Sustainability is an integral part of our success

Dear readers,
dear friends of AIDA,

Felix Eichhorn, President of AIDA Cruises

I am delighted present to you our sustainability report for the financial year 2018. This is the 12th edition of AIDA cares, with which we aim to give you the opportunity to understand how we as a market leader in the German cruise sector are dealing with current and future ecological and social challenges and actively take responsibility for them. Transparency creates trust within our own company, among our guests and in the focus of the general public.

In 2018 we continued our successful development. For this we also have to thank the more than one million guests who traveled with AIDA, our 14,000 employees from more than 50 countries on board our 13 cruise ships and on shore in Rostock and Hamburg, and our partners with whom we enjoy trusting collaborations around the world.

After ten years of research and development work, in December 2018 we completed a technological leap with the launch of AIDAnova, the first cruise ship in the world that can be operated solely on low-emission liquefied natural gas. Two more of these innovative ships will set off on cruises by 2023. We are also continuously retrofitting our existing fleet with the latest environmental technology. The use of shore power from regenerative energy sources is an important aspect of this because it allows us to make a further contribution to improving the air quality in port cities. However, together with our partners we are already looking into how the cruise industry may be able to use fuel cells, batteries and liquefied natural gas from renewable sources. We are also tackling other urgent issues such as reducing or cutting out entirely our use of plastic and disposable products. Our long-term goal is clear: to offer carbon-neutral cruises.

We at AIDA believe it is important to share success with others. We pool our social projects under the umbrella of AIDA Cruise & Help. One particular focus of our work is on opening up opportunities for the future for children and teenagers in emerging and developing countries by improving the access to education. In May 2019 we opened the first AIDA School in Cebu in the Philippines. More will follow.

In all our efforts we always keep an eye on the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations as well as the Paris Climate Agreement and the climate goals of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), because AIDA Cruises can only grow sustainably if we respect and protect our natural surroundings and the rich cultural heritage of our planet.

With warm regards,

Felix Eichhorn
President of AIDA Cruises

Sustainability philosophy and targets

For us, sustainability means ensuring we are prepared for the future by protecting the environment and using resources sparingly. We are committed to preserving biological and cultural diversity both on board our ships and on land. In accordance with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) we utilize our capacity for innovation to generate economic, environmental and social benefits for every person at every level of our business activity.

Our sustainability philosophy

We do not merely do lip service to sustainability here at AIDA Cruises: we consciously take responsibility for preventing damage to the environment and creating a just society. Acting sustainably is the fundamental requirement that will allow us to offer cruises in the future, which simultaneously safeguards the jobs of our employees and ensures positive holiday experiences for our guests.

Sustainability – a process of all-round quality

We bring ecological and social responsibility into harmony with our corporate goals. This is why we have embedded our sustainability programme with its wide-ranging and interwoven processes and standards into every level of our company. These are managed centrally, but the operative measures are implemented on a local basis. They are put into practice using specific targets and performance indicators along the entire length of the value chain. These targets and indicators are based on clearly defined responsibilities and require adherence with all rules and standards.

The three pillars of our sustainability strategy

In line with UN objectives for sustainable development

In September 2015, the United Nations drew up 17 objectives under the title of Agenda 2030 which aim to ensure sustainable development all over the world. The so-called Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) are intended to make a contribution to solving global challenges such as poverty, hunger, inequality, education, health, water, energy, climate change, peace and employment.

We unequivocally endorse the comprehensive approach of the SDGs and support their implementation. All of our short, medium and long-term measures are oriented towards these SDGs and play a part in achieving them. As a company that operates worldwide, our innovations, packages and services allow us to contribute to overcoming global challenges by integrating sustainable measures into our business model, promoting good health in our guests and our employees on land and at sea, protecting the biodiversity of ecosystems, reducing the burden on the environment, respecting the diversity of different peoples and preserving and promoting unique cultural characteristics.