Danish Ports: We need a common European solution for sustainable cruise ships

Cruise tourism is growing rapidly in Danish ports these years, and the many new tourists generate a turnover of more than DKK 1.5 billion and 2,200 full-time jobs this year alone, which is a new record.

While more than 500 calls in Danish ports with a total of more than one million cruise guests provide life and growth and jobs in the Danish port cities, the large ships must of course be powered by some form of energy. And it should be as green and as sustainable as possible, says the industry organization Danish Ports:

"We have just had a meeting with our cruise ports, and there is a broad consensus that cruising must be both green and sustainable, which can easily go hand in hand with all the growth it entails. The seas are by nature a central part of our infrastructure, and therefore we have every interest in ensuring that the environmental consequences are as positive as possible," emphasizes Director Tine Kirk Pedersen.

The announcement from Danish ports comes after Environment and Food Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen issued a press release this week arguing that cruise ships calling at Danish ports should become greener.

Need for a unified European track
Danish Ports welcomes this, and the industry organization is already now playing an active role in the work when the message from the government is to be implemented:

"If we really want to make a big difference, we need to raise this issue to the European level, so that we can ensure uniform rules and framework conditions for all cruises in Europe. We are in a good position in Denmark when it comes to the green transition, and we would therefore like the other European countries to join us, because it is a common challenge we have in the EU. We therefore call on the Danish government to bring this important issue to the upcoming meetings in the EU so that we, together with other countries, can better address the issue," says Tine Kirk Pedersen and continues:

"It is also important to realize that there is no quick fix to this. Money alone won't do it, because right now there is no technology that is just 'plug and play', so the cruise industry will not in itself become sustainable tomorrow. But Denmark is generally at the forefront of green transition and sustainability, and therefore we will also be able to find solutions that make cruise calls to ports greener. Remember, by the way, that the Ministry of Environment and Food's latest study shows that you can easily still take a bike ride along the harbor and watch the cruise ships, as many people still do."

Danish Ports also calls for a careful examination of which forms of energy will be the most sustainable for the many cruise ships in the midst of rapid technological development. Many new ships have already switched to the less polluting LNG, which emits far fewer particles - but not all of them are still sailing on it, and in the longer term there may also be other fuels that are more sustainable.