Friday, March 1, 2024
PONANT’s entire fleet has recently achieved Green Globe certification, a prestigious international standard in the travel and tourism sector. This recognition underscores PONANT’s unwavering dedication to promoting responsible tourism practices.
“Green Globe certification, a global tourism industry standard, is a key element of our commitment to ensuring accountability for our actions. It’s important for our guests and to continue to encourage the whole maritime sector to realise its environmental transition,” explains Wassim Daoud, Head of CSR and Sustainability at PONANT. He continues: “What sets this certification apart is that it is based on continuous improvement. While our goal this year was to obtain it, the major challenge in the coming years will be to keep it”.
The certification has been granted to all vessels within the Le Boréal series, including the four Sisterships, the six PONANT Explorers, Le Commandant Charcot, and the sailing yacht Le Ponant. This accomplishment reflects the collective effort of PONANT’s teams over the past years to minimize their environmental impact and foster sustainable tourism.
Since 2019, PONANT has been leading the charge in environmental responsibility by exclusively utilizing Low-Sulphur Marine Gas Oil (LS-MGO), surpassing current maritime standards with a sulphur content below 0.05%. This initiative significantly reduces atmospheric pollution. PONANT made history as the first cruise line to eschew heavy fuel oil, advocating for broader adoption of Sulphur Emission Control Area (SECA) regulations, as outlined in the Rome Declaration.
In alignment with its commitment to reducing air emissions, PONANT is implementing catalytic systems across its entire fleet to diminish nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions and installing shore power connection systems in ports, enabling engine shutdown. These technologies will be fully integrated by the end of 2026. PONANT aims to slash CO2 emissions by 30% per cruise day by 2030, relative to 2018 levels.
The company has also made significant strides in waste reduction, progressively phasing out single-use plastics since 2021. Notably, the deployment of Nordaq filtration units for onboard water production has eliminated nearly 390,000 single-use plastic bottles (equivalent to five tonnes of plastic) in 2022 compared to 2019. PONANT continues to overhaul onboard operations to eradicate plastic waste, maintaining its commitment to zero single-use plastics in 2024.
PONANT prioritizes its impact on local communities, fostering meaningful connections beyond mere business transactions. Following a scouting mission in the Bijagos archipelago in Guinea Bissau, PONANT initiated a project to reconstruct a school in Anipoc village on Caravela island, funded by the PONANT Foundation. This remote area, designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 1996, now benefits from literacy programs serving approximately a hundred pupils and around 200 adults. The PONANT Foundation supports the school’s eco-responsible management, including waste sorting, access to clean water, and solar-generated electricity, while also funding teachers’ salaries until the community can provide on-site support.
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Sunday, April 28, 2024
