PONANT: 5 commitments to the ocean
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PONANT took part in the One Ocean Summit in Brest, France, from the 9th to the 11th of February, the first ever summit dedicated to increasing the ambitions of the international community concerning 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 5 commitments
• Consider the entire world as a "controlled zone for sulphur and nitrogen oxide emissions" for our entire fleet, before 2025 • Reduce our CO2 emissions by 15% in 2026 and 30% in 2030 compared to 2019 • Eliminate single-use plastic, on board and on land, by 2022 • Ensure the valorisation and traceability of all waste by 2025 • Embark scientific research teams on board Le Commandant Charcot, a Polar Class 2 exploration vessel
Hervé Gastinel
"We are at the forefront of our industry in deploying solutions that minimise the ecological footprint of our ships and preserve marine biodiversity. We want to persevere in this direction and inspire other stakeholders."
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 the RespectOcean association, notably through the launch of the Marine Biodiversity & Economy program and the new edition of the Ocean Pitch Challenge® competition, two initiatives that encourage innovation to promote a sustainable blue economy, respectful of the richness of the oceans and their essential role for the planet.
The French Maritime Cluster announced the creation, in collaboration with the State and the maritime sector, of an Institute for the Ecological and Energy Transition of the Maritime (T2EM) to support the deployment of zero-emission or low-emission ships. In this context, Hervé Gastinel presented the innovations on board the Le Commandant Charcot, a true laboratory ship dedicated to the responsible exploration of polar regions.
During the workshop on sustainable tourism organised at this summit, PONANT committed to following the recommendations of the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative. This United Nations program encourages concrete actions by the tourism sector in the fight against plastic pollution. Following the example set on the expedition ship Le Commandant Charcot, PONANT has set a goal to ban the use of single-use plastic throughout its fleet by 2022.
PONANT has initiated the process to obtain the OCEAN APPROVED® label, the first international label dedicated to ocean preservation, launched by the Fondation de la mer in partnership with Bureau Veritas, and in collaboration with the Ministry of the Sea. Its framework, approved by UN experts, allows pioneering companies in reducing environmental impacts to assess their practices, identify key areas, and have their commitment recognized.