With the adoption of a Long Term Aspirational Goal (LTAG) at ICAO’s 41st Assembly, governments and industry are aligned to reach the same net zero CO2 emissions goal by 2050. As policy initiatives lay the foundation on which many of the needed innovations and actions will rest, these roadmaps will be a critical reference point for policy makers.

“The roadmaps are the first detailed assessment of the key steps necessary to accelerate the transition to net zero by 2050. Together, they show a clear direction and will evolve as we dig deeper to set interim milestones on the way to net zero. I must emphasize that the roadmaps are not just for airlines. Governments, suppliers, and financiers cannot be spectators in aviation’s decarbonization journey. They have skin in the game. The roadmaps are a call to action for all aviation’s stakeholders to deliver the tools needed to make this fundamental transformation of aviation a success with policies and products fit for a net-zero world,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

The roadmaps were not developed in isolation. A peer-to-peer review, complemented by a modeling tool provided by the Air Transportation Systems Laboratory at University College London (UCL), was conducted to calculate emission reductions for each technology.

Highlights of each roadmap include:

• Aircraft Technology: the development of more efficient aircraft and engines. Particularly important are the steps needed to enable aircraft powered by 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), hydrogen or batteries. All development milestones are backed-up by announced investment and demonstrator programs. Also included are new engines, aerodynamics, aircraft structures, and flight systems.
• Energy and New Fuels Infrastructure: the focus is on the fuels and new energy carrier infrastructure upstream from airports needed to facilitate the use of aircraft powered by SAF or hydrogen. Renewable energy plays a vital role in meeting the aviation sector’s energy demand, and the roadmap outlines milestones to enable the necessary infrastructure developments.
• Operations: the opportunities for reducing emissions and improving energy efficiency by improving the way existing aircraft are operated. Automation, big data management, and the integration of new technologies are key enablers for optimizing air traffic management and enhancing the overall efficiency of the air transportation system.
• Policy: the need for globally aligned strategic policies to provide incentives and support for the aviation industry’s transition to a net-zero future. As with all other successful energy transitions, collaboration between governments and industry stakeholders is crucial in creating the necessary framework to achieve the decarbonization goals.
• Finance: how to finance the cumulative $5 trillion needed for aviation to achieve net zero by 2050. This includes technological advancements, infrastructure developments, and operational improvements.

The challenges to ramp up SAF production are a good illustration of the importance of these roadmaps. As a drop-in solution, SAF is expected to deliver about 62% of carbon mitigation needed to achieve net zero by 2050. But even though SAF is expected to be fully implementable with future aircraft fleet, it still has major inter-dependencies on policy, aircraft technology, energy infrastructure, financing, and operations for which these roadmaps are critical.

“The roadmaps show where all stakeholders should focus their efforts. There are two certainties. By 2050 we need to be at net zero carbon emissions. And the steps to get there that are outlined in these roadmaps will evolve as the industry’s expertise grows. Policy is particularly important early on as it, to a large extent, sets the scene for private sector investors to move. With that, the private sector can decarbonize at scale and with speed,” said Marie Owens Thomsen, SVP Sustainability and Chief Economist at IATA.

“Without the right policy incentives and bold investments, many of the technologies and innovations simply won’t happen at scale. Everything is related, and that is why we have the five roadmaps to tie all the parallel elements together and give our stakeholders, including governments, a complete understanding of everything that needs to happen,” said Owens Thomsen.

“Time is of the essence, as highlighted by these roadmaps. Immediate action is required to commercialize scalable zero-carbon energy storage solutions along with the required infrastructure, and to build a business case for their rapid delivery at Gigawatt scale,” said Prof. Andreas Schafer, Director of UCL’s Air Transport Systems Laboratory.

The article IATA releases strategic roadmaps to showcase critical steps to reach Net Zero by 2050 first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.

Marking United Nations World Environment Day on 5 June, and the theme of #BeatPlasticPollution, Emirates will introduce the new recycled utensils onboard from June 2023 onwards.

