07/03/2024
PONANT : first maritime cruise line to achieve green globe certification
All four Sisterships, six PONANT Explorers, Le Commandant Charcot and the sailing yacht Le Ponant have just been awarded Green Globe certification. This result rewards the commitment of all PONANT teams over the past several years to reduce their environmental footprint and contribute to more sustainable tourism.
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 also for continuing to encourage the whole maritime sector to realise its environmental transition. 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.
Wassim Daoud, Head of CSR and Sustainability at PONANT
Green Globe, an internationally recognized standard
Launched in 1998, the Green Globe International Standard for Sustainable Travel and Tourism is recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. It assesses the sustainability of business operations based on 44 criteria and 380 indicators organised around four pillars: sustainable management, social and economic performance, cultural heritage and the environment.
Green Globe is an affiliate member of the World Tourism Organization. The certification process is carried out every year by an accredited independent auditor.
PONANT commits to more sustainable tourism
Use of low-sulphur fuel and a shift away from heavy fuel oil
Since 2019, the entire fleet has been using Low-Sulphur Marine Gas Oil (LS-MGO) which has a sulphur content below 0.05%, 13 times lower than current maritime standards, significantly limiting its atmospheric impact.
PONANT was the world’s first cruise line to abandon heavy fuel oil and support international authorities advocating for the extension of Sulphur Emission Control Area (SECA) to all oceans, like the Rome Declaration.
Reducing atmospheric emissions
PONANT has also undertaken to equip its entire fleet with catalytic systems to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions and shore power connection systems in ports to reduce its CO2 emissions by 30% per cruise day by 2030, compared to 2018.
Reducing waste production
The company has also made great strides in reducing waste production. A strategy of gradually phasing out single-use plastics has been implemented since 2021
This has been notably realised through the deployment of Nordaq filtration units for onboard production of drinking water from seawater. It is then distributed via water fountains or in recyclable glass bottles, facilitated by an onboard encapsulation chain.
In 2022, this strategy meant that nearly 390,000 single-use bottles, that’s five tonnes of plastic, were avoided (compared to 2019). The company has also reviewed all its onboard operations to eliminate other sources of plastic waste and continues to pursue its zero single-use plastic objective in 2024.
Support for local communities
PONANT pays close attention to its impact on local communities
A scouting mission to the Bijagos archipelago in Guinea-Bissau gave rise to a programme to rebuild and finance the operation of the school in the village of Anipoc on the island of Caravela.
Funded by the PONANT Foundation, the project will provide schooling for around 100 children and nearly 200 adults benefiting from literacy programmes.
Emphasis was also placed on ecologically responsible management, including waste sorting and recovery, access to drinking water and solar electricity.
