by Donald Wood
Last updated: 9:00 AM ET, Wed September 22, 2021
The Royal Caribbean Group's 13th annual sustainability report revealed the company has met or exceeded nearly all of its 2020 sustainability targets.
The cruise industry stalwart continued to address several key issues, including achieving its carbon reduction target of 35 percent. It also committed to further reduce emissions to 25 percent by 2025.
In addition, Celebrity Apex joined the Royal Caribbean Group's fleet with an energy efficiency standard 39 percent more efficient than the current International Maritime Organization requirement.
The company's next class of low-emission ships, the Icon-Class, are expected to launch in 2023.
The Royal Caribbean Group is working to achieve zero waste across its brands, with 100 percent of its fleet being equipped to be landfill-free. Only 0.5 pounds of waste are sent to landfill per passenger each day, around 80 percent less than the U.S. average onshore.
The cruise company has also removed 60 percent of single-use plastics from its supply chain.
"We believe that what gets measured gets better. Sustainability is a core area for our business, and this report reflects our successes and challenges over the past year," Royal Caribbean Group CEO Richard Fain said.
"While I'm proud of the progress we have achieved, the importance of this area has grown exponentially," Fain continued. "Consistent with our mantra of continuous improvement, we have significantly expanded our aspirations in this critical area and are setting even more aggressive goals for the coming years."
Officials from the Royal Caribbean Group said the only sustainability target for last year it missed was the sustainable seafood sourcing goal, which was impacted by the global suspension of service during the pandemic.
As for the future, the company is developing a new set of targets around the reduction of carbon emissions, sustainable growth and development, commodity sourcing and tourism, the elimination of single-use plastics and waste management.
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