In line with Emirates’ commitment to consuming responsibly, the new initiative is a transition to the principles of a circular economy, whereby items are reduced, reused, and recycled. Millions of old and damaged meal service items from Economy and Premium Economy Class dining will be collected after flights, washed and checked for damage, transported to a facility in Dubai to be ground down, reprocessed, and manufactured into new dishes, bowls and trays – before being sent to Emirates Flight Catering to be used again for thousands of meals in the sky.

In partnership with deSter FZE UAE, a leading provider of serviceware concepts to the aviation industry, and expert in closed loop manufacturing, Emirates will be reusing plastic materials that have already reached their end of life and would otherwise need to be written off. The new trays, casseroles, snack dishes and bowls, containing at least 25% reused material (recyclate), will be brought back into service on aircraft across the globe, and the proportion will continue to increase over time.

The team at deSter are members of the CE100 network, which includes some of the world’s leading circular economy companies and have also been awarded the ‘Gold’ Sustainability rating from Ecovadis – a globally recognised certification for sustainable practices. Emirates elected to work with deSter once a facility in UAE was ready to facilitate the huge scale of Emirates’ requirement – substantially reducing the carbon footprint of sending the products to another country to be recycled. The deSter factory also incorporates sustainable design principles focusing on solar power, efficient use of water and minimisation of waste.

Emirates’ commitment to reducing plastic waste

Emirates is committed to reducing plastic waste and has already implemented several initiatives in addition to the new closed loop recycling project.

• Emirates has diverted over 150 million single-use plastic items from landfill each year by replacing plastic straws, inflight retail bags, and stirrers with responsibly sourced paper and wooden alternatives.
• Economy and Premium Economy Class passengers can get comfortable with soft blankets onboard, where each blanket is manufactured from 28 recycled plastic bottles. Over the course of one year, this initiative saves 88 million plastic bottles from landfill.
• Emirates’ current range of inflight toy bags, baby amenity kits and plush toys are made from recycled plastic bottles, and over 8 million plastic bottles were repurposed during 12 months of amenity kit production.
• The hygiene covers for bowls on Emirates meal trays and plastic tumblers are made from 80% recycled plastic (rPET).
  Emirates Economy and Premium Economy amenity kits are made from alternative materials such as kraft paper, rice paper and recycled plastic, reducing the consumption of virgin plastic.
• Emirates Cabin Crew segregate glass and plastic bottles for recycling in Dubai, diverting about 500,000 kilograms of plastic and glass from landfill in 2022.

The article Emirates unveils new closed loop recycling initiative to reduce plastic first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.

The additional features mean Climate+ is the first connected platform to support every step of a corporate’s business travel sustainability journey, from forecasting and setting carbon budgets through to in-app booking nudges and total emission analytics. It is available for the exclusive use of CTM clients.

Climate+ now incorporates the following innovations:

1. CO2 Calculations for flights, hotels, trains and car in Lightning OBT & App, including granular emissions in search comparisons from RDC Aviation based on aircraft, engine model, seat configuration, fuel burn, SAF investment and more.
2. CO2 Forecasting. A new calculator that lets clients input an estimate or flight, hotel, train and car hire activity by location, route and class to create a carbon forecast to share with stakeholders to build realistic, actionable carbon budgets.
3. CO2 Budgets in Lightning OBT, Mobile App, and CTM Portal – letting travel managers assign budgets by department, group & individual by year, quarter or month.
4. Green Choice fare labels in the Lightning OBT & Mobile App, highlighting greener travel options at point of search and intelligently nudge them to make select more sustainable choices when booking, including electric and hybrid car hire options.
5. Flight vs Train CO2 Comparisons let travellers switch to lower emission travel modes in one click with automatic dual searches on relevant routes in the Lightning OBT and App.
6. Climate+ Reporting & Analytics give total visibility on a programme’s carbon footprint through at-a-glance dashboards, traveller averages, plus impact by route, travel type, or cabin class to help companies mitigate future emissions.
7. CO2 Transfers between departments and travellers supports companies in better management of team-based carbon allowances.
8. CO2 Approvals – A Carbon Approver can be assigned should carbon budgets be reached to determine if a trip is business critical.
9. Carbon offsetting. CTM clients can offset their total travel programme’s carbon emissions by supporting a range of environmental sustainability initiatives chosen based on their company values and global footprint.

