FACT SHEET
CRUISE SHIP ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP CRUISEFORWARD.ORG | CRUISING.ORG
FACT
Cruise ship environmental practices and innovative technologies lead the maritime community in reducing emissions and waste. ■■
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FACT
Advanced wastewater treatment systems pioneered by the cruise industry can produce water that is cleaner than most wastewater treatment facilities in U.S. cities. CLIA Member oceangoing cruise lines annually verify implementation of CLIA’s Waste Management policy which includes zero discharge for trash and untreated sewage.
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80,000 tons of paper, plastic, glass and aluminum cans are recycled each year by cruise lines.
Cruise ship waste management professionals recycle 60% more waste per person than the average person recycles on shore each day. Special lighting on some ships reduces power consumption by up to 20%. CLIA Member cruise lines support the International Maritime Organization’s Energy Efficiency Design Index, which will require a 30% reduction in ships’ CO2 emissions by 2025 through the use of more energy‑efficient — and therefore less polluting — equipment and engines.
The cruise industry is investing hundreds of millions of dollars in green technology and innovation. CLIA Member cruise lines have led numerous green innovations, including: ■■
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Exhaust gas scrubber equipment to significantly reduce sulfur emissions to meet or exceed international and national standards within Emissions Control Areas and worldwide. Energy-efficient engines that consume less fuel and reduce emissions. Paint coatings for ship hulls that can reduce fuel consumption by as much as 5%. Solar panels that capture clean energy for shipboard use.
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Energy-saving technologies such as LED lights, tinted windows, higher efficiency appliances, and windows that capture and recycle heat. Heat exchangers that recycle hot water to heat cabins, as well as water reclamation from various sources for non-potable uses. Recycled materials that are often used during ship construction.
As a result of these and other practices, cruise ships are regularly among the most environmentally friendly marine vessels in history.
Technologies that allow ships to “plug in” at ports where shore power is available and further reduce fuel emissions.
ENVIRONMENT 1
FACT SHEET
FACT
CRUISE SHIP ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP Crewmembers keep a close eye on shipboard environmental practices. ■■
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FACT
Passengers and crew are important participants in environmental stewardship and routinely contribute via recycling and environmental awareness efforts.
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Ships are to regularly monitor their daily water consumption and other environmental performance measures.
CLIA’s oceangoing cruise line Members are to have senior-level staff responsible for training crewmembers in environmental programs and implementing required environmental practices on board.
The cruise industry works closely with environmental regulators to protect our air, oceans, and ecosystems. ■■
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CLIA’s Member cruise lines work with the International Maritime Organization to develop sound environmental standards with global applicability. The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) sets strict limits for cruise ships on air emissions, waste management, and water treatment that are in effect worldwide. Cruise ships receive frequent safety, security, health, and environmental inspections each year by authorities from both their country of registration and the foreign ports they visit.
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CLIA and its Member cruise lines worked closely with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop compliance mechanisms for the North America Emissions Control Area (ECA) that will further reduce air pollution emissions from all ocean-going vessels operating near the U.S. In U.S. waters, the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard regulate and enforce rigorous requirements on air, water, power, and waste, including provisions of the U.S. Clean Water Act.
The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) is the world’s largest cruise industry trade association. CLIA represents the interests of cruise lines, travel agents, port authorities and destinations, and various industry business partners before regulatory and legislative policy makers.
CRUISEFORWARD.ORG | CRUISING.ORG ENVIRONMENT 2
Q&A
CRUISE SHIP ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP CRUISEFORWARD.ORG | CRUISING.ORG
Q. What do cruise ships do
Q. How does the cruise industry
A. While all waste water must be treated to
A. Over the last decade, the cruise industry has
with waste water?
international, regional, national, and local standards prior to any discharge at sea, CLIA’s Waste Management policy actually exceeds existing legal requirements. CLIA Member oceangoing cruise lines may not discharge untreated sewage anytime or anywhere. Treated sewage may be discharged only when at least four miles out to sea. This exceeds the sewage discharge practices of most coastal cities in the U.S., which discharge treated sewage, and in some cases untreated sewage, into the ocean closer than four miles from shore.
protect air quality?
invested significantly in new technologies that help to reduce air emissions, including: ■■
Utilizing exhaust gas scrubbers
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Operating diesel electric engines
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Q. What happens to trash
generated by a cruise ship?
