By
Laura Hyde |
Royal Caribbean Group has achieved a 6.8 per cent decrease in carbon intensity, reaching more than half of its double-digit carbon intensity reduction target, according to its annual Seastainability Report.
Released on Earth Day (22 April), the report outlines a number of milestones Royal Caribbean Group has reached in its progress towards achieving net zero. This progress has been driven by its ‘SEA the Future’ initiative – Sustain our planet, Energise communities and Accelerate innovation.
In 2023, Royal Caribbean Group (which comprises five brands) completed successful biofuel trials onboard three Europe-based ships and completed 50 energy-efficiency retrofit projects, including steam turbine and LED lighting system upgrades. It also introduced an industry-first waste-to-energy system, onboard Royal Caribbean International’s Icon of the Seas and Silversea Cruises’ Silver Nova.
Icon of the Seas features the Scanship waste-to-energy system, which is a first for Royal Caribbean International and the cruise industry
The Seastainability Report also shows the group has attained a 37 per cent reduction in food miles travelled by increasing local sourcing globally, as well as a 25 per cent decrease in food waste compared to 2019. It has also diverted 87 per cent of waste from landfill.
In 2023, Royal Caribbean Group launched phase three of its plastics reduction programme, which focused on removing plastic food containers and water bottles from its ships. The company aims to eliminate single-use plastics by 2025.
Royal Caribbean Group also helped to protect marine species through Shellbank, a genetic technology programme that matches DNA for critically endangered sea turtles to known locations in order to determine priority conservation sites and prevent illegal harvesting.
In addition, Royal Caribbean Group has released its first Community Impact Report, which details its efforts to engage with local communities and cultures in the more than1,000 destinations its ships sail to across the globe.
“I am proud to share the encouraging results from our SEA the Future efforts in our annual Seastainability Report and our first Community Impact Report, which underscore the strength of our commitment to the environment, the communities we visit, and our people,” said Jason Liberty, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group. “Marking the halfway point to our carbon intensity target is a key milestone that builds on our history of innovation and collaboration as we continue driving forward solutions that advance the industry’s net-zero future.”
Read the full Seastainability Report or the Community Impact Report.