JOEL Katz, Managing Director CLIA Australasia
A Drop in the Ocean
No industry has a stronger interest in protecting our oceans than cruising. It is not simply the responsibility of our industry, but operating sustainably at sea is a business imperative.
Making up less than one per cent of the global maritime community, cruise operations are a drop in the ocean when it comes to commercial shipping. Yet despite their small footprint, the cruise sector leads when it comes to developing responsible environmental practices and innovative technologies to reduce air emissions and waste.
Modern cruise ships are designed for greatest efficiency. From concept to operations, cruise ships offer elaborate systems of design, construction, manufacturing and supply chain management, training and performance that are years in the making, all to ensure that cruise ships sail as efficiently and environmentally friendly as possible.
Many of the environmental technologies found onboard ships were pioneered by the cruise industry itself, including advanced wastewater treatment systems and exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS). Advanced wastewater treatment systems used on many ships can produce cleaner water than the systems in most coastal cities. EGCS and energy efficient design standards will reduce CO2 emissions by 30 percent by 2025.
Meanwhile, globally the first cruise ship powered by liquid natural gas (LNG) entered service in Europe a couple of months ago, with dozens of alternative fuel ships on order including 26 more LNG-powered ships.
The cruise industry remains committed to continual improvement and is constantly innovating to identify and install new technologies. It is in the cruise industry’s best interest to keep the world’s oceans and environments pristine, which is why our member cruise lines are doing everything they can to ensure that each new generation of ships is greener than the last.
