Costa Cruises has published its 2019 Sustainability Report, highlighting a further reduction in CO2 emissions of 8.06 percent compared to the previous year for a total reduction of 40 percent versus 2008.

Costa said that the arrival of the Costa Smeralda, the first ship in the Costa fleet to be fueled by LNG, represented a fundamental step toward emissions reduction and will be followed by a sister ship in 2021, the Costa Toscana.

Furthermore, the Costa Group (the Costa and AIDA brands) is developing studies on new sustainable alternative technologies, according to a press statement. Tests are being carried out on the use of shorepower, and the company is looking for private-public partnerships to build the infrastructure needed to support the systems. Fifty percent of the company fleet will be ready for shorepower by year’s end.

Other efforts are said to be underway to create a so-called circular economy aboard, reducing all kinds of waste from food, to water, to energy.

Costa has also introduced initiatives to reduce the use of plastic and eliminate disposable products.

Food waste is being attacked as well, while promoting responsible consumption onboard.

On the workforce side, Costa said it provided more than 1.2 million hours of training in 2019 and further enhanced its employee welfare policies.

Other initiatives include destination tours designed for people with disabilities and eco-friendly ways to discovering destinations and educational programs aimed at promoting the protection and preservation of nature sites.

The Costa Crociere Foundation donates to some 28 projects for environmental and community support for almost 30,000 beneficiaries.