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A12 SCIENCE
Wednesday 15 June 2022

Cruise liners try to rewrite climate rules

despite vows

carbon dioxide annually
on average than any other
kind of ship due to their air
conditioning, heated pools
and other hotel amenities,
studies have shown.
Carnival, which describes
itself as “sustainable from
ship to shore,” has commit-
ted to reducing its carbon
emissions 40% by 2030 to
meet the terms of the Paris
Agreement, which aims to
limit global temperature
rises to 1.5C.
Cruise ships float at PortMiami, on April 7, 2020, in Miami. Royal Caribbean and
Associated Press MSC Cruises have each
By ED DAVEY ner critics say will lead to pledged to meet net zero
Associated Press increased emissions, while emissions by 2050, while
The trade group represent- saving cruise lines money. Norwegian Cruise Lines
ing the cruise ship industry The International Maritime has spoken of a “long-term
unsuccessfully pushed in- Organization is the United goal” to reach climate
ternational authorities to Nations body responsible neutrality.
water down new environ- for regulating the safety Beginning in 2023, all large
mental regulations despite and environmental im- ships will be assigned a
its members’ climate com- pact of shipping. Some 175 Carbon Intensity Indica-
mitments, experts in marine member states vote on its tor (CII), worked out by di-
air pollution warn. Late last proposed legislation. viding CO2 output by the
month, the International The proposed change capacity of the ship and
Maritime Organization re- would “certainly” have had again by nautical miles
jected a cruise industry a negative climate impact, traveled. It will give ships
effort that would have im- said John Maggs, president an A to E sustainability rat-
proved cruise ships’ carbon of the Clean Shipping Co- ing. If a ship gets a poor
pollution scores. Environ- alition, an umbrella group rating, it has to submit a
mental groups say it also of environmental groups plan for how it will improve
would have led to more air that has official status at to at least a C, but there is
pollution by allowing cruise the maritime organization. currently no plan for penal-
liners to continue with busi- “The regulations are very ties for badly-rated ships.
ness as usual. weak anyway, and CLIA is Nevertheless the trade
The Cruise Lines Interna- trying to make them even group lobbied national
tional Association (CLIA) weaker,” said Maggs, who delegations at the Interna-
has membership that ac- has almost 30 years in the tional Maritime Organiza-
counts for 95% of global field. “They are trying to tion, which was established
cruise trips. Its four biggest water down the regula- in the wake of the Titanic
members, Carnival Cruise tions.” disaster, to make a special
Line, Royal Caribbean, But the cruise industry ar- allowance for cruise ships.
Norwegian Cruise Line and gues the new regulation It argued their vessels differ
MSC Cruises, tout their cli- misrepresents the efficien- from cargo ships because
mate awareness and have cy of their vessels, which of the lengthy stays in port
all committed to drastically should not be penalized for that are part of a cruise
cutting emissions. spending more time in port liner’s existence -- typical-
Yet according to a filing in than cargo ships. ly with engines running to
April, the cruise ship asso- Shipping emits about 2.9% keep the lights on. This time
ciation lobbied the Interna- of global carbon dioxide in port hurts cruise ships’
tional Maritime Organiza- emissions, just over a bil- ratings, because they thus
tion’s members to change lion tons of CO2 annually. emit more carbon per mile.
proposed rules in a man- Cruise liners produce more “As a result, in-port emis-
sions have a disproportion-
ate impact” on a ship’s
carbon intensity grade, the
industry told the agency.
Bill Weihl, a former sus-
tainability chief at both
Google and Facebook,
who established Climate
Voice, which calls on em-
ployees to pressure their
companies into climate
action, called it a familiar
story for U.S. companies.q