Cruise & Ferry Review - Autumn/Winter 2020

1 5 4 INTERV IEW reducing water demand and ensuring our ships meet stringent wastewater discharge requirements,” Coppell explains. “Our newest classes of ships have advanced wastewater treatment technology onboard which means the treated water leaving the ship is almost tap-water quality.” Sustainability is most often associated with the environment, but social sustainability is also a major component of the common buzzword, and something MSC Cruises is well aware of. “We are proud to say that we have more than 120 nationalities working within the business, many of these on our ships,” says Coppell. “Extensive training around the world enables us to provide comprehensive coaching and development opportunities for our colleagues, with many long-service employees reaching high levels of seniority within the business. “Gender equality is another important facet of our company values and by 2025 we hope to reach 50 per cent female crew onboard our fleet.” While the cruise industry as a whole has implemented initiatives and goals in order to adapt to the ever-changing natural world and desires of the public, there is space for more. “The industry needs to continue to communicate the efforts it has made including the excellent results shown by new ship technologies, and the associated efficiency improvements,” says Coppell. “We must carry on improving our efficiencies, for example by retrofitting existing vessels where feasible, designing new ships that are a better fit for a more environmentally conscious world, and working to ensure a commercial scale availability of alternative sustainable fuels. “As a company, we believe it is our responsibility to share the work that we are doing to help improve the understanding of our business and demonstrate our commitment to go above and beyond the extensive and complex compliance regulations around the world.” CFR “We are proud to say that we have more than 120 nationalities working within the business, many of these on our ships” As part of its social sustainability goals, MSC Cruises hopes to have equal numbers of male and female crew members by 2025