The glitzy allure of cruise vacations often overshadows a grimmer reality – the industry’s massive carbon footprint. A new analysis has thrust this issue into the spotlight, revealing that Carnival Corporation, the world’s largest cruise company, emitted more CO2 in Europe last year than the entire city of Glasgow. The findings are a stark reminder of the hidden environmental costs that can lurk behind the cruise industry’s promises of green innovation.
Carnival’s Emissions Outpace a Major City
According to a report by the Transport and Environment (T&E) campaign group, Carnival’s Europe-bound ships released a staggering 2.55 million tonnes of CO2 in 2023. To put that figure into perspective, it exceeds the 2.43 million tonnes emitted by Glasgow, Scotland’s most populous city, in 2021. Carnival’s emissions also dwarfed those of competitors like MSC (1.4 million tonnes) and Norwegian Cruise Line (0.84 million tonnes).
An insider familiar with the analysis explained that Carnival’s higher emissions are partly due to its larger fleet and ship sizes. “The bigger companies have more vessels and bigger ships. But bigger isn’t better when it comes to emissions,” they noted. The revelation is particularly striking given Carnival’s reported $1.95 billion profit in 2023, following pandemic-driven losses in previous years.
Sustainability Rankings Raise Questions
Carnival’s environmental record has also come under scrutiny in Friends of the Earth (FoE) US‘ annual “Cruise Ship Report Card.” The 2024 rankings, which assessed factors like air pollution reduction and sewage treatment, saw five of Carnival’s nine lines receive an overall “F” grade – the lowest possible score. Sources attribute this poor showing to Carnival’s continued use of “scrubbers,” which allow the use of dirtier fuel while converting air pollution into water pollution.
“Scrubbers allow ships to convert their air pollution into toxic water pollution, and they can use bunker fuel which is dirty and cheap.”
– Anonymous industry expert
In contrast, expedition cruise lines like Hurtigruten earned top marks for plugging into shore power instead of running engines at port, avoiding scrubbers, and prioritizing transparency. These disparities underscore the wide range of sustainability practices within the cruise sector.
Investments vs. Impact
Carnival has pushed back against the critical assessments, emphasizing its “hundreds of millions of dollars” in environmental investments and technologies. A company spokesperson asserted that these efforts are “yielding strong results,” pointing to a reduction in total greenhouse gas emissions from 10.9 million tonnes in 2011 to 9.65 million tonnes in 2023. They also highlighted Carnival’s goal to cut emissions per passenger by 40% by 2026, compared to 2008 levels.
However, critics argue that these targets and investments, while noteworthy, do not negate the sheer scale of Carnival’s emissions or its lackluster rankings on broader sustainability metrics. As the cruise industry continues to expand, with passenger numbers rebounding post-pandemic, the urgency to reconcile growth with genuine environmental progress has never been greater.
Charting a Greener Course
The path forward for Carnival and its peers will likely require a multi-pronged approach, including:
- Accelerating the adoption of cleaner fuels and propulsion technologies
- Improving waste management and reducing water pollution
- Collaborating with ports to expand shore power infrastructure
- Setting more aggressive emissions reduction targets
- Enhancing transparency around environmental performance
While some progress is evident, with certain cruise lines outperforming others on sustainability metrics, the industry as a whole still has significant room for improvement. As consumers and regulators increasingly prioritize environmental responsibility, cruise companies that fail to match their eco-friendly rhetoric with tangible results risk facing backlash and losing market share.
The revelations about Carnival’s emissions serve as a wake-up call for the cruise industry and a reminder to travelers to look beyond the glossy brochures when assessing the true cost of their vacations. As the sector navigates a post-pandemic world, the question remains: Will cruise giants like Carnival rise to the challenge and chart a genuinely sustainable course, or will they continue to leave a trail of environmental harm in their wake?
