Costa Cruises has published its 2019 Sustainability Report entitled “Building the Future Together – Sea You Tomorrow” to present the results achieved by the company in terms of responsible and sustainable operations in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda designed by the UN to promote global sustainable development.
In its fourteenth edition, the document shows the strategy and master plan of the Italian company, emphasizing the results of the main projects developed in 2019, which were designed with a dual objective: on the one hand, to mitigate the adverse effects of the impact of the business and, on the other, the implementation of concrete solutions to create a value chain made up of quality relationships with customers, employees, suppliers and local communities.
“The publication of our sustainability report comes at a very special time, as we have just safely and sustainably restarted our operations after a long pause,” said Michael Thamm, Group CEO, Costa Group & Carnival Asia. “The report is an opportunity to showcase our tangible projects and the results achieved in 2019, but it also serves to reaffirm our commitment to the sustainable development of our business model, now more than ever. We want to continue leading the transformation of the company and the sector in the coming years, working closely and transparently with all our stakeholders.”.
In 2019, Costa achieved significant results on its path to decarbonization and emissions reduction. Having committed to reducing CO2 emissions by 40% by 2020, 10 years ahead of the IMO target, the company had already achieved that 40% reduction in 2019 compared to 2008 levels.
The arrival of the Costa Smeralda, the company's flagship launched in 2019 and the first in the fleet to be powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), represented a fundamental step towards reducing emissions. In 2021, the company will add a new LNG-powered ship, the Costa Toscana, another of Costa's commitments to environmental sustainability.
With the goal of operating zero-emission cruises, the Costa Group is conducting various studies on new sustainable technological alternatives. The group is currently working on trials to utilize shore power while ships are docked, in collaboration with ports. The company is seeking public-private partnerships to build the necessary port infrastructure to support this system, as 50% of the Costa fleet will be equipped to use shore power by the end of 2020.
Costa's investment in new-generation ships, aimed at improving the efficiency of its existing fleet, aligns with the company's goal of transforming its ships into floating smart cities. This has led to the promotion of circular economy projects on board, with a particular focus on reducing all types of waste, including food, water, and energy.
Costa has implemented a series of initiatives to significantly reduce plastic use and eliminate single-use products. For example, onboard water production is progressively increasing (76.29%) and has reached 100% onboard the Costa Smeralda. Furthermore, the company is actively committed to reducing food waste and has set a goal of reducing it by 50% by 2020, 10 years ahead of the target set by the UN's 2020 Agenda, while also promoting responsible consumption onboard.
The pillars of Costa Cruises' strategy are reducing environmental impact, collaborating with communities, and promoting sustainable, responsible, and shared models.
Environmental Impact Reduction
• CO2 emissions reduced by 8.06% compared to 2018. This confirms Costa's commitment – together with Carnival – to achieving its fleet's CO2 emissions reduction target by 2020, 10 years ahead of the International Maritime Organization's target.
• Launch of circular economy projects within an efficient supply chain for recycling glass discarded on board.
• 100% waste sorting, resulting in a substantial reduction in plastic use.
• Reduction of water waste during maritime operations and a progressive increase in the proportion of water produced directly on board. Furthermore, the company also conducts campaigns to promote the responsible use of water on board, such as "Stop the Drop," with the aim of reducing per capita water consumption on the ship.
• The company places the value of food and the promotion of responsible consumption among customers and crew at the heart of its strategy through the “4GOODFOOD” program and the “Taste don't waste” awareness campaign, which aim to reduce food waste on board Costa ships by half by 2020, 10 years ahead of the target set by the UN's 2030 Agenda.
Collaboration with communities
• With 4,416 port calls, 1,938 of which were in the Mediterranean, Costa played a crucial role in promoting local tourism. In fact, this positive impact translated into an average expenditure of €74.60 per passenger in each European port. Furthermore, 60% of Costa guests confirmed they would revisit the destinations visited during their cruise.
• The signing of important environmental agreements such as the ESI (Environmental Ship Index) protocol and the Blue Maritime Charter with the Port of Marseille, the Genoa Blue Agreement promoted by the Port Authority of Genoa and Savona, and the Blue Flag certification with the Port of La Spezia.
Promoting sustainable, responsible, and shared models
• In 2019, the company provided its employees with over 1,200,000 hours of training and further enhanced its well-being policies.
• Costa's employee volunteer program (160 hours in 2018) offers an opportunity for personal enrichment and team building, while also enabling projects that benefit the local communities involved.
• Costa engages younger passengers through educational games and projects with positive messages, carrying out activities that promote a healthy lifestyle.
• Social inclusion programs such as Costa's Adagio Tours. This project, the first of its kind in the cruise industry, is designed for people with mobility limitations or for guests who prefer more relaxed excursions. These tours were designed by the Costa Crociere Foundation in collaboration with the Italian Multiple Sclerosis Association (Associazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla).
• Introduction of new ways to discover destinations, such as the Urban Nordic Walking Tour, a type of urban trekking with which the company participated in projects like #EnjoyRespectVenezia, an awareness campaign by the city of Venice to promote responsible tourism, improve visitor management, and suggest alternative itineraries that allow visitors to discover the hidden treasures of the iconic city. Along the same lines, the company helped promote the Fjord Ranger program, an educational project for visitors to the Geirangerfjord in Norway that aims to protect and preserve the delicate natural heritage of the fjord and the sustainable development of the area.
• The Costa Crociere Foundation complements the company's social commitment by investing 100% of donations in supporting more than 28 environmental and social projects with over 30,000 beneficiaries.
