Costa Cruises presents the new edition of the “Sea You Tomorrow” Sustainability Report.

The document sets out the strategy of the Italian cruise company for sustainability, outlines the main projects and results achieved in 2016. All Costa’s actions are in line with the goals set by the UN Agenda 2030.

“The roadmap we created three years ago puts sustainability at the center of an integrated approach, which has led us to achieve a successful series of projects that involve the direct involvement of key players in the industry. More sustainable will be to make our guests also play a more active role, essential to offer experiences that go beyond a simple cruise, “recalls Stefania Lallai, director of Sustainability and External Relations of the Coast.

The Costa Sustainability Report is divided into three sections: Sea, You and Tomorrow – which address issues related to environmental protection, shared values ​​and responsible innovation.

MAR – Respect for the environment is a priority for Costa and is fully integrated with the company’s business model. Many of the projects developed focus on: reducing emissions, optimizing energy consumption, rationalizing water resources and recycling waste. The main results achieved in this area are:

• 3% reduction in fuel consumption per passenger / day compared to 2015
• 5% decrease in carbon footprint compared to 2015
• Reduction of 9% in the emission of greenhouse gases compared to the previous year
• Reduction of 9.5% in waste produced per passenger per day in relation to the previous year
• 393 tons of aluminum were collected and sent for recycling in the last 10 years
• 62% of the water requirements are produced on board.

The most significant emission and consumption projects involve the installation of the ECO exhaust gas cleaning system on board ships. This system allows emissions to be lowered by more than 90% and acts as an important tool for vessel maintenance, rationalization of navigation systems for on-board services and use of digital instruments that monitor the environmental performance of each ship In their individuality.

The Costa fleet also strives to reduce waste production and promote the recycling and recovery of materials in connection with more sensitive ports. In collaboration with the Aluminum Packaging Consortium (CiAL), the company collected and sent for recycling 393 tons of aluminum in the last ten years. In this context, through the project “Message in a Can” it was possible to increase by 27% the differentiated aluminum collection in the Italian municipality of Savona.

The partnership with the National Research Center also continued in 2016, focusing on the oceanography and marine sciences sectors, with the Coast providing its resources – ships and professionals on board – to support the research activities carried out by the Center’s scientific network and the Awareness of guests and crew in sustainable cause.

YOU – Costa’s strategy for sustainable development is based on the promotion of a business and tourism model capable of ensuring economic development in the places visited by the vessels and, at the same time, increasing its identity, culture and natural heritage. An example is the new Coastal Route in the Indian Ocean, with stopovers in India, Maldives and Sri Lanka. This choice has contributed to the development of significant competencies in the hospitality industry with the creation of new professional profiles as tourist guides. This new route provides opportunities for local microeconomies and is directly linked to the presence of the company’s vessels.

Other results of economic impact generated by the Coast are in Savona, the main port of embarkation of the company in Europe. According to a study carried out by PwC, the company’s activities generate for the city an annual economic movement of approximately 38 million euros. The employment effects are also significant, with a total of 661 jobs created and a direct cost of € 96 per passenger disembarking from the Costa ships in Savona.

In addition, the Costa carries out initiatives for the identification of new destinations and cultural sites and thus include in terrestrial programs and tours. In 2016, the Coast introduced 150 new excursions, mainly in little known places of Italy, but with great artistic and cultural wealth.

The commitment to the development of Costa employees’ skills was also strengthened last year. More than 800 thousand hours of training took place from the inauguration of the new Academy of Advanced Training for Professionals of the Hotel Industry of Cruises in partnership with the Region of Liguria, the Municipality of Arenzano and the Academy of the Merchant Marine of Italy. The school is a true incubator for the development of professional profiles for the cruise hospitality industry.

TOMORROW – In terms of responsible innovation, Costa once again confirms its role as a pioneer in the cruise industry with its two new ships, which come on stream in 2019 and 2021, respectively. They will be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), the “cleanest” fossil fuel currently, which will lead to a substantial reduction in CO2, nitrous oxide, sulfur dioxide and other particulate emissions.

Costa has also placed food supply chains at the heart of its sustainable development strategy. The first objective is to reconsider the foods offered, making a meticulous selection of the quality of raw materials and products. In the last two years, dishes and recipes (over 500 options) that are an expression of the Italian tradition and the Mediterranean diet, have been added to menus throughout the fleet. A special assessment was made of the impact of seasonal products and fresh produce included in the recipes, such as fruit and vegetables. The consolidation of partnerships with companies committed to responsible management of the supply chain such as Barilla, Illy, Agrimontana and Carlsberg provided additional support to Costa’s strategy.