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The world’s largest cruise company has cut CO2 emissions from shipboard operations by 20% by 2013 – a year ahead of its initial plan.
The figure was revealed in Carnival Corporation’s 2013 Sustainability Report detailing the company’s sustainability efforts.
The group and its nine global brands developed energy reduction and conservation initiatives, many of which it claims exceed current laws and regulations to meet its corporate CO2 sustainability goal.
Carnival pioneered an effort last September to develop exhaust gas cleaning technology, called ECO-EGC, that removes pollutants from exhaust gases. at sea, during maneuvering and in port. The systems are being installed on more than 70% of its fleet at a cost of $400 million.
The results of a seven-year fleet fuel conservation initiative show that the corporation will have saved more than one billion gallons of fuel and reduced fleet carbon emissions by 12 billion kilograms by the end of 2014.
The scheme will also have improved the fleet’s overall fuel efficiency by 24% compared to 2007, while saving about $2.5 billion in fuel costs, the company’s single biggest expense.
Chief maritime officer Bill Burke said: “Today’s report details our progress towards both our goal to reduce emissions, and our ongoing commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen.
“For us, sustainability is a core part of how we conduct business. We continue to make major progress and are committed to maintaining our leadership in sustainability and setting industry standards for corporate citizenship.”