Europes Cruise Ships Produce Toxic Sulphur Emissions Equivalent to 1 Billion Cars, Study Finds [Video]

Cruise ships are producing higher levels of toxic air pollutants than they did before the pandemic, according to a new study by the European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E).

The analysis, “Europe’s luxury cruise ships emit as much toxic sulphur as 1bn cars,” found that despite the introduction of a sulphur cap four years ago, the 218 cruise ships operating in European waters in 2023 emitted the sulphur oxide (SOx) equivalent of a billion cars, a press release from T&E said.

“The pandemic provided some respite for port cities, but this is now well and truly over. Cruising is back and tourist hotspots like Barcelona and Athens are again choking on toxic air pollution from cruise ships. Venice has shown that tackling cruise ship pollution is possible, but bans aren’t the only way. Ports can significantly reduce pollution levels by forcing ships to plug into electricity at the port instead of running their engines, and by supporting the …