Cruise ships visiting Valletta port with worst emissions almost double

Cruise ships visiting Malta with the worst category ranking for environmental impact in terms of emissions, are expected to see an increase of almost double by the end of the year.

The shocking number has been revealed on the Cruise Ship Ranking list for 2018, compiled by BirdLife Malta’s German partner NABU (The Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union) as part of the ongoing joint Together Against Air Pollution from Ships project. Ships placed in this category (rated with four red propellers in the attached graphic), are categorized as having the most harmful impact on the environment, health and climate in comparison to other cruise liners.

In 2017, the number of ships with this ranking visiting Malta was 65, while so far this year, the number is already at 58 cruise liners for the worst category. This number will rise up to 112 port calls by the end of this year according to the Valletta Cruise Port schedule for 2018, almost double the amount of cruise ships in this category in comparison to 2017.

The full list includes a breakdown of cruise ship operators traveling in European waters and classifying their vessels according to their efforts in cutting pollution.

The findings also show that just one newly built cruise ship has renounced to the use of polluting HFO as fuel in exchange for cleaner less polluting fuel. AIDAnova will be the first cruise ship using Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), whilst giants such as MSC Cruises,