Cruises bring a lot of profit but also a lot of pollutants dangerous to the health of many

cruise

29 Apr 2024 / 15:01

Written by Giorgos Asonitis, Specialist at the Central Union of Greek Chambers of Commerce.

1. Dynamic growth of cruising

Cruising constitutes a significant part of the tourism sector in Greece and has significant impacts on the economy and employment. It contributes approximately 1.1 billion Euros annually to the Greek economy, creates 15,000 jobs, contributes to the extension of the tourist season, and encourages the development of new destinations at the local level (such as Paros, Milos, Tinos, etc.).

The Mediterranean ranks second among the top 10 cruise destinations after the Caribbean, Bahamas and Bermuda.

Cruise revenue in Europe is expected to continuously increase until 2028 by a total of 0.3 billion US dollars annually (+3.65% per annum). After the eighth consecutive year of growth, the index is estimated to reach 8.53 billion US dollars, thus peaking in 2028.

In Greece, last year, revenue broke all records, a trend expected to continue this year. According to the Bank of Greece, revenue from the sector in the eleven-month period of January - November 2023 amounted to 698.9 million Euros compared to 413.3 million Euros in the eleven-month period of 2022 and 556 million Euros in 2019 (the best year in cruise ship arrivals and passengers).

According to data from the Association of Greek Ports (ELIME), the number of cruise passenger arrivals at 49 Greek ports reached 7,003,150, while estimates for this year project arrivals to exceed 8 million.

Among Greek destinations, Corfu ranks 4th in passenger arrivals, 5th in cruise ship arrivals, and 6th in cruise revenue distribution (5.7% of total revenue).

In terms of revenue, the Port of Piraeus ranks first, with a 43.7% share of the total, followed by the ports of Santorini and Heraklion with 10.0% and 8.4% of revenue, respectively.

Another significant aspect for the past year in cruising was the selection of Greek ports for homeporting. As expected, the Port of Piraeus led in homeporting with 525 arrivals and 880,800 passengers, followed by the Port of Corfu with 54 arrivals and 194,792 passengers, Lavrio with 99 arrivals and 123,383 passengers, Heraklion with 6 arrivals and 14,106 passengers, and Thessaloniki with 31 arrivals and 10,000 passengers.

The cruise market in our country, therefore, constitutes a significant sector for development, both for local communities and the national economy. Combined with further growth in homeporting and infrastructure development, it can provide even greater prospects for additional job opportunities and market growth.

2. Emissions of gases (impacts on health and the environment)

However, beyond the economic benefits, cruising has impacts on the environment and the health of destination residents, social impacts on local communities, and not forgetting the transmission of infectious diseases (e.g., COVID-19).

Traditional cruise ships powered by diesel emit vast amounts of toxic gases. According to a study by the European Federation for Transport and Environment, while the shipping industry as a whole accounts for 2.9% of global carbon dioxide emissions, cruise ships annually produce more carbon dioxide on average than any other type of vessel, due to air conditioning, heated pools, and other hotel amenities they offer.

A large cruise ship can have a greater carbon footprint than 12,000 cars, while a night on the ship requires twelve times more energy than in a hotel.

However, the two most dangerous gases for human health, the environment, and climate emitted by cruise ships are sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), as well as fine particles (PM 2.5). The first is found in the lower atmosphere and is a corrosive, acidic gas.

Direct exposure to sulphur dioxide is associated with asthma and chronic bronchitis and can lead to irritation and constriction of the airways and can also cause lung cancer and be the cause of acid rain.

The maximum allowable daily limit for fine particles is only 5 mg/m3, while exposure to more than 15 mg/m3 for more than 3-4 days per year is responsible for cardiovascular and respiratory problems.

Emissions of sulphur oxides from the 218 cruise ships that sailed in Europe last year were measured to be up to four times higher than all the cars on the continent emitted. Specifically, they emitted 509 tons of sulphur dioxide, a higher percentage than pre-pandemic levels of 465 tons.

For the Mediterranean, which has a population of approximately 250 million inhabitants, the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that annual average levels in the region often exceed air quality guidelines by more than five times. Additionally, about 70% of cities in Mediterranean coastal countries exceed WHO recommendations for pollution levels.

Although a maximum limit for sulphur in ship fuels, introduced by the UN in 2020, has reduced emissions per ton of fuel consumed, the addition of new ships to existing fleets has resulted in an overall increase in emissions.

Last year, Barcelona was the most polluted port in Europe, followed by Civitavecchia (Rome) and Piraeus. Venice – the most polluted cruise port in 2019 – dropped to 41st place in the ranking after the ban on entry of large cruise ships to the port introduced in 2021, resulting in an 80% reduction in sulphur dioxide emissions. The port of Corfu ranks 23rd in the ranking with 5.5 tons of sulphur dioxide.

