Recently scored: Dentsu, Omnicom, Publicis Groupe, WPP
Royal Caribbean·Shipping / Logistics·Miami, Florida, USA·Founded 1997·Last verified 25 April 2026
25
out of 100
Significant gapsPending Review

Royal Caribbean's absolute emissions are rising despite intensity improvements, with no validated climate targets four years after promising SBTi alignment. The company relies on offsets for 10% of emissions, operates a nearly all-fossil fleet, and faces a documented history of environmental violations and trade association lobbying against climate regulation.

The calculation

Every score shows its working.

Same formula for every company. No curve. No private weighting.

SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × Scale
Industry base impact
Shipping / Logistics sector ceiling.
30 / 100
Performance score
Sum of the 10 rubric questions, scored 0–10 each.
38 / 100
Raw score
Weighted average before scale penalty.
(0.3 × 30) + (0.7 × 38) = 35.6
Scale penalty
Multiplier based on absolute emissions volume — physics-first.
× 0.7
Final score
Rounded. Significant gaps.
25 / 100
The ten questions

Where Royal Caribbean is strong, and where it isn't.

Strongest on Carbon Footprint — Operations and Carbon Footprint — Supply Chain (6/10, 5/10). Weakest on Emissions Trajectory and Targets & Commitments (1/10, 2/10).

Where the evidence comes from

Every document used, listed.

14 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which rubric questions it informed.

[1]Third-party verified
Tracenable GHG Emissions Data - Royal Caribbean Cruises
Ongoing
Q1Q2Q3
View →
[2]Self-reported
Royal Caribbean Group Energy Efficiency & Environmental Programs
Ongoing
Q1Q4
View →
[3]Public record
The World's Largest Cruise Ship is a Climate Liability
2024
Q3
View →
[4]Third-party verified
Royal Caribbean's Creative Workaround: Onshore Renewable Energy Procurement
Unknown
Q4
View →
[5]Third-party verified
World Wildlife Fund - Royal Caribbean Group Partnership
Ongoing
Q5
View →
[6]Third-party verified
GSTC Certification & Seastainability Assessment - Royal Caribbean Group 2023
2023
Q5Q6Q8Q9
View →
[7]Public record
Royal Caribbean Aims to Cut Carbon Emissions Further 25% by 2025
Unknown
Q6
View →
[8]Self-reported
Royal Caribbean Blog - Environment Category
Ongoing
Q7
View →
[9]Third-party verified
Friends of the Earth Cruise Line Report Card - Royal Caribbean International
2024
Q7
View →
[10]Self-reported
Royal Caribbean Group Announces Destination Net Zero Program
2021
Q8
View →
[11]Public record
Major Cruise Lines Ranked Worst in Latest Environmental Report
2024
Q9
View →
[12]Public record
EPA Announces $473,685 Penalty for Royal Caribbean Cruises RCRA Violations
2024
Q10
View →
[13]Public record
Violation Tracker - Royal Caribbean Cruises Penalties Database
Ongoing
Q10
View →
[14]Public record
Cruise Lines Try to Rewrite Climate Rules Despite Climate Vows
2022
Q10
View →

If you believe a source has been misread or a newer version exists, submit a challenge.

Royal Caribbean in context

Where Royal Caribbean sits among shipping / logistics peers.

Among the 14 major shipping / logistics brands we've scored, Royal Caribbean sits 10th of 14.

10/14
Royal Caribbean's rank
30
Industry average
18
Industry low
46
Industry high
How this score has moved

Royal Caribbean's score over time.

today

Score history begins 6 April 2026.

As Royal Caribbean's score updates, the trajectory will appear here.

We're backfilling historical scores for FTSE 100 and S&P 100 companies over the coming weeks.

What's being contested

This score is not currently being contested.

Every challenge is published. We'd rather be corrected than wrong — that's the whole point.

No challenges submitted yet. If you have evidence that contradicts this score, you can challenge any question above — cite a public source and we'll review it.

About Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean Group operates one of the world's largest cruise ship fleets, headquartered in Miami. The company carries millions of passengers annually across Caribbean, European, and Alaska itineraries. As a shipping/logistics operator, it is among the highest-emission leisure travel providers globally, with Scope 1 emissions dominated by heavy fuel oil combustion.

Founded
1997
Headquarters
Miami, Florida, USA
Employees
~98,200
Annual revenue
~$16.5B
Company website ↗
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