At the One Ocean Summit, PONANT reinforced its commitment to ocean conservation
PONANT took part in the One Ocean Summit in Brest from the 9th to the 11th February, the first ever summit dedicated to increasing the ambitions of the international community with respect to marine issues and translating our shared responsibility for the seas and oceans into concrete action. As part of the event, PONANT's president Hervé Gastinel presented PONANT's five strategic commitments to the protection of the oceans in the coming years.
PONANT's five strategic commitments:
- Consider the whole world as a “controlled sulphur and nitrogen oxide emission zone” for all in our fleet before 2025.
- Reduce our CO2 emissions by 15% by 2026 and 30% by 2030 compared to 2019.
- Completely eliminate single use plastics aboard and ashore from 2022.
- Ensure reuse and traceability of all waste by 2025.
- Embark scientific research teams aboard the high polar exploration ship, Le Commandant Charcot.
We are at the forefront of our industry when it comes to deploying solutions that minimise our ships’ ecological footprint and help protect marine biodiversity. We want to persevere on this path and inspire other stakeholders
Hervé Gastinel, CEO of PONANT
PONANT renewed its support for the RespectOcean and Cluster Maritime Français organisations at the summit. Hervé Gastinel also signed the United Nations' Global Tourism Plastics Initiative and committed the company to adopting an OCEAN APPROVED® approach:
PONANT has reaffirmed its commitment to work alongside RespectOcean, particularly through the launch of the marine biodiversity & economy programme (Biodiversité Marine & Économie) and the new edition of the Ocean pitch challenge® competiton, two initiatves designed to encourage innovation with respect to promoting the emergence of a sustainable blue economy respectful of the riches of the oceans and the essential role they play for the planet.
Cluster Maritime Français has announced the creation, in conjunction with the French state and the maritime sector, of a new body titled the Institut MEET (Maritime Eco-Energy Transition), which will provide help and support with the process of deploying zero- or low-emission ships. It was in this context that Hervé Gastinel presented the new innovations introduced on board Le Commandant Charcot, a veritable laboratory designed for exploring the polar regions in an environmentally responsible manner.
During the workshop on sustainable tourism organised during the summit, PONANT committed to following the recommendations of the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative, a United Nations programme aimed at encouraging concrete action in the fight against plastic pollution in the tourism sector. Echoing the measures already introduced on Le Commandant Charcot, PONANT has set itself the objective of banning the use of single use plastics across its entire fleet from 2022 onwards.
PONANT has initiated the process of achieving OCEAN APPROVED® certification. Launched as a partnership venture by the organisations Fondation de la Mer and Bureau Veritas, and in association with France's ministry of the sea, OCEAN APPROVED® is the very first international certification system dedicated to protecting the oceans. The quality benchmark it provides, approved by UN experts, enables pioneering companies leading the way in terms of reducing their environmental impact to evaluate their practices and identify areas in which action can be taken, and provides them with recognition for the commitment they are making.