CTM Climate+ – the power of one sustainable platform

CTM’s EMEA CTO, Brian Sheerin says: “We frequently hear travel managers saying they are under extreme pressure to demonstrate progress in making their travel programmes more sustainable, but they don’t have the correct toolset in their travel tech stack to make a meaningful impact.

“Our internally developed online booking tool (OBT) Lightning already goes further than others on the market in terms of sustainability functionality, including displaying granular CO2 calculations per flight result based on aircraft age, seat configuration, engine model, fuel burn and other factors like airline sustainable aviation fuel investment to give customers the most accurate guidance in choosing more sustainable flights.

“At CTM, we’re in a unique position thanks to our agile, end-to-end technology approach and Climate+ really leverages that to the benefit of travel managers, their programme, their people, and the planet.

“As a connected suite of tools, Climate+ shares data seamlessly. This makes it easy to get started and removes the challenge many buyers face, using a fragmented approach with a standalone OBT with one calculation method, emissions reporting by their agency in another, forecasting via consultancies using bespoke approaches, and offsetting through yet another partner they must manage.

“Our ethos is simple – the easier we make it for clients to drive change, the bigger sustainable impact they can make – and that’s Climate+ in a nutshell.”

The article CTM expands Climate+ to create first end-to-end business travel sustainability platform first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.

“Cycling, which doubles as exercise, is an activity sought after by an increasing number of visitors who love the environment, adventure, exploring new destinations, and experiencing the cultural heritage of the areas they visit,” emphasized Leros Mayor Michalis Kolias in statements to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA).

Efforts to promote Leros as a cycling tourism destination have been underway in recent years and have already yielded results, as mentioned by Mayor Kolias. Interestingly, cyclists even travel by boat from Turkey to participate in the island’s cycling events, as well as numerous cycling enthusiasts from European countries.

Leros: An Ideal Mountain Biking Destination

“For mountain biking enthusiasts, Leros offers a unique destination due to its distinctive terrain. The island boasts amazing routes of varying difficulty levels, providing unique thrills and a wonderful experience,” stated Mayor Kolias to AMNA.

The highly active Leros Cycling Club has taken charge of this aspect, promoting the island’s beauty through cycling. Through excellent collaboration with the Municipality of Leros, the island has earned the “bike-friendly” destination certification.

Furthermore, there is a certified bike-friendly hotel on Leros, which provides electric bicycles for its guests. In an effort to provide high-quality services, the hotel has collaborated with the local cycling club to digitally map approximately 20 bike routes for cycling excursions.

Cycling Routes

Leros offers numerous options for cycling enthusiasts of all levels, with both natural and newly established trails that can be combined into a variety of excursions. The island features a variety of cycling routes, including dirt roads, trails, and technical routes with different levels of difficulty.

To serve and facilitate cyclists, many of the cycling routes on Leros are well-marked, and waste bins are available at various points along the routes. Additionally, the majority of the island’s trails and cycling routes are mapped, and visitors can find maps of the network of paths and cycling routes at the island’s tourist information centers and other locations.

One characteristic cycling route on Leros is the Staircase Path, which leads from the castle to the town of Agia Marina. This route is exhilarating but recommended for experienced cyclists.

Within the settlements of Merikia, Lakkoi, Temenia, and Xirokampos, there are no particularly challenging routes for visitors who wish to use bicycles as an alternative means of transportation.

