Sea You Tomorrow: Costa Cruises Presents Its Sustainability Report & Plan

GENOA, October 9, 2015 /3BL Media/ – Costa Cruises, Europe’s number one cruise company, has presented its “Sustainability Report - Results for 2014 and Outlook for the Future” and illustrated its corporate social responsibility plan for the coming years. 

Divided into three sections titled “SEA, YOU, TOMORROW”, the Report highlights the main sustainability results achieved by the company.  The final section, dealing with the plan, defines Costa’s objectives and route for the future in terms both of the product and innovation, and of the path to sustainable growth. 

The Report can be downloaded in the new “Sustainability” section of the Costa Cruises website at www.costacruise.com/sustainability. 

SEA - Costa Cruises is constantly committed to minimizing the environmental impact of its operations; it does this by means of a series of initiatives aimed at careful use of energy resources, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption, and efficient waste management. 

The main results in the environmental field obtained in 2014 were: 
(year-on-year % reduction) 

• 9% decrease in fuel consumption per passenger/day; 
• 3% reduction in the company’s carbon footprint; 
• emission reductions equal to -4% tonnes of SOx, -7% tonnes of NOx and PMs (gases typically produced during fuel combustion processes); 
• 9.7% reduction in energy consumption; 
• installation of the Exhaust Gas Cleaning system for abatement of emissions on 7 ships in the fleet; 
• replacement of existing light globes with low power consumption LED lamps on all the ships in the fleet:  450,000 globes were replaced, resulting in 80% energy savings; 
• 100% of materials and products consumed on board collected and separated for disposal and recycling; 
• 1.36% reduction in water consumption on the ships, 68% of which is produced directly on board by means of special desalination plants. 

YOU –  Costa works constantly to build solid relations with local organizations in order to help create economic and - above all - social value.  Indeed, the links with local communities go beyond simply taking many thousands of tourists to the finest destinations all over the world.  The presence of the Italian company brings significant benefits for the local economy in each place visited, generating new opportunities for business and employment, both directly and through the development of allied industries. 

To give an idea of the scale of this positive impact, Costa has over 8800 suppliers in 5 continents and its ships sail to 261 ports of call located all over the world, with 21 added in 2014.  Specific examples include development and expansion of the operations in the homeport of Savona, where Costa Cruises opened the second terminal building at the Palacrociere, and the partnership with the Municipality of Genoa promoting the city’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed Palazzi dei Rolli (once used to provide lavish State accommodation to visiting dignitaries). 
Costa’s operations lead to the creation of jobs both indirectly and directly through the recruitment of company employees:  in 2014 Costa Cruises provided work for 4000 new shipboard hires in the 18 to 30 age group employed under industry specific contracts. 

TOMORROW – The commitment for the future translates into the planning and implementation of highly innovative corporate social responsibility projects.  In July this year, Costa Cruises announced that it had placed orders for the construction of the first two cruise ships in the world to be powered by LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas.), the world’s cleanest burning fossil fuel.  The ships are due to enter service in 2019 and 2020.  This will entail a substantial investment and is a move ushering in a new era of sustainable fuels.  Costa Cruises’ pioneering decision to introduce these vessels is a prime example of the way the company pre-empts industry trends, while guaranteeing environmental compliance and protection. 

With regard to the product, Costa is committed – for example – to promoting a healthy and sustainable food experience for guests and crew members.  This is done by fostering local culinary traditions and sourcing local ingredients, with a particular emphasis on Italian dishes and the Mediterranean diet.  Accordingly, priority is given to supplies of fresh food in the different ports of call, with 25% of this produce purchased locally, thus bringing about a substantial reduction in the impact generated by logistics activities.  The involvement of partner suppliers committed to responsible management of the supply chain also testifies to the Italian company’s policy of adopting and promoting a sustainable food model. 

The 2014 Sustainability Report is audited by Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC).  It is drawn up in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)-G4 guidelines (disclosure at Core application level), setting it apart from similar documents issued by other cruise lines.

For further information:

Costa Cruises

Press Office -  Tel. +39 010 5483523 / 010 5483068  -  costapressoffice@costa.it

Gabriele Baroni – Communication Director – Cell +39 3497668013 - baroni@costa.it

Press releases and photos available at www.costapresscenter.com