A study conducted by the European think tank Transport & Environment found that out of the 20 most polluting cruise lines, seven belong to the company Carnival, which has already paid over $60 million in fines in the United States for wastewater and plastic waste disposal, oil waste, gas leaks, dirty water, and tampering with incident records.

Finally, a large cruise ship produces more than a ton of rubbish every day. Much of this rubbish is incinerated and disposed of at sea, endangering countless marine organisms and marine life.

3. Initiatives to address gas emissions

Several studies have been published, e.g., by IIASA (2018), INERIS (2019), and REMPEC (2019), showing that designating the Mediterranean as a control area for SOx (SECA) and NOx (NECA) emissions would significantly reduce these emissions.

Following pressure from European Environmental Organisations (MedECA Network), the member states of the Barcelona Convention requested the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to declare the Mediterranean as a Sulphur Emissions Control Area (SECA). Indeed, the organisation's response was positive, and the Mediterranean was declared a SECA, according to Regulation 14 and Appendix III of Annex VI to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), with the implementation date set for May 1, 2025.

This implies that henceforth, when a ship operates in the Mediterranean Sea, the sulphur content of the fuel used on board must not exceed 0.10%, unless an Exhaust Gas Cleaning System (EGCS) is used to ensure equivalent SOx emission levels. It is estimated that the implementation of this measure will significantly reduce atmospheric pollution levels in the Mediterranean, possibly by up to 95%, and PM2.5 emissions by 11%. If the Mediterranean were declared a NECA, harmful nitrogen emissions would be reduced by up to 70%.

International experience from existing ECAs, those already implemented in Europe, North America, and the Caribbean, has shown only positive impacts on air quality, with no observed problems in the economy, transportation, or fuel supply. On the contrary, the establishment of Emission Control Areas (ECAs) has acted as a catalyst for fostering innovation towards a more "green" shipping industry. In Europe, the Baltic and North Seas (including the English Channel) have already been designated as ECAs.

For nitrogen emissions, all coastal states have agreed to work towards reducing nitrogen oxides in the Mediterranean through corresponding measures, and the relevant proposal was submitted to the IMO in December 2023.

Alongside Venice, which has long been at the forefront of the anti-cruise movement, other European port cities, such as Santorini, Palma de Mallorca, and Dubrovnik, have also imposed restrictions on larger ships. The mayor of Barcelona has previously urged the regional government to limit the number of ships allowed in the city's port.

To prevent ships from burning fuel in anchorages, ports in Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Francisco, and San Diego have begun supplying moored ships with electric power, reducing port pollution by 95%. Similar practices are followed in the ports of Hamburg, Rostock, and Kiel. If this practice is generalised, by 2050, it could prevent 10,000 premature deaths annually.

The cruise industry claims to be strongly committed to continuously improving its sustainability efforts by investing in the development of new environmental technologies, sustainable ship fuels, and ship equipment for connecting to shore power.

Today, already more than 80 ships of the cruise fleet of its labour union body (CLIA), representing 40 percent of global capacity, are equipped with shore power connections, and another 83 ships are scheduled for retrofitting.

It is expected that approximately 85 percent of cruise ships by 2028 will be equipped with the ability to connect to shore power.

These benefits/costs from destinations must be weighed.

4. Corfu: Delight with Profits, Ignorance of Risks?

The environmental, social, and health dimensions seem to be mostly absent from public dialogue in Corfu. What matters is the number of cruise ship arrivals and passengers.

From the dismissive view at the start of this tourist activity several years ago with the motto "forty euros per head?" we have reached today's euphoria of "how much does it bring in?"

Corfu Port Authority, based on its quantitative approach, has developed port infrastructure with new piers to accommodate as many cruise ships as possible.

It does not seem to have taken any action towards environmental consideration. Looking at the "Green Port" section of its website, the page is empty.

The civil society of Corfu seems rather weak. While it organises for some ad hoc issues (e.g., Erimitis, Garitsa Park, Mon Repos), it does not seem concerned about a holistic approach to the town's complex problems. After all, these problems collide with conflicting interests that do not allow open conflicts.

The San Giacomo Association, which could have a say, does not seem willing to get involved in hot issues, such as overtourism and its consequences. Therefore, I believe that this mindset creates rigidity in establishing a Destination Management Organisation, a very useful tool found in most tourist destinations.

Sweeping a problem under the carpet does not solve it. You place it on a scale, and depending on which side it leans, you make your decisions.

Cruises bring a lot of profit but also a lot of pollutants dangerous to the health of many

Written by Giorgos Asonitis, Specialist at the Central Union of Greek Chambers of Commerce.

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Cruises bring a lot of profit but also a lot of pollutants dangerous to the health of many

Written by Giorgos Asonitis, Specialist at the Central Union of Greek Chambers of Commerce.

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