World’s Largest Cruise Company Announces New Sustainability Goals

The world’s largest cruise company is aiming to become carbon neutral by 2050.

Carnival Corporation on Tuesday announced new medium- and long-term sustainability goals which includes reducing the carbon footprint as well as other near-term measures like waste reduction and reducing use of singe-use plastic.

By 2030, Carnival Corp. has set a goal of reducing its carbon rate across all its cruise brands by 40% by 2030, based on a 2008 baseline. Looking towards 2050, the company is aiming to achieve net carbon neutral operations.

Carnival has also set more near-term goals for its circular economy (i.e. waste reduction), including a 50% reduction in single-use plastic items by the end of 2021, relative to a 2018 baseline, and 30% per capita food waste reduction by 2022 and 50% by 2030, relative to a 2019 baseline. It also aims to install Advanced Waste Water Treatment Systems on 75% its entire fleet of ships by 2030. It will also seek to Increase shore power connection capability to at least 60% of its fleet by 2030.

Part of the strategy for decarbonization includes alternative fuels strategy across its liquefied natural gas (LNG) program and battery, fuel cell and biofuel capabilities, as well as aspiring to build zero emissions ships by 2050.

“At Carnival Corporation, our highest responsibility and top priorities are always compliance, environmental protection, and the health, safety and well-being of our guests, the people in the communities we touch and serve, and our shipboard and shoreside personnel,” said Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation. “The 2030 goals and our aspirations for 2050 are an important next step in our sustainability journey and support our efforts to establish a path to zero emission cruising over time.”

The new set of 2030 sustainability targets and 2050 aspirations build on Carnival’s 2020 sustainability goals, which the company achieved (and in some cases surpassed) in 2019, a full year ahead of schedule. The 2020 goals confirm that Carnival peaked its absolute carbon emissions in 2011, despite an approximately 20% capacity increase between 2011 and today and an additional 19% capacity increase on order.

Carnival already leads the cruise industry’s use of LNG fuel with a total of 11 next-generation cruise ships joining through 2025, representing nearly 20% of its total capacity, including four ships already in operation. It’s also pioneered the use of Advanced Air Quality Systems on board its ships and is promoting the use of shore power, enabling ships to use shoreside electric power where available while in port.

Carnival is also using innovative hull designs and coatings to reduce fuel consumption by minimizing frictional drag, along with trialing innovative technologies for generating power on cruise ships, including battery power and fuel cells.

Added Bill Burke, chief maritime officer for Carnival Corporation: “Our new 2030 sustainability goals demonstrate our ongoing commitment to ingraining sustainability in all aspects of our operations across our nine brands, while providing us clear, measurable targets and metrics to improve our performance and overall efficiency across our shoreside and shipboard operations.”

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