26 SUSTAINABILITY


Cruising, Coastlines and their Carbon Footprint: Royal Caribbean Makes waves


R


OYAL Caribbean- A giant in the Cruise industry, known the whole world over, is making waves in the industry in regards to sustainability, both at sea


and on land.


“Respect for the oceans and our planet as a whole is no longer a choice. I’m privileged to work for an organisation that is actively focused on improving its sustainable footprints across all areas of operations. Royal Caribbean Group recently announced Destination Net Zero, our comprehensive strategy to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, including plans to establish a Science-Based Target, a first for the cruise industry.” Said Ben Bouldin, vice president EMEA. He continued, “Destination Net Zero is our most ambitious destination in company history, building on decades of progress and a deep commitment to sustainability embedded throughout the organisation. Our strategy features near, medium, and long-term emissions reduction targets that we have already started working towards.”


Royal Caribbean Group’s Destination Net Zero builds on decades of progress and a deep sense of responsibility to embed sustainability throughout the organisation.


Over 18 to 24 months, the cruise company will develop goals to be validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), the first such pledge for the cruise industry. The work will begin following the publication of SBTi’s marine transport methodology. Science-based targets show companies how much, and


Iberostar Creates Waves of Change with Latest Movement


SUSTAINABILTY QUIZ TIME!


1. I 2. 3. 4. 5.


n 2020 which country became the first


W W W I


6. W


country in the world to sell more electric vehicles than diesel or petrol cars? hat is the


nationality of


environmental activist Greta Thunberg?


hich country generates the


largest amount of solar power in the world?


hat is the name of the device fitted to car exhausts to reduce pollution?


n 2020 the UK


government confirmed a ban on plastic straws, drinks stirrers, and what other single use plastic item?


hich animal is the primary


culprit when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions?


Flip the page for the answers below!


how quickly, they need to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to help limit global warming. Along the journey to net zero, key milestones will be critical to making progress. One of the most ambitious milestones includes the delivery of a net zero cruise ship by 2035. To achieve these ambitions, the company will rely on strong partnerships with governments, suppliers and shipyards to develop alternative and accessible fuels and technology.


The company’s focus on achieving these measurable goals builds on its track record of designing and operating some of the most energy efficient ships on the seas. Thanks to optimized hull design and system upgrades such as AC chillers utilizing 30-40% less energy,


Royal Caribbean Group has


April/May 2022 Travel News


consistently


delivered a new generation of ships 20-25% more efficient than their predecessors. From Silversea Cruises’ ‘Project Evolution’ – the


cruise industry’s first hybrid-powered ship set to debut summer 2023 – to the wind farm in Kansas that will offset up to 12% of our scope 1 and 2 emissions per year, Royal Caribbean Group is already executing on its Destination Net Zero strategy to drive the development of emissions-reducing technology and alternative fuel solutions.


Destination Net Zero’s four-pronged approach includes: •


Modernisation of our global brands fleet through the introduction of 13 new energy- efficient and alternatively fueled vessels,


THE Iberostar Group is a 100% family-owned multinational Spanish company that has been dedicated to tourism for over 60 years. It owns over 100 hotels rated 4 and 5 stars. Te company has premises in 16 countries and is working towards creating a more responsible tourism model focused on people and the environment. With sustainability as the driving force behind the business, Iberostar has joined forces with science and has placed achieving a circular economy (as the key to protecting the environment) at the heart of its strategy. Iberostar’s own 2030 Agenda, which presents five


major commitments on issues of sustainability, reinforces this commitment to taking care of the environment. Progress on these objectives is made via Iberostar’s Wave Of Change movement for the protection of the oceans and the promotion of responsible tourism, which has three lines of action: To progress towards a circular economy: for Iberostar,


a circular economy is both the present and future of the responsible tourism strategy. Te Group is a pioneer in being free of single-use plastics in all its operations, and has drawn up a roadmap to stop generating waste by 2025 and to become a carbon-neutral company by 2030. To promote the responsible consumption of fish: the


Group has outlined a strategy that will enable 100% of the fish and seafood consumed to come from responsible sources by 2025. To improve coastal health: the Group has its own


strategy to improve the ecological health of all the ecosystems that surround its facilities (more than 80% of Iberostar hotels are located on the coast), and therefore achieve a beneficial form of tourism. Te movement creates additional value in the form


of a scientific basis from which to develop new lines of action and decision-making and which lends rigor and credibility to our communication with our guests. We also have a Sustainability Office. On a day-to-day basis, dozens of actions and projects are carried out and decisions are made in keeping with all the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Wave of Change specifically is in line with SDG 14, Life Below Water, which focuses on conserving the oceans, seas and marine resources and using them sustainably, as well as SDG 12, Responsible Consumption and Production. Iberostar’s sustainability plan is also underpinned by another fundamental pillar, SDG 8, Decent Work and Economic Growth. Te Iberostar Group’s 2030 Agenda is marked by


3 main objectives and 5 major commitments. Te objectives aim (i) to fulfil the vision shared with our guests on responsible tourism and increase the number of guests who choose hotels from the chain based on the distinctive value brought about by Wave of Change; (ii) to continue leading the way towards increasingly responsible tourism; and (iii) to increase the involvement of the private sector in caring for the oceans. In addition, the five major commitments are: All Iberostar hotels will be waste-free by 2025 and


carbon-neutral by 2030. Fish and seafood consumption at Iberostar will come


from 100% responsible sources by 2025. Iberostar will invest in the health of all the ecosystems


around its hotels by committing to improving them by 2030, which will increase the quality of tourism in our


including its recently announced ‘Project Evolution’ — the industry’s first ship to remove all local emissions while at port.


