Swan Hellenic, Philippe Cousteau Foundation, and Sustainable Development Goals for the Mediterranean join forces to restore ocean health

From left: Mario Dogliani (President SDG4MED), Andrea Zito (CEO Swan Hellenic), Herminio Menendez Rodriquez (President Philippe Cousteau Foundation)

Expedition cruise company, Swan Hellenic, joins forces with leading ocean foundations to support EU Mission to restore marine biodiversity and reduce emissions at sea.

Hosted on SH Vega, Swan Hellenic’s luxury cruise ship, Swan Hellenic, the Philippe Cousteau Foundation and Sustainable Development Goals for the Mediterranean (SDG4MED) agreed to contribute to the EU Mission, “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030” together. Under the agreement, Swan Hellenic commits to provide its fleet for use as “ships of opportunity”, enabling the foundations’ scientists to gauge the health of our Blue Planet in its most remote and pristine regions, including the Arctic, Antarctic, and African coasts, where the Swan Hellenic fleet is present for several months every year.

In late 2021, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU mandated the Commission to accelerate Ocean and Water health conservation and restoration worldwide. The resulting EU Mission is a coordinated effort to pool the necessary financial, scientific and operational resources.

The three organisations were among the first in the world to endorse the Mission Charter, which seeks to protect and restore marine and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity, prevent and eliminate pollution of our ocean, seas, and waters, and make the Blue Economy sustainable, carbon neutral, and circular. One of the Mission 2030 goals is a 30% reduction in marine microplastics.

Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, Spanish Prime Minister and Institutional President of the Philippe Cousteau Foundation, says: “It gives me great pleasure to see our Foundation and country involved in this landmark agreement. It is an important early milestone in the EU Mission to help restore the balance between human activity and the health of our planet”.

Rafael Lobeto Lobo, Secretary General of the Philippe Cousteau Foundation and former Director General of the Spanish Merchant Navy, says: “Life on Earth depends on the health of the connected system of the oceans, seas and inland waterways, which cover around 75% of the Earth’s surface. It regulates our climate and provides oxygen, drinking water, clean energy and food. Yet man-made changes are putting our ocean and waters at serious risk, with pollution and global heating causing biodiversity loss and extreme weather events such as floods, droughts and heatwaves”.

Andrea Zito, the CEO of Swan Hellenic, says: “These ambitions are embedded in our DNA. All Swan Hellenic’s ships are equipped with cutting-edge green technologies, including the latest generation tier III diesel engines with urea injection, dynamic positioning systems to avoid anchoring in delicate seabed locations, and advanced wastewater treatment plants”.

All three organisations already have their own individual Mission Charter commitments, with the Philippe Cousteau Foundation promoting ocean literacy in schools and among fishermen and seafarers, SDG4MED making the “LIFE4MEDECA Knowledge Center” available to municipalities to pursue a shared action plan, and Swan Hellenic continuously investing in the latest green technologies and operations.

This new partnership is significant in recognising that individual initiatives, though commendable, are not sufficient.

Mario Dogliani, President of SDG4MED, says: “Acting together will greatly amplify what we are able to achieve through our efforts. This partnership offers us a vital tool – Swan Hellenic’s ships and their destinations – to collect data on ocean health with previously inconceivable reach and granularity. Data collected in rarely accessed ocean areas will improve the accuracy of scientists’ assessments of ocean health and its evolution. Moreover, the direct involvement of Swan Hellenic’s crew and guests paves the way for a new era of sustainable, ecologically aware cruising”.

Andrea Zito says: “Our new commitment with this partnership is in many ways a natural extension of our existing practice of inviting cruise guests to actively contribute to a series of leading “Citizen Science” programmes, providing data on the environment and marine life, while building their awareness and knowledge of scientific initiatives”.

For more information about Swan Hellenic’s sustainability, please visit: https://www.swanhellenic.com/sustainability

For more information about Swan Hellenic, please visit: https://www.swanhellenic.com
or call +44 (0) 207 846 0271