Carnival Corporation today announced it has joined the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping, a nonprofit, independent research and development center committed to accelerating the transition toward a net-zero future for the global maritime industry.

Carnival Corporation is the first cruise company to join the center’s global community.

According to a statement, the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping aims to advance the maritime industry’s transition to a low carbon future through collaboration across the entire value chain, with the long-term ambition of reaching zero carbon shipping by 2050.

Together with its partners, the center is facilitating the development and implementation of sustainable solutions, new technologies and viable transition pathways while driving needed policies and regulations to enable the transition.

This shared vision closely aligns with Carnival Corporation’s own decarbonization goals and aspiration to achieve net carbon-neutral ship operations by 2050. To achieve this, the company is partnering with key organizations to help identify and scale new technologies not yet ready for the cruise industry.

“We look forward to working with a strong alliance of some of the best minds in science, engineering and business who share our long-term ambition for a successful and sustainable decarbonization of the global maritime industry,” said Tom Strang, senior vice president of maritime affairs for Carnival Corporation. “At Carnival Corporation, our highest responsibility and top priority is always compliance, environmental protection, and the health, safety and well-being of our guests, the people in the communities we visit and serve, and our shipboard and shoreside personnel.”

Added Strang: “As part of our commitment to decarbonization and carbon footprint reduction efforts, we are continuing to innovate to effect change, and joining the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping is another important step as we continue our ongoing focus to establish a path to zero emission cruising over time.”

Through the partnership, Carnival Corporation will have the opportunity to collaborate with industry players and like-minded organizations across the energy and shipping sectors, and have access to learnings, knowledge, and research and development activities for identifying viable decarbonization pathways, the company said.

Partners of the center comprise over 40 companies, including global stakeholders from a variety of shipping-related industries such as fuel suppliers, marine classification societies, shipping companies, engineering and manufacturing companies, energy companies and more.

Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, the center was established in 2020 as an independent player in the maritime eco-system to leverage the power of industry collaboration to help accelerate and contribute to the decarbonization of the global maritime industry.