How Much CO2 Does a Cruise Ship Produce?

By Michael Ferguson

When it comes to the most polluting form of travel, cruise ships come out on top. Cruise ships produce a huge amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the environment.

CO2 is one of the main greenhouse gases responsible for climate change and global warming. The amount of CO2 produced by cruise ships can vary significantly depending on the size and type of ship.

The largest cruise ships can produce up to 130,000 metric tons of CO2 every year. This is roughly equivalent to the emissions produced by more than 26,000 passenger cars in a single year!

To put this into perspective, this amount of CO2 could fill more than 1 million hot air balloons!

Cruise ships are also responsible for producing other pollutants such as sulfur oxides (SOx) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). These pollutants can lead to acid rain and smog, which can cause respiratory illness in humans and damage to ecosystems.

In addition to air pollution from their exhausts, cruise ships also contribute to water pollution from their wastewater discharges. Cruise ships typically use large quantities of water for showers, sinks, pools, laundry, and other activities onboard. This wastewater often contains chemicals such as detergents and disinfectants that can be harmful to ocean life if discharged directly into the sea.

Fortunately, there are steps that can be taken to reduce the environmental impact of cruise ships.

Cruise lines are beginning to take action by installing scrubbers on their vessels that help capture pollutants before they are released into the atmosphere. Additionally, many cruise lines have begun using low-sulfur fuels which emit fewer SOx pollutants than traditional marine fuels.

Finally, most major cruise lines are now investing in renewable energy technologies such as solar panels or wind turbines which can reduce their reliance on fossil fuels and help reduce their overall emissions.

In conclusion, cruise ships produce a huge amount of CO2 every year which contributes significantly to climate change and global warming. However, there are steps that cruise lines can take to reduce their environmental impact such as investing in renewable energy technology or using low-sulfur fuels which emit fewer pollutants.