Month: April 2024

MIAMI, April 4, 2024 /3BL/ – Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world’s largest cruise company, proudly announces that its port destination Mahogany Bay Cruise Center has been awarded the prestigious Honduran Ecological Blue Flag distinction for 2022-2023 by the Honduras Ministry of Tourism. This accolade, received in the beach category, emphasizes the destination’s commitment to environmental management, education, safety and accessibility, fulfilling a specific set of stringent criteria.

The Ecological Blue Flag program was adopted in Honduras and underscores a dedication to environmental stewardship. Recipients must meet and maintain a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety and accessibility requirements to qualify. In the case of Mahogany Bay, the cruise center was awarded for its implementation of best environmental practices in alignment with global conservation efforts. This recognition supports Carnival Corporation’s deep commitment to leading the way in sustainable cruising by promoting positive climate action to preserve natural resources and safeguard the planet’s ecosystems.

Nestled in Roatan, Honduras – a pristine natural paradise known for its white sandy beaches, crystal-clear waters, and the world’s second-largest coral reef – Mahogany Bay earned this recognition for its outstanding environmental management efforts spanning waste management, water quality assessment, and environmental education.

“Earning the Honduran Ecological Blue Flag distinction with the highest possible rating of five stars is a testament to our unwavering dedication to sustainability and responsible tourism,” said Juan Fernandez, vice president, destination operations for Carnival Corporation. “This recognition underscores our commitment to preserving the natural beauty of Roatan, Mahogany Bay and the many destinations and communities we visit for generations to come.”

To retain its Blue Flag status, Mahogany Bay is deeply committed to continue compliance with all the criteria, which is verified annually. In 2022, Mahogany Bay processed approximately 1,120 pounds of recyclable material in coastal clean-up efforts. In 2023, employees at the cruise center collected about 1,100 pounds of recyclable items and 2,300 pounds of non-recyclable waste. The port team also engages in crucial initiatives like seawater and potable water quality monitoring, wastewater treatment and extensive waste management strategies. Importantly, Mahogany Bay also focuses on community engagement and sustainability projects, including coastal clean-ups and mangrove reforestation, showcasing the cruise center’s commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable tourism.

This accolade exemplifies Carnival Corporation’s broader strategy to embed sustainable practices across its operations, setting a benchmark for environmental excellence. Through persistent conservation, waste management and educational initiatives, Mahogany Bay exemplifies sustainable tourism, inspiring others to follow in its footsteps.

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About Carnival Corporation & plc 
Carnival Corporation & plc is the largest global cruise company, and among the largest leisure travel companies, with a portfolio of world-class cruise lines – AIDA Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Holland America Line, P&O Cruises (Australia), P&O Cruises (UK), Princess Cruises, and Seabourn.

Additional information can be found on www.carnivalcorp.com, www.aida.de, www.carnival.com, www.costacruise.com, www.cunard.com, www.hollandamerica.com, www.pocruises.com.au, www.pocruises.com, www.princess.com, and www.seabourn.com.

For information on Carnival Corporation’s industry-leading sustainability initiatives, visit www.carnivalsustainability.com.

Carnival Corporation Media Contacts:

Amber Hastings, Carnival Corporation, amhastings@carnival.com

Ellie Beuerman, LDWW, ellie@ldww.co

The Longfellow Senior Housing, an historic redevelopment in Cleveland’s Collinwood community financed by KeyBank, has been awarded CoStar’s 2023 Impact Award for Redevelopment of the Year in Cleveland. KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment (CDLI) provided a $16.9 million investment, purchasing the housing and historic tax credits for the project.  KeyBank also provided $8.8 million in financing towards construction.

The Longfellow offers 80 new one-and two-bedroom affordable apartments for seniors 62 and older, preserved within the historic Henry W. Longfellow School and a newly constructed building on the property. The site’s redevelopment kept the original building’s integrity while also providing modern amenities that enhance seniors’ social, physical, and mental well-being.

