Increased numbers of cruise passengers and brand growth went hand in hand with new environmental initiatives during 2011 according to the third annual Carnival UK Sustainability Report.
A 5% increase in passenger numbers (to 1.7m) across the UK market helped boost cruise line, passenger and crew spending in the UK economy by 10% to €2.8bn with the 64,000 jobs generated adding another €2.3bn in salaries paid.
Carnival UK was a major contributor with P&O Cruises and Cunard Line adding capacity during the year and P&O Cruises further demonstrating its commitment to the UK with the ordering of its largest-ever ship for delivery in 2015. At the same time, the drive to ensure that the sector's growth was sustainable continued throughout the company's operations.
Carnival UK CEO David Dingle said: “Cruising is a fast growing part of a shipping industry that has always looked and planned well ahead and this has never been more important than right now when it faces so many challenges. These include the escalating cost of fuel and the global, national, regional and local pressures on us to respond to environmental concerns and secure for the industry a wholly sustainable future.
“As a market leader in the UK and Europe we recognise the need to set the agenda for building an industry that is sustainable economically, socially and environmentally.”
During the year, it signed up to Vision 2040, a strategy developed by the newly-formed Sustainable Shipping Initiative which includes a commitment to pioneer or implement "aggressive" energy efficiencies in ship design, retrofitting and operations and to seek out renewable and other energy sources to achieve “significant” reductions in greenhouse gases.
One of Carnival UK's ongoing sustainable initiatives - its Green World Tours shore excursion programme linked to conservation and other charitable foundations in cruise destinations - won the prestigious Seatrade Insider Environmental Initiative of the Year award.
It also used funds generated by the removal of silver from on-board photographic waste to support marine life safaris on kayaks along Dorset's Jurassic Coast and supports the Sussex Wildlife Trust’s beach school programme teaching primary school children about the importance of the marine environment.
Carnival UK also acquired certification from Swiss Travel in Costa Rica for helping to reduce CO2 to preserve the Osa Peninsular tropical forest, one of the areas of most biological diversity in the world.
Each of the Carnival UK ships continues to be awarded the Venice Blue Flag for voluntarily agreeing to use low sulphur fuels when visiting the city. Carnival UK ships also self-generated 87% of the water used on board compared with 84% in 2010 and just 65% in 2008 while - pro rata – their CO2 emissions were down 11% on 2010 and 32% on 2008.