In the Platanos, Panteli, and Agia Marina areas, there are uphill routes that reward visitors with magnificent views.

In the Alinta, Kritonias, Kamara, and Gourna settlements, the relatively flat routes make cycling an ideal alternative transportation method.

From Alinta, Kamara, and Agios Isidoros to Partheni and Blefouti, the route is relatively easy and rewards cyclists with pristine beaches, such as Agios Kiouras and Blefouti, located at the end of the route.

The article Leros Island recognized as Bike Friendly Destination first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.

The Alliance and the WRI have a shared commitment to helping the hospitality industry reduce its food-related emissions by 25% by 2030. By shifting to low carbon foods and reducing food waste the industry can maximize its action on climate change and meet its targets for addressing the climate crisis. The partnership aims to engage employees and customers by bringing the latest science to the industry and provide networking opportunities to share lessons in reducing food-related emissions. As part of this activity, WRI attended and supported the Alliance’s annual summit earlier this month.

The partnership will include the WRI helping to formally verify the Alliance’s renowned Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI) aligns with the GHG protocol. The HCMI has recently been updated by the Alliance and they look forward to it being peer reviewed.

The Alliance will urge its members, representing over 50,000 properties and 7 million rooms globally, to commit to the Coolfood Pledge, as part of the partnership. This WRI initiative is a science-based target to reduce food-related emissions by 25% by 2030.

Those committed to the Coolfood Pledge receive individualized data analysis in an annual GHG emissions report in order to track progress in reducing GHG emissions. The aim is to provide an understanding to the industry as to what works with consumers to shift more diners toward plant-based foods.

Alliance members will be urged to join the Friends of Champions 12.3 network, which helps organisations use a “target-measure-act” approach to halve food loss and waste by 2030. This target aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goal Target 12.3. ‘Friends of Champions 12.3’ is part of the Champions 12.3 network, of which WRI serves as secretariat.

World-class research and cutting edge resources will also be available to members of the Alliance who are on the journey towards Net Positive Hospitality.

Sustainable Hospitality Alliance CEO, Glenn Mandziuk, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with the World Resources Institute (WRI) to move the hospitality industry towards food sustainability. Combining the Alliance’s resources and knowledge with the WRI’s expertise and platforms, this partnership can help accelerate our members towards reducing food waste and food-related emissions. We look forward to our Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI) being peer reviewed by the WRI, which will serve as an important step to ensuring a transparent and globally comparable approach to carbon, water and waste reporting.”

“Reducing food waste is a triple win for the hospitality industry – it helps meet important sustainability targets, engages customers, and can save significant money. Research has shown that hotels have saved $7 for every $1 invested in fighting food waste,” said Liz Goodwin, Senior Fellow and Director, Food Loss and Waste at WRI. “By joining Friends of Champions 12.3, SHA is connecting its members to a network of businesses and others who are leading the fight to halve food loss and waste by 2030.”

“This partnership sets the hospitality industry up to significantly reduce the climate footprint of the food it serves,” said Jenny Arthur, Head of Membership Development for Coolfood at WRI. “Through Coolfood, companies will have access to cutting edge behavioural science on how to sell low carbon food, as well as rigorous data and support to help them reduce emissions. We’re excited to welcome them to the movement for delicious climate action.”

Key Statistics on food and sustainability:

• The production of food including agriculture and related land-use change (e.g., deforestation) accounts for nearly a quarter of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Shifting diets is essential to hit the global climate targets.
• As the world population approaches 10 billion by 2050, emissions from agriculture and land could grow to take up the majority of the “carbon budget” for limiting global warming to acceptable levels.
• Beef requires 20 times more land and emits 20 times more GHG emissions per gram of edible protein than common plant proteins, such as beans. Helping more people shift away from meat-centered and toward more plant-forward diets can have tremendous climate and other environmental benefits.
• More than one billion tonnes, or one third of all food produced, is lost or wasted each year.
• Approximately 17% of food is wasted at the retail and consumer levels.
• Current levels of food loss and waste are responsible for wasting a quarter of all the fresh water used in agriculture, wasting nearly a quarter of all the fertilizer that is used, using an amount of land greater than the area of China, which could have otherwise been used for food that was consumed, driving 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, costing the global economy more than $1 trillion every year.

