MIAMI, June 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival
Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world's
largest leisure travel company, announced today that its second
consecutive year of supporting The Nature Conservancy helped the
organization continue its momentum in protecting the world's oceans
and seas. As part of achieving its 2020 sustainability goals,
Carnival Corporation is providing through the Carnival Foundation a
$2.5 million gift over a five-year
period to The Nature Conservancy, which began in 2014.
The highlights from The Nature Conservancy's initiatives in 2015
include:
- Helping the Bahamas expand
marine protection areas by more than 11 million acres.
- Supporting the establishment of National Protected Area Trust
Funds in seven Caribbean
countries, which can be used to address specific conservation
challenges as they arise.
- Advancing marine protection efforts at Los Haitises National
Park and Samaná Bay in the Dominican
Republic.
- Launching an Atlas of Ocean Wealth, supported by multiple
international online tools, detailed maps, marine life databases
and other resources to educate and inspire community leaders
engaged in ocean planning.
Carnival Corporation's 2020 Sustainability Goals – embraced by
the company and its 10 cruise line brands around the world --
reflect the company's dedication to operating with a high level of
responsible sustainability in the oceans, seas and ports of call in
which its ships operate. The donation to The Nature Conservancy and
many other environmental groups underscores its commitment.
"With 101 ships traveling the world's oceans and seas and more
than 700 ports of call, our deep commitment to protecting and
sustaining our environment is a top corporate priority," said
Roger Frizzell, chief communications
officer for Carnival Corporation, who also oversees the Carnival
Foundation. "On the eve of World Oceans Day on June 8, it is fitting to applaud The Nature
Conservancy for again making great strides in identifying critical
areas for public and private action in support of our oceans and
seas, such as coastal production and fish population levels. We are
proud to continue to support The Nature Conservancy."
Also through the support of the Carnival Foundation, in the past
year The Nature Conservancy was able to generate for decision
makers new comprehensive data about coral reef conditions
throughout the Caribbean, as well
as research on the success of conservation efforts tied to oyster
reefs and new maps of fish production connected to Caribbean mangrove growths.
Carnival Corporation also hosted The Nature Conservancy's 2016
Mapping Ocean Wealth conference in January at its Miami corporate headquarters, where
conservationists and decision-makers from around the world came
together to discuss ocean sustainability initiatives. As a result
of the annual meeting, The Nature Conservancy's data on mapping
vast ocean resources is now being directly displayed in The World
Bank's Spatial Agent, its decision-support tool used by World Bank
economists and government leaders to identify the most pressing
social and environmental issues the World Bank can address.
"The Nature Conservancy truly appreciates Carnival Foundation's
support for our global and Caribbean-specific oceans conservation work,"
said Maria Damanaki, global managing director for The Nature
Conservancy's Ocean Program. "Carnival Foundation's five-year
commitment to preserving the world's vital marine resources – and
the many benefits they provide – has a major impact on our
efforts."
Added Damanaki: "As we look ahead to the next three years, by
supporting our Caribbean Challenge Initiative, Carnival
Foundation's support will help nearly triple the protection of the
region's iconic waters and coasts by helping conserve 21 million
acres of these important areas. Through The Nature Conservancy's
Mapping Ocean Wealth project, Carnival Foundation's support will
also provide a fundamentally new kind of ocean knowledge that is
needed to protect our waters and transform their management now and
for generations to come."
Public awareness campaigns are another important aspect of
building support for conservation in the Caribbean. The previous year has seen a
variety of community education initiatives, made possible from
Carnival Corporation and the Carnival Foundation. These include the
production of songs, music videos, Public Service Announcements,
presentations, beach clean-ups and billboards. As with all The
Nature Conservancy's efforts, the collateral material is geared
towards raising awareness and participation in initiatives designed
to support a balanced approach to preserving marine habitats
throughout the Caribbean and
around the world.
About The Nature Conservancy
The Nature
Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around
the world to protect the lands and waters on which all life
depends. Together with its more than 1 million members and 600
scientists, the Conservancy has protected 120 million acres of land
and 5,000 miles of rivers worldwide, and operates more than 100
marine conservation projects globally. The Conservancy works on the
ground in all 50 U.S. states and more than 69 countries. To learn
more, visit www.nature.org.
About Carnival Foundation
Carnival
Foundation is dedicated to creating positive change through
empowering youth, enhancing education and strengthening families.
In the past five years alone, Carnival Corporation —
which includes 10 global brands — and its 120,000-plus employees
have made more than $30 million in financial
contributions and in-kind donations to a variety of local and
national charities. Following the example set by Carnival
Corporation's founder, the late Ted Arison, and continued by
his son Micky, chairman of Carnival Corporation, Carnival
Foundation endeavors to make South Florida and other
communities better places to live and work. For more information
visit www.carnivalfoundation.com.
About Carnival Corporation & plc
Carnival Corporation & plc is the largest leisure travel
company in the world, with a portfolio of 10 cruise brands
in North
America, Europe, Australia and Asia comprised
of Carnival Cruise Line, Fathom, Holland America
Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, AIDA
Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, P&O
Cruises (Australia)
and P&O Cruises (UK).
Together, these brands operate 101 ships visiting over 700 ports
around the world and totaling 225,000 lower berths, with 15 new
ships scheduled to be delivered between 2016 and
2020. Carnival Corporation & plc also operates
Holland America Princess Alaska Tours, the leading tour companies
in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon. Traded on both
the New York and London Stock Exchanges, Carnival
Corporation & plc is the only group in the world to be
included in both the S&P500 and the FTSE 100 indices.
Additional information can be found on www.carnival.com,
www.fathom.org, www.hollandamerica.com, www.princess.com,
www.seabourn.com, www.aida.de, www.costacruise.com, www.cunard.com,
www.pocruises.com.au, and www.pocruises.com.
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SOURCE Carnival Corporation & plc