Our commitments

PONANT has taken significant steps to reduce its atmospheric emissions across the board in terms of fuel consumption:
● Average speed of the company's ships limited to 12 knots.
● Fitting of ships with electric connections together with the use of shore-to-ship power when docked at suitably equipped ports.
● The use of biofuels as they've become available (two refuels with biofuels in 2019).
● Development of the hybridity of its ships: fitting of batteries to enable generators to be switched off at dock, at anchor and when in proximity to inhabited areas.

In 2019, PONANT became the first cruise line to abandon the use of fuel oil and switch instead to Low Sulfur Marine Gasoil (LSMGO) with a 0.05% sulphur content. This is 10 times lower than the maximum allowed by current maritime regulations. PONANT supports international campaigns such as the Rome Declaration, which seeks to extend the Sulphur Emission Control Area (SECA) to all the world's oceans.

With each new itinerary, we carry out environmental impact studies.
This protocol means we can analyse the potential impact on the ecosystem we are visiting and keep it to a minimum: historical inventory, flora and fauna study, meetings with local people, selecting possible passenger activities while ensuring they are environmentally respectful.

This approach also revolves around a thorough itinerary selection process, the drafting of a specific environmental brief for each of the sensitive areas, a code of conduct for passengers and of course zero tolerance towards the impact of our visit.

All the ships in our fleet carry the Bureau Veritas CLEANSHIP certification label, which attests to reduced environmental impact. Equipped with generator-powered electric propulsion motors, our ships have achieved the Comfort 1 rating, which is the best level possible in terms of low noise and vibration levels, thus ensuring the comfort of our passengers and respect for underwater wildlife.

The ships of the PONANT EXPLORERS series achieve a 75% reduction in their nitrogen oxide emissions by having their catalytic convertors operating 24 hours a day in all geographical areas. A globally unique approach that has set the standard for the entire industry.

All the ships in our fleet carry the Bureau Veritas CLEANSHIP certification label, which attests to reduced environmental impact. This environmental performance has been made possible through a series of real and genuine technological innovations: dynamic positioning, which avoids the need to drop anchor and thus protects the seabed; quiet and economical electric propulsion; an engine that can run on LS MGO (a lighter and less polluting type of diesel); an innovative way of treating waste and waste water, thus limiting discharges into the sea; low energy lighting using LED bulbs; and reduced smoke emissions.

The PONANT Explorers series holds CLEANSHIP SUPER accreditation, which is awarded to ships that meet the requirements of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) together with both the International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-Fouling Systems on Ships and the Ballast Water Management Convention (covering the emission of polluting substances).

Our ships have also achieved the comfort 1 rating, which is the best level possible in terms of low noise and vibration levels, thus ensuring the comfort of our passengers and respect for underwater wildlife.

*Le Lapérouse, Le Champlain, Le Bougainville, Le Dumont-D'Urville, Le Bellot, Le Jacques-Cartier

PONANT was the winner of the Charte Bleue d'Armateurs de France trophy (French Ship Owner's Blue Charter trophy) in 2016. This distinction was awarded in recognition of the company's proactive approach with respect to social and environmental responsibility: carefully chosen itineraries; innovative ways of limiting air and water pollution; respect for local populations; membership of the associations IAATO (the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators) and AECO (the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators), and compliance with protocols designed to maintain the biosecurity of the sites visited; environmental protection awareness raising for crew members and passengers both onboard ship and during shore and land excursions; a responsible human resources policy; and active commitment to protecting the polar regions, the oceans and local peoples.

At the "Blue maritime summit Marseille Provence – Cruise Initiatives" conference, organised by the Marseille Provence Cruise Club, PONANT and the other ship-owners histed in Marseille, together with France's Ministry for the Ecological Transition, the Provence-Alpes Côte d’Azur Region and the Aix-Marseille-Provence metropolitan region, signed the "Charte bleue Croisière" (Cruise Blue Charter), a charter committing to a reduction in polluting emissions in the basins of the Port of Marseille and the region.

This charter constitutes a new stage in France's Sud (south) region's "Plan Escale Zéro Fumée" (zero-fume ports of call initiative). There are four main measures incorporated in the charter: the use of shore power connections at cruise terminals as soon as they become available (by 2024); the switch to less polluting fuels, such as 0.1% sulphur marine diesel or LNG, immediately upon entering the port; the promotion of the use of liquefied natural gas and support the creation of a dedicated local sector; and the requirement to keep to a speed of no more than 10 knots when sailing in and out of the ports.

In 2020, PONANT became the first European cruise line to be awarded the North American Alliance Verte certification. This certification attests to the adoption of environmentally friendly practices and technologies by those who hold it.

Assessed and evaluated according to seven criteria (underwater noise, NOX atmospheric emissions, SOX and PM air pollutants, greenhouse gas emissions, aquatic invasive species, waste management and oily discharges), the charter certifies that its holders have adopted environmentally friendly practices and technologies.

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The German non-governmental organisation NABU (Naturschutzbund Deutschland), a leader in the field of ecology in Europe, has placed PONANT in first place in its 2020 ranking of the most environmentally friendly cruise lines.

This ranking is based on an assessment of overall environmental strategy using eight environmental criteria: adherence to the Paris Agreement, climate strategy, emission-reduction measures, the use of shore power connections, the discontinued use of heavy fuel oil, the use of nitrogen oxide catalysts and the use of soot particle filters.

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PONANT was awarded the French sustainable tourism prize the Prix des Palmes du Tourisme Durable 2020 in the "Voyage" category for completely abandoning the use of fuel oil and switching instead to LSMGO, a step the company took a year in advance of the introduction of international legislation stipulating the use of more environmentally friendly fuels.