By Ben Squires From Over60

Royal Caribbean Cruises has made a serious pledge with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to reduce its environmental footprint and raise awareness about ocean conservation.

The cruise line behind iconic cruise ships like Quantum of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas is making the very serious pledge to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions it is causing by 35 per cent between now and the start of the year 2020.

In addition to this measure, Royal Caribbean will also be aiming to source 90 per cent of its wild-caught seafood from sustainable fisheries that are MSC-certified (basically a tick of approve that ensures the fishery is operating sustainably) as well as sourcing up to 75 per cent of its farmed seafood from responsible farms that have ASC certification.

As a part of Royal Caribbean’s partnership with the WWF, it will also donate up to $7 million dollars to support the fund’s global ocean conservation work, as well as building awareness of the importance of pressing conservation issues among its passengers.

Richard D. Fain, chair and CEO of Royal Caribbean said, “Our mantra at Royal Caribbean Cruises is ‘continuous improvement’ and this partnership with WWF represents a great opportunity to make a big step forward in meeting our special responsibility to protect the oceans. It is also gratifying to see that our determination to make a meaningful difference is shared by our employees and our guests.

This new partnership aligns all of us at RCL with WWF’s mission to conserve the world’s oceans. Together we are setting aggressive goals and together we will start implementing them right away.”

World Wildlife Fund US President and CEO, Carter Roberts added, “The threats that are facing the ocean are greater than ever – in the last 30 years, some ocean wildlife populations have declined by nearly 50 per cent. If we are going to reverse the downward trends, we must take serious steps to repair, restore and protect the oceans. This initiative centres on two core concepts: first, committing to specific and measurable targets to reduce carbon emissions, increase sustainable sourcing and build destination stewardship; and second, comprehensively engaging their millions of travellers to learn about the ocean and then act to help save it.”

In an exciting year for cruising, this initiative shows many lines have not forgotten about the pressing issues that face the industry amid its rapid and exciting expansion.

For more on this story go to: http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/cruising/2016/03/royal-caribbean-world-wildlife-fund-partnership/