to significant sustainability gains for the maritime industries,” said Erik Giercksky of the UN Global Compact. “We applaud the ambitions of the Declaration and we are happy to contribute to accelerating its uptake and advancing the programme of activities that may follow.”
The SMI Declaration comprises seven commitments within three groups: environmental advocacy, environmental action, and environmental future.
My Nguyen, director of interior design for Holland America Group and also an SMI Ambassador, said: “The SMI Declaration is a big step towards bringing together this community of designers, specifiers, outfitters and suppliers to focus our attention on reachable, consistent and impactful actions. For me, this declaration will be a north star to help with my design process, and it will connect me with a likeminded community that shares the same priorities. Our efforts will help the industry design, build and refurbish ships in a way that improves the cruising environment for generations to come.”
You can read more about the initiative and declaration by downloading The Sustainable Maritime Interiors Declaration: A movement for change and you can register your support for the declaration at the Sustainable Maritime Interiors website.