The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has released its annual sustainability report and an accompanying environmental report from Oxford Economics.

The report, which was produced to demonstrate the industry’s commitment to responsible tourism and its progress on the development and implementation of new environmental technologies, was published as CLIA ocean-going members committed to pursuing net carbon neutral cruising by 2050.

“While cruise has been one of the sectors most acutely impacted by the global pandemic, cruise lines remain at the forefront of the challenge to develop new environmental technologies which benefit the entire shipping industry,” said Kelly Craighead, president and chief executive at CLIA.

“Our industry is committed to pursuing net carbon neutral cruising by 2050, and CLIA and our ocean-going members are investing in new technologies and cleaner fuels now to realise this ambition.”

The Oxford Economics environmental report also addresses the challenge posed by the need for new, alternative fuels and the steps the industry is taking to support progress.

Specifically, in addition to LNG, over three-quarters of the global cruise fleet by passenger capacity is now equipped to use alternative fuels when they become available.

However, there are significant engineering, supply, and regulatory barriers the industry will need to negotiate before the large-scale adoption of sustainable fuels can take place.

Pierfrancesco Vago, global chairman of CLIA, said the report shows that the cruise industry is “resilient, innovative and focused on the future”.

“We know that there is more to be done, but the cruise industry has shown both its commitment and its capability to rise to the challenge,” he said.

“The cruise industry is an enabler of green maritime innovation, which will be the key to decarbonisation of shipping.

“This is why CLIA has joined other maritime organisations to propose a $5 billion IMO research and development fund to accelerate the development of zero-GHG fuels and propulsion technologies.”

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