Cherish the Planet

At Emerald Cruises, our Cherish the Planet ethos is about more than just environmental sustainability – we are committed to creating positive change in all areas of our business and to fostering sustainable practices and rich community partnerships. Our desire is to protect the Earth by leaving as small a footprint as possible.

Our commitment to the planet is to deliver environmentally responsible tourism to protect each of the destinations we visit. Cherish the Planet was launched in accordance with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and we have gone on to create exceptional carbon-conscious and community-focused experiences in incredible destinations. At Emerald Cruises, we are proud of the positive relationships we have formed within the communities we visit.

Our Cherish the Planet commitment has ensured: the provision of clean running water to the Chiro village in Kampong Cham Province, Cambodia; the construction of sanitation blocks in Yandabo village along the Irrawaddy River; and the continued support of the Bread of Life Project aimed at reducing prejudice against Roma communities in Belgrade.

Our pillars of sustainability

Cherish the Planet has six key focus areas.

1. Leave no waste

We’ve eliminated all single-use plastic on board and work closely with, and fund, local projects that collect and recycle plastic waste, helping to maintain the world’s natural beauty and improve living conditions. We provide our guests with complimentary refillable Emerald Cruises bottles and filtered water stations across our yachts, as well as refillable toiletries in our suites – and no plastic straws are used on board.

2. Rebalancing of CO2 emissions

We have concentrated our efforts on minimising our environmental impact, and support causes aligned with rebalancing our CO2 emissions, including exceptional carbon-conscious experiences, with hiking and e-biking now available on many of our itineraries. We are also working to calculate the CO2 emissions of each our sailings so we can continue in the future to implement new technologies and initiatives which ensure our carbon footprint is reduced.

3. Sourcing sustainably

As we sail the world, many of our exquisite dishes on board feature local produce. Wine is sourced from small vineyards along the Moselle, Rhine, and Douro rivers, and on the Mekong, we source fresh local produce to create our Asian-inspired menus. Our goal is to source sustainably every step of the way, from produce to packaging, recycling, and our choice of suppliers.

4. Growing with communities

We are committed to meaningful and respectful cultural interactions between local inhabitants and our guests, and many of our itineraries include certified Cherish the Planet experiences that ensure local businesses benefit from our journeys. We’re also working with leaders and third parties within the communities we visit to ensure sustainability for the future.

5. Grow from within, value diversity

At Emerald Cruises, we truly value diversity – it is a strength to have different perspectives within our business and we believe it helps us find the best solutions and services for our guests. We treat all crew and all employees equally, independent of gender, sexual orientation, age, race or religion and we currently employ over 50 nationalities from across the globe throughout our vessels.

6. Advocate health, safety & security

We have created an engaging workplace at Emerald Cruises that supports the wellbeing of our staff, prioritising health, and safety. We also want every member of staff to be fully immersed in the ethos at the heart of Cherish the Planet. To ensure this, Emerald Cruises staff will complete extensive training that supports their wellbeing and will ensure health and safety is prioritised.