Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., the cruise company that operates the Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands, today released its 2019 Stewardship Report as part of its Sail & Sustain sustainability program. The company also announced that it has been recognized for its environmental disclosure and transparency by achieving a “B” climate change rating from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), a non-profit environmental organization that annually assesses 9,600 companies worldwide. This score represents a significant improvement over the previous year and is higher than the overall average for the shipping industry (a “C” rating), the global average of “C”, and the North American regional average of “D”.
The report highlights key progress made by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues since its last published report, as well as impactful initiatives underway, which include:
- Establishment of the Technology, Environmental, Safety and Security (TESS) Committee of the company's Board of Directors to oversee matters related to Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainability.
- Creation of an ESG department dedicated to improving the overall strategy, strengthening ESG disclosures, and coordinating actions with all departments, including Health, Medicine, Safety and Environment Operations, Human Resources, Legal, and Supply Chain.
- Efforts focused on reducing single-use plastics through initiatives have resulted in Norwegian Cruise Line becoming the first major global cruise company to declare itself free of plastic water bottles through its partnership with JUST Goods, Inc.
- Strengthening the commitment to maintain the culture of diversity, equality and inclusion in the workplace through its partnership with the Florida Diversity Council, as well as various hiring initiatives and the recent launch of virtual training on diversity, equality and inclusion, in which training on unconscious bias has been provided.
- The Hope Starts Here campaign was relaunched to help victims of Hurricane Dorian, in partnership with All Hands and Hearts. These efforts included a $3 million donation and other in-kind contributions, supporting the relief efforts for those affected.
- Ongoing participation of team members who have donated over a thousand hours of work to the community, through events such as beach cleanups, Habitat for Humanity and volunteering to deliver dinners at the Camillus House Campus emergency center.
- I launched numerous philanthropy initiatives, including the Giving Joy campaign, in recognition of the workers' efforts, as well as the Encore Moments campaign, to honor everyday heroes.
- In 2019, spending with diverse suppliers in the United States increased by 36% compared to 2018, as part of the company's commitment to facilitating and encouraging the growth of diverse and small suppliers.
- Creation of the Healthy Sail Panel, in collaboration with Royal Caribbean Group, made up of a group of 11 internationally recognized experts, dedicated to providing information to the cruise industry on the development of new and improved health and safety standards on cruises in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
“Despite the public health challenges we currently face, our commitment to protecting and preserving our oceans, the environment, and the destinations we visit, while maintaining our culture of diversity, equality, and inclusion in the workforce, remains at the heart of our business and operations,” explained Frank Del Rio, President and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.“We are proud of our achievements to date and remain committed to making a positive impact on society and the environment through the development of our global ESG strategy, while providing our guests with truly exceptional cruise vacation experiences,” he emphasized.
“Our annual stewardship report provides essential transparency to our key stakeholders regarding our Sail & Sustain initiatives and represents our ongoing commitment to improving our ESG disclosures,” said Andrea DeMarco, senior vice president of ESG, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications at Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. “We are pleased to be recognized for our sustainability efforts with an above-average 'B' climate change score from CDP, whose annual environmental disclosure and scoring process is considered the gold standard for corporate environmental transparency,” she added.
The 2019 Stewardship Report is part of the company's global sustainability program, Sail & Sustain, which reflects its strong commitment to continually improving its sustainability culture through innovative strategies, ongoing education, and open collaboration.