For more than eight decades, the property was home to The Henry W. Longfellow Elementary School. However, the school faced demolition in 2011 until The Cleveland Restoration Society stepped in and had it become a designated historic landmark by the City of Cleveland, and thanks to Vesta Corporation’s redevelopment project, Longfellow can continue to provide an essential service to the community.

From the creation of a usable senior-focused fitness center to the development of green spaces and community social areas, The Longfellow offers a unique living experience for seniors. Additionally, a wellness room was also included in the plan to provide a confidential on-site space where third-party healthcare providers can conduct examinations and provide essential healthcare services to Longfellow residents.

Learn more about KeyBank’s commitment to helping clients and communities thrive

2023 was the planet’s warmest year on record, with the average land and ocean surface temperature at 1.18 degrees Celsius—the hottest since recordkeeping began in 1880. As a leading science and technology company, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, is committed to continuing its accelerated emissions reduction. The company’s Group-wide and Life Science Sustainability Strategy addresses this goal, outlining an ambition to achieve a 50% reduction in Scope 1 & 2 emissions by 2030 compared to 2020. Scope 1 emissions, otherwise down as direct emissions, are emissions that occur on-site such as natural gas usage and use of refrigerants. Scope 2 emissions occur off-site and are mainly caused by electricity consumption not covered by renewable electricity.

One of the key levers to achieve this goal is EDISON, the company’s high-impact energy and water reduction program. Led by the EDISON team and over 100 site EDISON leads, the program delivered its most significant impact to date since its 2009 launch.

With the successful completion of more than 60 projects globally and an investment of just over €9 million, the Life Science business will avoid an impressive 35,000-megawatt hours (MWh) of energy, prevent over 7,000 tons of CO2 emissions and conserve more than 30,000 cubic meters of water.

Check out some of the 2023 EDISON highlights:

Solar Installation in Toluca, Mexico

A 550-kilowatt (kW) roof and carpark solar photovoltaic (PV) system was installed at a facility in Toluca, Mexico, resulting in 421,000 kWh of electricity and 168 tons of CO2 savings.

“It is a great pleasure to put the photovoltaic system in operation at our Toluca site,” said Raul Faudoa, Maintenance and Projects Manager. “This EDISON project improves our energy generation and consumption while maximizing our resources and avoiding unnecessary waste.”

Heat Pump Installation in Molsheim, France

Two heat pumps were installed at manufacturing buildings in Molsheim, France, to help reduce the site’s natural gas consumption. The €600,000 investment aligns with the company’s decarbonization strategy, saving 3,800,000 kWh of energy while switching to electric heat sources.

“Installing heat pumps on site enables CO2 emission reductions by switching off gas supply whenever temperatures are above three degrees Celsius, generating up to 80% savings on annual gas consumption for heating,” said Jean-Philippe Cann, Molsheim Site Engineer. “Also, if our gas supply may be impacted, it ensures the buildings’ heat is not at risk.”

Water Run-Off Collection in Visalia, California, USA

In Visalia, California, USA, a water collection piping, tank, and pump installation captures air handler condensate and repurposes it for landscape irrigation in this water-scarce area. The project contributed to a 133-point reduction in the organization’s water intensity score, or 1.6% off at the Life Science level, and conserves 900 cubic meters of water annually.

“Unlike a traditional cooling system, ours has no compressors and condensers. Instead, we integrated an adiabatic cooling system into the existing air turnover system for the whole building,” said Brian Duarte, West Region Distribution Manager. “Normally, the system dumps water after it gets old. We used the existing pumps in the coolers and added a series of pipes to gather the runoff and repurpose it for landscape irrigation.”

Keeping the Momentum in 2024

For 2024, EDISON put forth its largest investment yet, totaling €9.4 million to fund another 60 projects. This will cover 40 locations globally, of which ten are new participants in the program. Projections indicate that these projects will avoid an additional 4,500 tons of CO2 emissions, deliver more than 25,000 MWh of energy savings, and save 170,000 cubic meters of water—more than 5x the water savings delivered in 2023.

Learn more about the sustainability efforts of the Life Science Business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, by visiting its sustainability and social business innovation webpage.