Content Section

AIDA Cruises presents the Sustainability Report "AIDA Cares 2015"

Theclimatologist Mojib Latif acknowledges AIDA’s pioneering role in climateprotection<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

On July 24, AIDA Cruises presented its currentSustainability Report "AIDA Cares 2015" to the public in Hamburg. Itis based on the internationally recognized standard of the Global ReportingInitiative (GRI). The reporting period covers all relevant facts and figuresfor the fiscal year 2014 as well as selected highlights of the first half ofthe year 2015.

“We have achieved many additional important milestonesin environmental protection. AIDAsol will be the first cruise ship in the worldto be supplied with power from low-emission liquefied gas by the LNG HybridBarge in the port of Hamburg. Other ships in the AIDA fleet received the firstinstallations of the comprehensive filter system to reduce waste gas. Togetherwith atmosfair, we have launched a climate protection program to reduce CO₂emissions,” said Dr. Monika Griefahn, Chief Sustainability Officer at AIDACruises.

Professor Mojib Latif, a renowned climatologist andleader of the research field of ocean circulation and climate dynamics at theHelmholtz Center for Ocean Research in Kiel stated the following on thecommitment by AIDA Cruises: “The cruise industry has a special responsibilitywhen it comes to lower emissions that are harmful to the climate. AIDA showsthat economic success and environmentally conscious activities do not have tocontradict each other. In its use of innovative environmental technologies andby participating in numerous research projects, AIDA is taking entirely newpaths and has set ambitious goals for itself.”

AIDA Cruises started a climate protection program in2014 together with the climate protection organization atmosfair, of whichMojib Latif is a patron. AIDA Cruises compensates for the CO₂emission of its employees' business trips through climate protection projectsby atmosfair and offers its guests the opportunity of a voluntary CO₂compensation for their cruise. As part of a pilot project and for the supply ofits cruise ships in the future, AIDA Cruises is testing the possibility ofutilizing LNG that has been produced fully CO₂-free through thepower-to-gas method with wind or solar power.

Additional milestones during the reporting periodinclude a further reduction of the energy consumption per person on board by anaverage of thirteen percent through a variety of measures. The emission of CO₂was lowered by eleven percent and that of sulfur oxide by eight percent. Theemissions of nitrogen oxides and fine particulate matter decreased by seven percent.

In 2014, AIDA Cruises introduced a catalog ofscientific criteria for sustainable shoreside excursions that had beendeveloped together with futouris e.V. and other partners. This is used as thebasis for evaluations of AIDA excursions at all destinations in considerationof environmental, social and cultural parameters.

The new office complex “AIDA Home”, which was openedin 2014, was the first office building in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania toreceive the silver quality seal by the German Association for SustainableConstruction (DGNB). AIDA contributed even further to environmental protectionby introducing electric cars for business trips at its sites in Rostock andHamburg.

In the fall of 2015, AIDAprima will be launched as thefirst cruise ship in the world that has a dual-fuel engine for an energy supplywith LNG during its docking time at the ports as well as a connection toshoreside power and an extensive filter system for the treatment of waste gas.A sister ship with the same construction will supplement the AIDA fleet in2016.

As a pioneer in the industry, AIDA Cruises is againsetting an example for environmental protection with the ship generation of2019-2020: With the “green cruising” concept, AIDA will be the first cruiseline in the world to operate its new ship generation to 100 percent with LNG(liquefied natural gas). This completely eliminates emissions of soot particlesand sulfur oxides.

As the market leader on the German cruise market, AIDACruises is also committed to social responsibility. The company supportedvarious social and cultural institutions with an amount of almost 400,000 Eurosin 2014. 100,000 Euros alone were donated to the SOS Children’s Village Iloiloin the Philippines in 2014.

In its role as an employer,AIDA continually invests in practical training and further education for itspersonnel and supports motivated employees with potential in formulating theirpersonal career plans. AIDA Cruises received the “Top Employer in Germany 2015”award by the international research company Top Employers Institute for thisreason. AIDA Cruises also scored high as an attractive employer in a directcomparison with other tourist companies. In 2014, AIDA Cruises was recognizedas one of the best employers in the tourism industry by the news magazineFocus.

More information about the environmental and socialcommitment of AIDA Cruises is available in the current Sustainability Report“AIDA Cares 2015” at www.aida.de/aidacares.

Rostock, July24, 2015

About AIDA Cruises:

AIDA Cruises isone of Germany’s fastest growing and most financially successful tourismbusinesses and currently employs around 7,000 people from 40 countries. Ofthese employees, 6,000 work on board and 1,000 work at the company headquartersin Rostock and Hamburg. With its 10 cruise ships, AlDA currently operates andmarkets one of the most state-of-the-art fleets in the world. The ships areoperated in compliance with the highest international quality, environmental,and safety standards. By 2020, the AIDA fleet will expand to 14 ships.

About ProfessorMojib Latif:

Dr. Mojib Latifis the leader of the research field of ocean circulation and climate dynamicsat the Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research in Kiel. He is the co-author of thelast two reports by the “World Climate Council” (IPPC). His awards include theSverdrup Gold Medal from the American Meteorological Society, the Max PlanckPrize for public science and the DHU Environmental Media Prize in the categoryof “Life Work” from the German Environment Aid. He is active in numerousscientific committees and the author of many publications.

Kaleidoscope powered