7 minute read
Interview: Clia
INTERVIEW
Andy Harmer on why it’s now easier being green
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The Clia UK boss tells Sam Ballard how the organisation is steering cruise lines in the right direction when it comes to environmental protection
There is arguably no bigger challenge to the cruise sector right now than sustainability. Whether it’s singleuse plastics, fuel type or any other number of topics, cruise, as with many other sectors of the travel industry, is under the microscope. However, the industry is doing a lot of work in this space, from the proposed $5 billion joint fund for research and development to the International Maritime Organization’s ruling that fuel types can only have a maximum sulphur content of 0.5 per cent (down from 3.5 per cent). So, with that level of investment and legislation being delivered, it’s crucial that the messaging is there, too. This is where the likes of Clia come in. The organisation is the conduit between cruise lines and the trade and so is a good fi rst port of call when it comes to fi nding out more about the industry’s sustainability initiatives. We sat down with Andy Harmer, the organisation’s UK boss, to fi nd out more.
cruise adviser: Are cruise lines acting quickly enough to cut out single-use plastic? Andy Harmer: Sustainability is integral to how the cruise industry operates, and cruise lines are constantly looking at ways to protect the environment. Many cruise lines have already committed to signifi cantly reducing or completely eliminating single-use plastic on board, in ways such as using refi llable toiletries in cabins, banishing plastic straws and giving guests plastic-free water bottles.
How does cruise change the negative image surrounding its environmental impact? While cruise lines only represent less than one per cent of the global
shipping fl eet, the cruise industry is at the vanguard of measures being taken to improve the environmental impact of shipping.
Clia’s areas of focus for environmental improvements include improving fuel standards to reduce emissions, investing in new technologies and designs to transform the global fl eet’s e ciency and performance, and collaborating with leading national and international organisations to advance sustainability e orts.
In many of these areas, great work has already been achieved. Clia cruise lines have invested more than £16 billion in the development of new energy-e cient technologies and cleaner fuels, such as the use of liquefi ed natural gas (LNG) for a ship’s propulsion, which burns cleaner than any other fossil fuel. Furthermore, in 2018, Clia cruise
lines made the fi rst-ever industrywide emissions commitment, pledging to reduce the rate of carbon emissions across the fl eet by 40 per cent by 2030.
In what ways can cruise lines help combat overtourism in certain destinations? Responsible tourism means respecting the destinations we visit. While cruising represents a fraction of the tourism market, we are playing our part. Clia partners with local governments and communities to agree solutions appropriate to local circumstances. Dubrovnik o ers a model – in 2019 Clia signed a memorandum of understanding with Dubrovnik including collaborating on a 2020 berthing policy to manage visitor fl ow, exploring visitor routes outside the Old Town and supporting the mayor’s “Respect the City” programme. The Dubrovnik partnership is testament to the cruise industry’s commitment to collaborate with communities and preserve the culture and heritage of destinations we visit.
how is Clia preparing for them? As of January 1, 2020, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has stated that ships must use fuel with a maximum sulphur content of 0.5 per cent, compared with the previous 3.5 per cent. This rule a ects the whole maritime industry. This will be made possible by innovative technologies in ship design and propulsion, including advances like LNG and initiatives like exhaust gas cleaning systems (scrubbers).
How will the $5 billion sustainability fund be used? At the end of 2019, several members of the global maritime shipping industry, including Clia, submitted a proposal to the IMO to voluntarily establish the world’s fi rst industryled, collaborative research and development programme. The proposal includes core funding from shipping companies across the globe of about $5 billion over a ten-year period. This programme, if accepted by the IMO, would pave the way for the decarbonisation of shipping, including cruise ships, by accelerating the development of commercially viable zero-carbonemission ships by the early 2030s. What can the industry do to ensure ports embrace shoreside power? Shoreside power allows a ship to have electrical power at berth, meaning its main and auxiliary engines can shut down, reducing overall emissions while in port. Currently 30 per cent of the global fl eet capacity is fi tted to operate on shoreside electricity (up 10 per cent in 2018) and 88 per cent of new ships to be fi tted with such systems. There are 16 ports worldwide where cruise ships can operate on shoreside electricity, and construction of a new shore power plant that will power three ships simultaneously is underway in Bergen.
Could we ever see a carbon-neutral ocean-going cruise ship? There are constant advancements in technologies that contribute towards the cruise industry achieving its goal to reduce the rate of carbon emissions by 40 per cent by 2030. Five to 10 years ago, technologies such as scrubbers, shoreside power capabilities and LNG as fuel for cruise ships did not exist. Ultimately, the cruise industry is committed to supporting work aimed at achieving the IMO’s target of zero emissions across the maritime industry.
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