Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has unveiled new short- and near-term greenhouse gas (GHG) targets as part of an updated climate action strategy, aiming to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
The company’s global sustainability program, Sail & Sustain, will concentrate on three main pillars; Efficiency, Innovation, and Collaboration. These include improving the fleet’s energy usage, developing technologies that enable the use of green fuels, and seeking partnerships to develop green fuels.
Ambitious Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goals
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) has set ambitious goals in its climate action strategy to reduce greenhouse gas intensity by 10% by 2026 and 25% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels. The targets include emissions from the company’s ships, islands, and facilities and activities related to fuel production and energy sourcing.
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These interim goals are part of Norwegian’s commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050, including its entire greenhouse gas footprint.
Harry Sommer, President and CEO-Elect of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., said: “We are proud to further refine and strengthen our climate action strategy and commitments including by setting milestone GHG intensity reduction targets which will guide us on our ambitious pursuit of net zero by 2050.”
At the same time, NCLH former CEO has been clear in the past the company will not be pursuing LNG-powered ships, as many others in the cruise industry are doing. Instead, Norwegian is focusing on three separate ‘pillars’ to reach its goals.
Focusing on Efficiency, Innovation, and Collaboration
NCLH has developed its climate action strategy around three central pillars, Efficiency, Innovation, and Collaboaration. Efficiency involves improving the existing fleet’s energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions.
NCLH plans to achieve this through investments in systems and technologies, equip approximately 70% of its fleet with shore power technology by 2025, and implementing smart itinerary and voyage planning.
Innovation is centered on the development of long-term solutions and technologies that enable the use of green fuels, such as methanol and biofuels. In 2022, the company successfully tested biofuel blends on multiple ships.
Norwegian has already been taking steps to reach this goal by modifying the plans for two future Prima Class newbuilds using green methanol.
“We also recently took an important step forward on our pursuit of net zero by announcing the modification of two of our future Prima Class newbuilds to accommodate the use of green methanol in the future,” Sommer continued.
Collaboration, the third pillar, stresses the importance of working with stakeholders to collectively address climate change. Norwegian is creating partnerships to develop green fuels and participates actively in industry associations and regional forums, such as the Methanol Institute and the Pacific Northwest to Alaska Green Corridor initiative.
The Pacific Northwest to Alaska Green Corridor initiative is a collaborative effort between ports, governments, and cruise operators in the region.
The initiative aims to explore the establishment of a maritime green corridor that accelerates the deployment of zero greenhouse gas emission ships and operations between Alaska, British Columbia, and Washington.
In the last weeks, all major cruise operators have revealed their plans that should take them to 2050 and becoming net zero carbon. Carnival Corporation, MSC Cruises and Royal Caribbean Group have set their sights on LNG as a transitional fuel, as well as a large number of other innovations.
