Royal Caribbean Group
Advancing sustainability to conserve oceans
Our oceans are under threat. In the last four decades, populations of some marine mammals, birds, reptiles, and fish have declined on average by half, according to WWF's Living Blue Planet Report.
© Juan Pratginestos / WWF-Canon
Yet the ocean is filled with solutions to some of today's biggest challenges. If we are to reverse the downward trends that threaten biodiversity and human well-being, we must take bold steps to repair, restore, and protect the oceans and engage actors like business along the way.
WWF and Royal Caribbean Group are working together to embed sustainability into the core of its business and across the industry, promote responsible tourism in priority coastal destinations, and support ocean conservation programs globally.
The tourism industry has evolved dramatically over the last decade, in response to shifting consumer trends —prompting brands, suppliers and governments to respond in kind. Through this partnership, we aim to meet the challenge and set a leading bar around sustainability.
Together, WWF and Royal Caribbean Group endeavor to make a positive impact on both the oceans and coastal destinations and galvanize both guests and industry peers to join us on this sustainability journey — to conserve important ocean ecosystems and support the communities that depend on it
Our Impact
Carbon emissions
Goals
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions intensity (CO2e/ALB-km) 35% by 2020 from a 2005 baseline.
Progress
- Achieved 32.6% reduction in 2019.
- In 2020, Royal Caribbean committed to further reduce emissions by an additional 25% by 2025 from 2019 levels.
- Royal Caribbean is also contributing expertise to the Science Based Targets initiative’s (SBTi’s) development of new target methodologies for the shipping sector.
Destination stewardship
Goals
- Support the GSTC’s Destination Assessment process in two of the destinations that Royal Caribbean ships visit, and in private destinations in Coco-Cay and Labadee.
Progress
- The Royal Caribbean-WWF partnership completed three GSTC Destination Assessments in Royal Caribbean ports of call: Cozumel, Mexico; Roatán, Honduras; and Belize City, Belize.
Sustainable seafood
Goals
- Eliminate the procurement of highly vulnerable/endangered species identified by WWF utilizing IUCN and CITES rankings.
- Responsibly source 90% of wild-caught seafood by volume from Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)-certified sustainable fisheries, fisheries in full assessment for MSC certification, comprehensive fishery improvement projects, and/or International Seafood Sustainability Association member companies.
- In North American and European operations, responsibly source 75% of farmed seafood by volume from Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)-certified responsible farms, farms in full assessment for ASC certification, and/or comprehensive aquaculture improvement projects.
Progress
- Achieved the elimination of the procurement of highly vulnerable/endangered species.
- Progress for the second and third goals was put on hold due to the pandemic.
Global tour operations
Goals
- Increase the number of sustainable tours offered to guests by providing 1,000 Royal Caribbean tours through global Sustainability Tourism Council (GSTC)- certified operators.
Progress
- Royal Caribbean achieved over 2,000 GSTC-certified tours through 33 different tour operators in 29 different countries as of December 2020.
- Royal Caribbean was also the first major travel company to adopt preferential purchasing based on GSTC-accredited certification, allowing tour operators to proudly help protect the environment while also saving costs.
Additional resources
2020 Partnership Report
WWF and Royal Caribbean Group recently announced a five-year partnership underpinned by specific and measurable goals to help ensure the long-term health of the oceans.
Partnership reports
© Juan Pratginestos / WWF-Canon
