On 5 April the conference ‘Sustainable Cruising’ took place in Copenhagen bringing together the Cruise Baltic network, cruise line representatives, politicians, and other industry stakeholders. The occasion was marked by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding by 19 cruise lines with Cruise Baltic on the use of onshore power supply available in the Baltic Sea region.
The signatory cruise lines committed to using onshore power supply available at the ports in the Baltic Sea region no later than from 1 January 2024.
As well as signing the Memorandum of Understanding, social and environmental sustainability were on the agenda of the conference with case studies and interventions by industry leaders and speeches by the Lord Mayor of Copenhagen and the Danish Minister for Environment. The conference was also addressed by the Deputy Mayor of Dubrovnik, Jelka Tepšić, who presented how the city partnered with CLIA and the cruise industry to enhance destination management.
Addressing the conference, Marie-Caroline Laurent, Director General for CLIA in Europe, said:
“The cruise industry is accelerating its green transition and investing in the ability to use shoreside electricity is another important step forward. Such initiatives signal the cruise industry’s commitment to deliver on our climate ambitions and be an active partner in the development of sustainable tourism.”
Claus Bødker, Director, Cruise Baltic, said:
“Our visions are ambitious and can only be fulfilled if we work together. I’m very satisfied and happy that so many of our partners and stakeholders participated in the conference. With the strong commitment to onshore power supply that Carnival Corporation, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Ponant, Royal Caribbean Group and Viking Ocean Cruises have shown by signing the Memorandum of Understanding. I truly believe that our visions of an even “greener” cruise industry can become a reality.”
Marie-Caroline Laurent, Director General, CLIA
Cruise Baltic is a network of 32 ports and destinations in the Baltic Sea region aiming to promote the region towards cruise lines and travel agents.
Photo credit: Svend Rossen