ANTARCTICA – The cruise industry, long criticized for polluting the environment, is trying to go greener by exploring new technologies.
Cruises get a bad reputation for their climate footprint and even more for the air pollution they generate.
Most cruise ships run on heavy fuel, which is cheap but full of harmful substances – such as sulphur oxide, nitrogen oxide (NOx) and fine particles – that increase the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular disease.
The use of heavy fuel is currently permitted everywhere except in Antarctica.
Some 203 cruise ships in Europe generated more than 10 million tons of CO2 emissions in 2017 – the equivalent of the annual emissions of Luxemburg or Cyprus – according to a report by campaign group Transport & Environment.
Their study also said the ships spewed 20 times more sulphur oxide than the 260 million cars on Europe’s roads.
While some progress is being made, it is slow going.
“Only a small proportion of fleets is becoming cleaner, while the industry by large continues to rely on heavy fuels and fails to employ exhaust technology,” German non-government organization Nabu said in its 2019 ranking of cruise ships by air pollution and climate emissions.
Sulphur levels allowed in ship fuel will be reduced from 3.5 percent to 0.5 percent under new International Maritime Organization rules from Jan. 1, 2020.
In some areas, like the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, the maximum level authorized is already 0.1 percent. (Agence France-Presse)
