Carbon emissions from international cruise ship passengers’ travel to and from New Zealand

• Published in: Energy policy Vol. 38; no. 5; pp. 2552 - 2560
• Main Authors: Howitt, Oliver J.A., Revol, Vincent G.N., Smith, Inga J., Rodger, Craig J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2010; Elsevier; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Series: Energy Policy
• Subjects: Air pollution caused by fuel industries; Applied sciences; Carbon dioxide; Carbon emissions; Cruise lines; Cruise ship tourism; Cruises; Emissions; Energy; Energy consumption; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Exact sciences and technology; Greenhouse gas emissions; Greenhouse gas emissions Cruise ship tourism International transport; Ground, air and sea transportation, marine construction; International transport; Leisure industry; Marine and water way transportation and traffic; Metering. Control; New Zealand; Price elasticity; Sea transport; Ships; Studies; Tourism; New Zealand; Oceania; International transport; Cruise ship tourism; Greenhouse gas emissions; Tourism; Greenhouse gas; Maritime transportation; International scope; Carbon; Pollutant emission; Passenger transportation
• ISSN: 0301-4215; 1873-6777
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2009.12.050

Greenhouse gas emissions from international transport contribute to anthropogenic global warming, yet these emissions are not liable under the Kyoto Protocol. International attention is being given to quantifying such emissions. This paper presents the results of research into international cruise ship journeys to and from New Zealand. CO 2 emissions from such journeys were calculated using an activity based, or “bottom-up”, model. Emissions factors for individual journeys by cruise ships to or from New Zealand in 2007 ranged between 250 and 2200 g of CO 2 per passenger-kilometre (g CO 2 per p-km), with a weighted mean of 390 g CO 2 per p-km. The weighted mean energy use per passenger night for the “hotel” function of these cruise vessels was estimated as 1600 MJ per visitor night, 12 times larger than the value for a land-based hotel. Using a simple price elasticities calculation, international cruise journeys for transport purposes were found to have a greater relative decrease in demand than plane journeys when the impact of carbon pricing was analysed. The potential to decrease the CO 2 emissions per p-km was examined, and if passenger accommodation was compacted and some luxury amenities dispensed with values similar to those of economy-class air travel were obtained.