2019-09-16 Bloomberg Businessweek

B U S I N E S S

1

12

Edited by

David Rocks and

Rebecca Penty

Bloomberg Businessweek Month 00, 2019

● Shipowners seeking to clean

up their emissions are finding

it’s hard to quit carbon

After a 13-deck cruise liner crashed into a quay in

Venice this summer, residents took to the canals and

bridges chanting, “No grandi navi,” or “No big ships,”

and local officials vowed to bar large vessels from

the city center. Concerned about overtourism and

pollution from smoke-belching liners, Barcelona—

Europe’s most popular cruise destination—and the

Croatian city of Dubrovnik, where much of Game of

Thrones was filmed, are planning limits on the num-

ber of ships that can visit. Southampton, Britain’s

top passenger port, wants liners to run on shoreline

electricity so they can turn off their engines while

docked. “Communities find it difficult to see the

benefits of these big cruise ships,” says Christopher

Hammond, leader of the Southampton City Council.

“It’s a very visible thing: a big funnel chucking out

black soot and smoke. People think, I’m breathing

all that in.”

With their brochures and websites brimming

with photos of pristine blue waters and unsullied

shorelines, cruise companies are profoundly aware

of the importance of a spotless image. The biggest

players—Carnival, Royal Caribbean International,

and Norwegian Cruise Line—say they’ve made sus-

tainability improvements such as banning some

single- use plastics and increasing use of locally

sourced foods, but cutting emissions is more compli-

cated. Most ships burn a thick, sulfurous mix of the

goo that’s left over after gasoline and other higher-

value fuels are refined. Although some smaller boats

can run on electricity, batteries can’t yet fully power

a cruise liner that might spend several days at sea.

So far, the most popular alternative is liquefied

natural gas, which can reduce sulfur oxide and nitro-

gen oxide emissions by 90% and carbon dioxide out-

put by 20%. Carnival, the industry leader, launched

the first LNG liner this year, and about three dozen

more are being built, according to shipping auditor

DNV GL. But environmentalists say those engines

can leak methane, a far more harmful greenhouse

gas, and because a ship’s life span is measured in

decades, it’s unwise to depend too heavily on the

technology. “They’re walking into being committed

to LNG for the next 30 or more years,” says Marcie

Keever, oceans and vessels director at Friends of the

Earth. “We don’t have that much time to deal with

the issues facing our climate.”

To clean up their current fleet, cruise lines are

The

Oh-So- Slow

Greening

Of

Cruises

B U S I N E S S

12

Edited by

David Rocks and

Rebecca Penty

● Shipownersseekingtoclean

uptheiremissionsarefinding

it’shardtoquitcarbon

Aftera 13-deckcruiselinercrashedintoa quayin

Venicethissummer,residentstooktothecanalsand

bridgeschanting,“Nograndinavi,” or“Nobigships,”

andlocalofficialsvowedtobarlargevesselsfrom

thecitycenter.Concernedaboutovertourismand

pollutionfromsmoke-belchingliners,Barcelona—

Europe’smostpopularcruisedestination—andthe

CroatiancityofDubrovnik,wheremuchofGameof

Throneswasfilmed,areplanninglimitsonthenum-

berofshipsthatcanvisit.Southampton,Britain’s

toppassengerport,wantslinerstorunonshoreline

electricitysotheycanturnofftheirengineswhile

docked.“Communitiesfindit difficulttoseethe

benefitsofthesebigcruiseships,”saysChristopher

Hammond,leaderoftheSouthamptonCityCouncil.

“It’s a very visible thing: a big funnel chucking out

black soot and smoke. People think, I’m breathing

all that in.”

With their brochures and websites brimming

with photos of pristine blue waters and unsullied

shorelines, cruise companies are profoundly aware

ofthe importance of a spotless image. The biggest

players—Carnival, Royal Caribbean International,

andNorwegianCruiseLine—saythey’vemadesus-

tainabilityimprovementssuchasbanningsome

single-use plastics and increasing use of locally

sourced foods, but cutting emissions is more compli-

cated.Mostshipsburna thick,sulfurousmixofthe

goothat’sleftoveraftergasolineandotherhigher-

value fuels are refined. Although some smaller boats

can run on electricity, batteries can’t yet fully power

a cruise liner that might spend several days at sea.

So far, the most popular alternative is liquefied

natural gas, which can reduce sulfur oxide and nitro-

gen oxide emissions by 90% and carbon dioxide out-

put by 20%. Carnival, the industry leader, launched

thefirstLNGlinerthisyear,andaboutthreedozen

morearebeingbuilt,accordingtoshippingauditor

DNVGL. But environmentalists say those engines

can leak methane, a far more harmful greenhouse

gas, and because a ship’s life span is measured in

decades, it’s unwise to depend too heavily on the

technology. “They’re walking into being committed

to LNG for the next 30 or more years,” says Marcie

Keever, oceans and vessels director at Friends of the

Earth. “We don’t have that much time to deal with

the issues facing our climate.”

To clean up their current fleet, cruise lines are

The

Oh-So- Slow

Greening

Of

Cruises