PONANT has cemented its position as a world leader in sustainable tourism, recognised for the second year in a row with Green Marine certification, an achievement which comes of the recent announcement of the company’s support for the Argentinian GARRAHAN Foundation, both significant accomplishments which demonstrate PONANT’s ongoing dedication to environment preservation.
First attaining the US-based environmental certification in 2020 as the first international cruise company to do so, PONANT has most recently achieved an average of 4.5 out of 5 and level 5 (leadership and excellence) for six of the eight indicators.
The initiative recognises all those in the maritime industry who undertake to measure their environmental performance every year and reduce their ecological footprint. Green Marine has identified and addresses priority issues through a number of performance indicators. Assessed on a scale of 1 to 5, they are practices and technologies that have a direct impact on the environment including underwater noise, pollutant air emissions (SOx and PM), greenhouse gas emissions (CO2), invasive aquatic species and management of residues and oily discharges. 2021 saw a new indicator introduced also being ship recycling for which PONANT achieved 5/5.
PONANT’s General Manager Sales & Marketing Asia Pacific Deb Corbett said of the accomplishment “PONANT laid the groundwork for sustainable operations many years ago and this repeated achievement, particularly as we were the first international cruise company to achieve such certification, reflects our universal adoption of practices and technologies respectful to the environment and confirms the company’s position as a leader in sustainable tourism.”
As part of the company’s global commitment to the environment, the PONANT Foundation also aligned with the GARRAHAN Foundation, which collects and resells aluminium cans and plastic bottle caps, donating recyclable waste accumulated on board its ships on their return from cruises to Antarctica. Funds generated by the recycling program are used to purchase and repair equipment at the Garrahan Paediatric Hospital, train health teams and help fund after care homes for sick children and their families.
A win-win initiative, it combines environmental protection and support for the most disadvantaged, contributing to better waste management in the region, a Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, so dear to PONANT, having operated luxury expeditions to Antarctica from the area for over 20 years.