The article Sustainable Hospitality Alliance partners with World Resources Institute first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.

As a signatory of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, ETC understands that the relationship between tourism and climate change is unquestionable. The tourism industry has both a responsibility and an opportunity to protect the resources it depends on, including the natural environments, wildlife, and cultural heritage that bring travel experiences to life.

Speaking on the launch of ETC’s Climate Action Plan, ETC President Luís Araújo said, “Addressing the challenges of climate change, building a more resilient and regenerative sector, and restoring and revitalising destination resources should be a priority and responsibility for all tourism stakeholders. With this comprehensive plan, ETC not only strives to achieve carbon neutrality in its operations, but also to empower ETC members to take bold climate action and inspire the industry towards impactful initiatives.”

The Climate Action Plan was presented at the ETC General Meeting #105 in Tallinn, hosted by Visit Estonia. This year, Tallinn holds the title of the European Green Capital, thanks to its commitment to biodiversity, sustainable governance, and climate and green innovation.

Navigating the Path Towards Net Zero

At an operational level, ETC will focus on reducing the footprint caused by its operating activities, targeting its emissions hotspots: business travel, events, and FAM and influencers’ trips. The organisation’s goal is to reach Net Zero before 2050.

Through its Climate Action Plan, ETC also aims to leverage its role as an umbrella organisation for NTOs in Europe. ETC will catalyse and support its national members to commit to a green transition, by building opportunities for collective action in Europe and providing technical support regarding the shift to Net Zero.

A few key initiatives included in the Climate Action Plan are as follows:

• An annual 7% reduction of emissions to reach the 2030 intermediate target.
• Establishment of a Climate Action Working Group within the organisation.
• Development of a plan to improve skills and knowledge of ETC members in climate action.
• Creation of an online platform for ETC members to share best practice examples, case studies and tools for climate action.

Leading on Climate Action in Tourism Industry

Due to its unique position at the crossroads between public and private tourism networks, ETC has an exciting opportunity to drive the journey towards Net Zero for the tourism industry in Europe. The Climate Action Plan outlines ETC’s commitment to leading by example and raising awareness in the industry on climate action. The organisation aims to promote the urgency of a green transition in tourism, boost cooperation among tourism stakeholders and accelerate climate actions at a global level.

The article European Travel Commission launches Climate Action Plan first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.

Double award for the sustainable commitment of lodgings and hotels

Green Pearls Unique Places is a globally recognized label for sustainable accommodations. It is also a communications agency and information platform that inspires travelers around the world to make tourism more sustainable. Green Pearls members benefit from an extensive press and blogger network, international online and print media exposure through professional media relations, social media, Pinterest and the popular Green Travel Blog.

GreenSign Hotel is an international sustainability certification for the hotel industry, recognized by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). The GreenSign Institute offers hoteliers a practical, integrated and mature verification system that structures, evaluates and documents environmental, social and economic aspects in over 100 criteria. The creation of a carbon footprint can be booked as an option. Each certification is verified by an on-site audit and is valid for 3 years. The GreenSign Institute also supports sustainable efforts with onboarding workshops.

Sustainable accommodation criteria

Both Green Pearls and GreenSign only accept accommodations into their network that meet their transparent and comprehensive criteria. These include environment and conservation, architecture, energy and water supply, management and social commitment.

This is how partners benefit from the cooperation

Credible certifications and authentic, transparent communication of sustainability are becoming increasingly important as sustainable travel becomes more mainstream. Travelers can find their way around and choose sustainable accommodation with the help of certifications and labels. But certification alone is not enough. Professional and targeted communication ensures that (potential) guests not only discover, but also emotionally associate their own unique accommodation.

