MSC Cruises says a 6.5% year-on-year improvement in fleet carbon intensity – and a 37.8% reduction since 2008 - puts the company on track to achieve the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) target of a 40% carbon intensity reduction before its 2030 deadline.
The figure was included in its 2023 Sustainability Report, published today (20 June).
Last year, MSC Cruises successfully completed 44 shore power connections for the cruise line's ships at eight ports in Norway, Germany, UK and Malta. The company is hoping to significantly improve upon this total in 2024, having set itself a target of 220 connections by the end of the year.
Other highlights included in the Sustainability Report include the bio-LNG voyage undertaken by the company’s second LNG-fuelled cruise ship, MSC Euribia.
‘We began publishing an annual Sustainability Report in 2019, making this our fifth report. During that time, our commitment to reaching our goals remains as strong as ever,’ said Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman, MSC Group’s Cruise Division.
‘Our approach to environmental, social, and governance issues has become more sophisticated as we have employed more ways to manage our activities in a more dynamic manner. This reflects our passion to not just align with stakeholder expectations and navigate a complex regulatory landscape, but to make meaningful measurable changes that have a long-term positive impact on our guests, our employees and our planet.
‘We remain fully committed to our goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 in line with the International Maritime Organization’s strategy but achieving net zero emissions cannot be done alone. We continue to work extensively with our close partners including the shipyards, technology providers, fuel providers and many others and I am pleased with the progress we as an industry are making. We continue to advocate to be regulated in a fair way, which does not discriminate against our industry.’