46 design for many years, however the endeavours have been in silos without any coordinated outreach. The pandemic heightened everyone’s awareness about the importance of our environment and how it directly affects everyone’s mental and physical health. Over the past few years, sustainability has become one of the biggest topics of industry discussion. It is evident that more people want to participate in change but it’s difficult to scratch the surface when the topic is so broad. And there hasn’t been any clear direction on where to focus sustainability efforts; until now. “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.” MSC Cruises’ vice president of newbuilding Trevor Young also supports the Declaration. He says: “For us to make the most responsible product choices for our cruise ships we have to work towards a situation whereby sustainability sits effortlessly alongside quality and durability. The SMI Declaration embraces this approach and rightfully acts as a conduit for designers and shipowners to work collaboratively with the same set of principles to facilitate an innovative approach, smart decision making and ambitious targets. Cruising in many ways is leading the way in responsible travel and the Declaration is another step forward in making it an essential industry.” Antoine Bergeron, an eco-design engineer in the newbuilding department at Ponant, says: “In order to make its future fleet more environmentally friendly, Ponant has chosen to make eco-design the cornerstone of its research. As such, we aim to take into account all factors that will allow us to design ships that are the most environmentally neutral from the design phase through to the end of their life cycle. The interior design of our ships is therefore at the heart of our approach. “This Declaration on the eco-design of maritime interiors is an essential framework to help our suppliers better understand our needs and improve their products for a more sustainable economy. We are convinced that this approach will contribute to reducing the environmental impact of our ships, as well as that of the global fleet, and to ensuring a greener future for the maritime industry.” Andrea Bartoli, principal manager of outfitting at Carnival Corporation, says: “The SMI Declaration is just the beginning, the first step on a journey to a more sustainable future. Our sustainability journey is going to be tough because we have so few precedents to follow. And so, we must create our own path, starting with small actions that will protect our natural resources, conserve energy and reduce waste. In time we will build a bestpractice sustainable maritime interiors framework that will guide our work, enable good decision-making and deliver interior environments that fulfil our sustainability vision and meet our passenger’s values.” The Declaration is just the beginning – the Sustainable Maritime Interiors initiative will grow, and others will join our cause to advance the sustainability of maritime interiors through associated guidance, best practice and, ultimately, through a formal framework. We welcome your support! For more information and to support the Declaration please visit: www.sustainablemaritimeinteriors.com FEATURE AMBASSADORS FOR CHANGE In mid-2022 a group of like-minded designers, specifiers and other maritime experts came together to try and change the way maritime interiors are designed, built, maintained and managed through best practices and considerate end-of-life planning. All 32 ambassadors collaborated to develop the key principles for the SMI Declaration and will play a pivotal role encouraging the entire maritime interiors community to support the Declaration, advocate for sustainability and contribute to a better future for all. The SMI Declaration ambassadors are: • Andrea Bartoli • Francesca Bucci • Alison Clixby • Linden Coppell • Pascale Dexidour • Jennifer de Vere-Hopkins • Matthew Easton • Nick Farrell • Sascha Gill • Anne Mari Gullikstad • Daniela Herget • Julie Higgins • Jon Ingleton • Hans Lagerweij • Ian Lin • Bree Louie • Alan McVitty • Bente Medelbye Hansen • Daniel Mocreia • My Nguyen (chair) • Jean Philippe Nuel • Francesca Panatta • Matthieu Petiteau • Boris Ruskovsky • Petra Ryberg • Espen Sandvik • Helena Sawelin • Andrew Sheen • Jeremy Spear • Alan Stewart • Christian Urbat • Greg Walton • Andy Yuill
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