When Green Pearls members are additionally certified with GreenSign Hotel, they receive an onboarding workshop in addition to the basic package. This workshop is otherwise reserved for premium customers.

GreenSign partners who sign up for Green Pearls membership as part of the cooperation will not only be presented with their own bilingual microsite on the Green Pearls information portal, but will also receive a basic package for global communication via the Green Pearls channels.

The article Green Pearls and GreenSign Institute join forces for more sustainable tourism first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.

The climate crisis is the most urgent challenge of our time. Business events can play a major role in the transformative change that is needed. From scientific conferences to political summits and trade fairs – meetings and gatherings of all types are essential tools for human collaboration and communication. The business events industry therefore has a unique opportunity and responsibility to contribute to the global efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Matthias Schultze, Managing Director at the GCB German Convention Bureau and Co-Chair of SANCBE: “Business events have been focusing on ecological sustainability for many years, but from now on we need to expand our understanding of sustainability, intensify our efforts, and align them with the best available science, existing international goals and frameworks as well as leading industry movements such as the Net Zero Carbon Events Initiative.”

Eric Bakermans, Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions and Co-Chair of SANCBE: “Our new whitepaper is built on many hours of insightful conversations, and it reflects the new roles and purposes we have jointly defined for ourselves as a European alliance. It is a result of our continued, trust-based collaboration, motivated by our shared vision for a sustainable future.”

Areas of Action and Concrete Approaches

Based on the future role and purposes of national convention bureaux as defined in a previous whitepaper by SANCBE (2021), the latest publication addresses four pillars and related areas of action: expertise & resources, advocacy & communication, strategy & standards, facilitation & innovation. These pillars show a number of concrete directions and approaches for national convention bureaux to leverage their role and influence in accelerating the sustainable transition. In terms of global cooperation, the whitepaper does not only provide a framework and inspiration for future strategic initiatives by the European member organisations, but for other, non-European national convention bureaux as well.

Global Forum for National Convention Bureaux

The whitepaper was officially launched on Monday, May 22, 2023, in Frankfurt/Germany during a brand-new and exclusive Global Forum for National Convention Bureaux, initiated by SANCBE and supported by ICCA and the IMEX Group. The forum aims at providing a collaborative industry platform serving to exchange experiences and knowledge transfer between the National Convention Bureaux with the mission to advance the sustainable transformation of business events and create long-lasting impacts in destinations.

The article Collaborative action plan to guide sustainable business events first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.

Since 2006, TÜV Rheinland has been a member of the United Nations Global Compact to promote sustainability and combat corruption. In joining the Alliance, the global company will increase its focus and leadership in creating a more sustainable hospitality industry.

TÜV Rheinland will work with the Alliance to address key challenges affecting the planet and its people, local destinations and communities. The Alliance’s Pathway to Net Positive Hospitality programme sets ambitious targets to create a prosperous and responsible global hospitality sector that gives back to the destination more than it takes. It harnesses the power of the four pillars of people, planet, place, and prosperity combined with the industry’s transformative power, innovation, and resources.

Frank Dorssers, globally responsible for customized services at TÜV Rheinland, comments: “We are thrilled by joining the Sustainability Hospitality Alliance and to support with our extensive know-how the challenging goal of achieving Net Positive Impact. TÜV Rheinland is a global leader in providing quality and HSE assurance in the hospitality industry. Coupled with our extensive expertise in sustainability auditing we are convinced that we can contribute to the initiatives’ success. We are looking forward to engaging extensively with the stakeholders.”

Glenn Mandziuk, Chief Executive Officer, Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, said: “TÜV Rheinland is uniquely placed to have a global impact in servicing and testing products and services across the hospitality sector. Joining the Alliance as an affiliate member means that its work on sustainability will have a real impact across the world. Their membership will no doubt strengthen our network and help us deliver our Pathway to Net Positive Hospitality programme over the coming years.”