•


• •


Continued investment in energy efficiency programs for its fleet, including energy saving technologies, enhanced data systems and digitalization.


Development of alternative fuel and alternative power solutions.


Optimises deployment and integration of strategic shore-based supply chains.


destinations. 90% of guests staying at Iberostar will be aware of


the Wave of Change movement by 2023 and this will be one of the main reasons behind 60% of guests choosing Iberostar by 2025. By 2030, twice as many hotels in Iberostar’s portfolio


will hold a responsible tourism certification, which is a hallmark of Iberostar and its verified partners. In 2019, the chain made huge progress, including


the following: it launched a coral lab in the Dominican Republic in order to make progress with research into coastal health and created its first coral nursery in the Dominican Republic; it became the first hotel chain in Spain and the fourth in Europe to obtain the chain of custody certificate for sustainable fishing; and on its journey towards a circular economy, it eliminated single- use plastics from all of its rooms on a global scale (saving 523 tonnes of plastic waste in 2019), among other great achievements. In addition, it joined the CE100 platform of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a world leader in circular economy, and demonstrated its commitment to placing a circular economy at the heart of its strategy. Joining this platform involves its incorporation in a pre-competitive innovation program for implementing innovative initiatives in the tourism sector. It also joined the Business Ambition for 1.5 °C campaign, led by the UN, to reduce emissions to zero before 2050. In 2020, despite the challenges brought about by the


global pandemic, the chain kept moving forward on this journey and achieved its objective of being free from single-use plastics in its operations. Among many others, the following milestones were achieved: Being free from single-use plastics in its operations


on a global scale 41% of seafood served in Iberostar is already obtained


responsibly Progress has been made in important commitments


with local fisheries in Jamaica and in building relationships with local fishermen Expanding to 3 submarine coral nurseries in the


Caribbean, Mexico and the Dominican Republic Supporting marine research via 14 scholarships Launching roadmaps and strategies for the circular


economy, responsible seafood, coral reef restoration and nature-based blue carbon offsetting In 2021, Iberostar has continued to be dynamic in


spearheading responsible tourism and has set new emissions-based goals based on last year’s successes. For 2021, it has up to 15 objectives divided into three action areas. In the first area, it has worked on its move towards a circular economy through the following strategies: Exhaustive measuring and categorizing of the waste


generated in all its hotels Searching for innovative ways of packaging and


transporting products Reducing food waste by 15–30% in all its operations Defining scope 3 emissions, which come from a


company’s value chain and are not under their direct control. Maximized use of renewable energy What’s more, when it comes to responsible fish


and seafood consumption, 2021 ended with 70% of products consumed being obtained from a responsible source. Tis goal supports local businesses in Jamaica, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. As part of this,


The Next Chapter Royal Caribbean Group’s journey to reducing its environmental footprint began nearly 30 years ago with Save the Waves, an ambitious effort that grew from a recycling program into a company-wide approach to embedding challenging,


achievable, measurable


sustainability targets into the bedrock of the company’s culture. Over the ensuing three decades, protecting the planet’s finite natural resources evolved organically from a choice to a way of life for the company and its employees.


we compile key basic franchise and management data. Where coastal health is concerned, 2021 ended with the expansion of nurseries to all coral hotspots. By the end of 2021, Iberostar has 4 coral nurseries in 3 countries (1 in the Dominican Republic, 2 in Mexico and 1 in Jamaica). How We Care: health protection backed by science


and circular economy policies When it resumed its activities aſter temporarily


shutting down operations due to the pandemic, Iberostar Group further strengthened its alliance with science to provide better care for its people and ecosystems. Te Group has boosted its health and prevention strategy in the long term by positioning it as a key pillar in business development and in the employee and guest experience. In addition, the chain has used the experience brought about by COVID-19 as an opportunity to rebuild a better tourism sector: one that is more sustainable and resilient. It has worked alongside institutions such as the UNWTO, the World Economic Forum and One Planet, among others, to achieve this goal. As stated by the Vice-Chair and CEO of the Group,


Sabina Fluxá: “It’s not complicated to develop safety protocols, but it is to do so with a holistic vision, scientific rigor and without taking a step back in terms of caring for the ecosystems. We are proud of the measures we have taken, but we are proud of them because they have been implemented without going back to being a company that’s free of single-use plastics, to the extent that regulations allow this, by strengthening our circularity policies and using products that minimize our impact on the environment”. With the help of its Medical Advisory Board, which


includes biologists and doctors specializing in public health in tourist settings, the Majorca-based company has developed the How We Care program: a program that


includes over 300 health protection measures


aligned with the Group’s circular economy policies, which drive the Wave of Change movement. Te hotel chain has also collaborated with the external provider SGS, a world leader in inspection, verification, analysis and certification, which has approved the hotels’ disinfection and hygiene protocols. In addition, and in line with its efforts to regain the trust of travelers, the hotel chain boasts the Safe Travels stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council: from the very beginning to the protocols that this organization developed on a global scale in order to participate and actively contribute to the sector’s recovery. How We Care is a multidimensional philosophy


which aims to care for guests, employees, the community and the environment. Tis new method of collective care is present in each one of Iberostar hotels’ activities, spaces and protocols. Tis enables us to offer an even more personalized experience and to consolidate the chain’s leadership in responsible tourism. Te measures implemented are grouped into the four pillars which include innovative and responsible proposals to achieve experiences of the highest quality: safe environment, hygiene standards, social space and innovative experience. Trough


all the new protocols and


measures, the Iberostar Group has reinforced its vision for the business in order to continue consolidating its leadership in responsible tourism.


1.Norway, 2.Swedish, 3.China, 4.Catalytic Convertor, 5. Cotton Buds, 6.Cows


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