A. CLIA Member cruise lines have a zero
discharge policy for trash and this is now reflected in international legal requirements. In fact, some CLIA Member cruise lines’ ships are already repurposing 100% of the waste generated on board by reducing, reusing, donating, recycling, and converting waste into energy. Unrecyclable waste on cruise ships can be as little as 1.5 pounds per person a day, compared to the average of 4–5 pounds per person on land in the U.S.
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Developing engines that run more efficiently Using alternative fuel options when practical Using shore-based power in port Developing special hull coatings for greater fuel efficiency Optimizing hull and appendage designs Developing advanced lighting and HVAC technology and controls Utilizing advanced heat recovery methods
Q. How does the cruise industry involve passengers in its conservation efforts?
A. Environmental stewardship is important
for passengers and crew alike. The cruise industry actively encourages passengers to join in these efforts, and offers numerous onboard resource conservation programs.
In an average year, the cruise industry recycles 80,000 tons of paper, plastic, glass and aluminum cans.
ENVIRONMENT 1
Q&A
CRUISE SHIP ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP Q. How is the cruise industry
improving fuel efficiency and lowering energy consumption?
A. More fuel-efficient engines means
responsible energy conservation and reduced impact on the planet. CLIA Member cruise lines have made extensive investments over the last decade to develop and implement improved fuel efficiency measures on ships. Cruise lines have also lowered energy consumption by switching to low-energy LED lights, applying special hull coatings for increased fuel efficiency, using recycled hot water to heat passenger cabins, and installing special window tinting to keep passageways cooler while using less air conditioning.
Q. Who regulates environmental practices on cruise ships?
A. All CLIA Member cruise lines must comply
with international standards set forth in the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), the main international convention covering prevention of pollution of the marine environment by all oceangoing ships. The cruise industry must also comply with the International Safety Management (ISM) Code, which sets out monitoring and auditing practices for environmental and safety standards, and any relevant national laws, including the U.S. Clean Water Act and Environmental Protection Agency standards. These stringent regulations are enforced in the U.S. by the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard. Additionally, CLIA oceangoing Members have adopted a Waste Management policy that exceeds current regulations; verification of implementation is a mandatory condition of membership in CLIA.
The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) is the world’s largest cruise industry trade association. CLIA represents the interests of cruise lines, travel agents, port authorities and destinations, and various industry business partners before regulatory and legislative policy makers.
CRUISEFORWARD.ORG | CRUISING.ORG ENVIRONMENT 2
CRUISE SHIP ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP The cruise industry is innovating to further reduce its impact and raise the bar for maritime environmental stewardship.
AIR & ENERGY
Cruise lines are investing in innovations like exhaust scrubbers, energy-efficient engines, and hull coatings that reduce fuel consumption to further minimize cruising’s impact on the environment. Energy‑saving LED lights, tinted windows, and higher efficiency appliances mean that new cruise ships can go farther with fewer emissions.
Lighting systems on newer ships consume nearly 20% less power.
WATER
Without pristine oceans, there could be no cruise industry. CLIA oceangoing Member cruise lines annually verify implementation of CLIA’s Waste Management policy, including zero discharge for trash and untreated sewage. Cruise lines make substantial efforts to keep our waters clean and healthy.
Advanced wastewater treatment systems pioneered by the cruise industry can produce water that is cleaner than most wastewater treatment facilities in U.S. cities.
WASTE
Cruise lines are to follow careful waste management and recycling practices to prevent trash from ending up in our oceans. The result? Unrecyclable waste on cruise ships can be as little as 1.5 pounds per person a day, compared to the average of 4–5 pounds on land in the U.S. — none of which may be discharged into the sea.
WILDLIFE & ECOSYSTEMS
Cruise lines go the extra mile to protect sensitive ecosystems, even working closely with conservationists to record and report wildlife sightings during voyages.
Cruise lines partnered with the U.S. National Park Service to develop a pilot whale‑mapping program in Alaska’s Glacier Bay.
TRANSPARENCY & ACCOUNTABILITY
In addition to sustainability reporting on cruise line websites, CLIA’s Members collaborate with regulators like the International Maritime Organization to develop environmental standards. National regulators including the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Coast Guard also set and enforce strict environmental standards on emissions, water treatment, and waste management in U.S. waters.
Cruise lines actively participate in the development of environmental standards through the IMO.
80,000 tons of paper, plastic, glass and aluminum cans are recycled each year by cruise lines.
The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) is the world’s largest cruise industry trade association. CLIA represents the interests of cruise lines, travel agents, port authorities and destinations, and various industry business partners before regulatory and legislative policy makers.
CRUISEFORWARD.ORG | CRUISING.ORG