The Alliance has over 30 members to date which have a reach of 7 million rooms and include world-leading hotel companies including Choice Hotels, Marriott International, Hilton, IHG, Hyatt and Radisson Hotel Group as well as regional brands and other stakeholders in the hospitality value chain.

The article TÜV Rheinland announced as a new affiliate member of the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.

In late 2021, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU mandated the Commission to accelerate Ocean and Water health conservation and restoration worldwide. The resulting EU Mission is a coordinated effort to pool the necessary financial, scientific and operational resources.

The three organisations were among the first in the world to endorse the Mission Charter, which aims to create a sustainable, carbon-neutral, circular blue economy that plays a key role in achieving climate neutrality, since the oceans are major carbon sinks, protect biodiversity and foster economic prosperity, being expected to generate €2.5 trillion per year by 2030. The Mission 2030 targets include a 30% reduction in marine microplastics and the deployment of EU carbon neutral, circular blue economy communities.

In a message of congratulations to mark the signing, Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, Institutional President of the Philippe Cousteau Foundation, remarked: “It gives me great pleasure to see our Foundation and country involved in this landmark agreement. It is not only an important early milestone in the EU Mission to help restore the balance between human activity and the health of our planet. It is also an important commitment to the values of peace, as recognised by the involvement of the World Peace Forum, including directly in the person of its President, José Félix Bentz Oliver. As such it is a source both of inspiration and of hope.”

Rafael Lobeto Lobo, Secretary General of the Philippe Cousteau Foundation and former Director General of the Spanish Merchant Navy, commented: “Life on Earth depends on the health of the connected system of the oceans, seas and inland waters, which cover around 75% of the Earth’s surface. It regulates our climate and provides oxygen, drinking water, clean energy and food. Yet man-made changes are putting our ocean and waters at serious risk, with pollution and global heating causing biodiversity loss and extreme weather events such as floods, droughts and heatwaves.”

Swan Hellenic CEO Andrea Zito noted: “These ambitions are embedded in our DNA. All of Swan Hellenic’s ships are equipped with cutting-edge green technologies, including the latest generation tier III diesel engines with urea injection, dynamic positioning systems to avoid anchoring in delicate seabed locations, and advanced wastewater treatment plants. We have also increasingly eliminated “single use plastics” on board as supported by supply chain availability in remote areas.”

All three organisations in fact already have their own individual Mission Charter commitments, with the Philippe Cousteau Foundation promoting ocean literacy in schools and among fishermen and seafarers, SDG4MED making the “LIFE4MEDECA Knowledge Center” available to municipalities to pursue a shared action plan, and Swan Hellenic continuously investing in the latest green technologies and operations.

Their new partnership is significant in recognising that individual initiatives, though commendable, are not sufficient, as SDG4MED President Mario Dogliani explained: “Acting together will greatly amplify what we are able to achieve through our efforts. This partnership offers us a vital tool – Swan Hellenic’s ships and their destinations – to collect data on ocean health with previously inconceivable reach and granularity. Data collected in rarely accessed ocean areas will improve the accuracy of scientists’ assessments of ocean health and its evolution. Moreover, the direct involvement of Swan Hellenic crew and guests paves the way for a new era of sustainable, ecologically aware cruising.”

“Oceans are like humans,” observed Zito. “A full picture of health parameters enables effective medical treatment. Using commercial ships as sensors of Ocean Health is just common sense and I am pleased that Swan Hellenic is able to help make this a reality and best practice. Our new commitment with this partnership is in many ways a natural extension of our existing practice of inviting cruise guests to actively contribute to a series of leading “Citizen Science” programmes, providing data on the environment and marine life, while building their awareness and knowledge of scientific initiatives”.

The article Swan Hellenic, Philippe Cousteau Foundation and SDG4MED join forces to restore ocean health first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.