Royal Caribbean sustainability score: 25/100

Royal Caribbean disclosed Scope 1 emissions of 5.38M tCO₂e and Scope 2 of 10,219 tCO₂e for 2023 via GHG Protocol in its Seastainability Report. Multi-year data provided. However, no third-party limited assurance statement exists for emissions data. Marine fuel combustion dominates at ~98% of Scope 1.

Royal Caribbean reported 5.99M tCO₂e Scope 3 emissions in 2023 across 7 of 15 GHG Protocol categories. First year of category-level disclosure. Purchased Goods & Services represent 63% (3.78M tCO₂e), with Fuel- and Energy-Related at 12% and Business Travel at 10%. Covers shipbuilding, provisioning, and fuel procurement but remains incomplete.

Scope 1 emissions increased 11.51% since 2019 and 7.94% year-over-year 2022–2023. All targets are intensity-based (CO₂e per ALB-km), with 6.8% carbon intensity reduction from 2019 baseline. Fleet additions and passenger volume growth drive absolute emissions upward despite efficiency gains.

98% of emissions from marine fuel combustion. Two LNG ships provide ~25% CO₂ reduction but carry methane slip risk. Wind farm PPA in Kansas offsets ~465,000 tCO₂e annually—roughly 10% of emissions, not direct operational renewable energy. Shore power at 50% of fleet by end 2025. Not RE100 member. Fleet remains overwhelmingly fossil-fuel powered.

WWF partnership focuses on ocean conservation. GSTC Destination Assessments completed in three Caribbean ports. Shellbank program supports endangered sea turtles. 90% MSC-certified wild-caught and 75% ASC-certified farmed seafood sourcing. Over 2,000 GSTC-certified tours offered. Lacks TNFD disclosure and quantified nature footprint; operations in sensitive ecosystems carry unquantified biodiversity risks.

87% of fleet waste diverted from landfills in 2023. Food waste reduced 25% from 2019 baseline via AI-assisted production management. Waste-to-energy systems on Icon of the Seas and Silver Nova. 60% of single-use plastics removed from supply chain. Fleet equipped for landfill-free operations. Measurable circular targets with public reporting.

90% of freshwater produced onboard via reverse osmosis or evaporation, minimising local withdrawal. Water usage 66 gallons per person per day versus US average of 100. Advanced wastewater treatment fleetwide. However, 23 of 28 Royal Caribbean International ships use scrubbers that convert air pollution to wastewater discharge. Friends of the Earth assigned F grade for water quality. No quantified water footprint reduction targets.

Company pledged October 2021 to develop SBTi-validated targets within 18–24 months. Over four years later, no validated SBTi targets published. All disclosed targets are intensity-based (double-digit reduction by 2025). Net zero by 2050 ('Destination Net Zero') lacks credible pathway. Wind farm offset ~10% of emissions. Commitment appears to have stalled.

Annual Seastainability Report with 2021 materiality assessment and ESG framework. Chief ESG Officer and board-level Safety, Environment, and Health committee. MSCI ESG rating BBB. Emissions Scope 1, 2, and partial Scope 3 publicly disclosed. Friends of the Earth 2024 report awarded D− overall. Framing emphasises intensity metrics while absolute emissions rise. No TCFD or CSRD alignment identified.

EPA fined Royal Caribbean $473,685 October 2024 for RCRA hazardous waste violations at Port of Galveston. Violation Tracker records $23.9M in penalties since 2000 across 9 cases. 1999 criminal fines of $27M for 21 felony counts of dumping waste oil and hazardous chemicals. CLIA trade association (of which Royal Caribbean is key member) lobbied IMO 2022 to weaken Carbon Intensity Indicator regulations. Systemic pattern of environmental non-compliance.