CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association) has released its 2020 Environmental Technologies and Practise Report.

The report, produced by Oxford Economics, highlights the progress CLIA oceangoing cruise lines are making when it comes to achieving lower emissions and a cleaner environment on board.

Showcasing the work being done by CLIA members, it also highlights the development and implementation of advanced technologies, which are working towards the cruise industry being more green – both at sea and in port.

According to the report, cruise ships make up less than one per cent of the global maritime community, but the cruise industry has taken leadership when it comes to sustainable practices.

These practises will benefit the entire shipping industry, with the cruise sector having invested over $23.5 billion in ships with new technologies and cleaner fuels to reduce air emissions and achieve greater efficiency. Showing great progress, this figure is a $1.5 billion increase over the 2019 report findings.

President and CEO of CLIA, Kelly Craighead, said:

“Even as we have worked to address and overcome the impacts of Covid-19, the cruise industry remains committed to a cleaner, more sustainable future.

“With over $23 billion invested in ships with new technologies and cleaner fuels, such as exhaust gas cleaning systems and liquified natural gas, I can only imagine what we will accomplish together in the next ten years and beyond.

“This report affirms our commitment to environmental sustainability and I commend our members for their continued leadership and demonstration of the highest standards of responsible tourism.”

CLIA cruise lines were the first to commit to reducing the rate of carbon emissions by 40 per cent by 2030 compared to 2008.

This goal is being implemented with policies like a rise in LNG fuel, with 49 per cent of new-build ships relying on LNG fuel for primary propulsion (a 51 per cent increase from 2018).

Ships will also have Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS) and Advanced Wastewater Treatment Systems. In port, cruise ships are increasingly equipped with the technology to allow delivery of shoreside electricity, allowing engines to be switched off and emissions to be lowered.

Chairman of CLIA Global, Adam Goldstein, added:

“The cruise industry works every day to advance its responsible tourism efforts and recognizes that continued and greater investment in research is critical to identifying and producing new fuels and propulsion systems.

“This is why CLIA along with other maritime sector partners have proposed to establish and fund a $5B Research and Development Board dedicated to working collaboratively across the sector to identify the technologies and energy sources that will provide additional opportunities to lessen our environmental footprint and meet the ambitious goals set by the IMO.”