Editor’s note: The Water Revolution Foundation has written an open letter to yacht owners and family offices offering advice for sustainable yachting practices. Calling them sustainable yachting resolutions, in light of the new year, the non-profit asserts that the actions are simple. We’ve included them here, along with links for further details.
All New Year Resolutions encourage us to reflect on our achievements and focus on doing better for the future.
The Water Revolution Foundation would like to support you in your “Yachting Resolutions” towards more sustainable sailing, with what we think are fundamental goals for owners and the industry alike. We recommend the following four steps focused on superyachts being more sustainable and ultimately delivering a positive impact.
Assess Your Yacht’s Environmental Performance
The Yacht Environmental Transparency Index (YETI) is the first industry-developed tool to voluntarily benchmark all yachts against a target reference line. The tool is to help owners and managers understand their yacht’s efficiency compared to the rest of the fleet, and explore tangible improvements. It is very easily done, and this information will give you great insights and be confidential to you.
Implement the Environmental Crew Guidelines
Talk to your captain, crew, and yacht manager about implementing the Environmental Crew Guidelines aboard your yacht. Empower your operations team to foster a culture of environmental awareness while also optimizing cost. The comprehensive guide of best practices is for and by crew.
Commit 0.5% to Ocean Conservation
Everything on planet Earth relies on the health of the oceans, and yachting is no exception. Let’s be true ocean stewards and structurally dedicate 0.3-0.5 percent of the annual yacht operational budget to restoring ocean health. For example, our Ocean Assist Programme is yachting’s first collective marine conservation and blue carbon capture fund sustained by an independent scientific advisory board. Funds allocated to the significant projects result in certified “Ocean Assist Units” that you can apply to your yacht’s ESG status.
Investigate Alternative Fuels
Investigate the benefits of alternative fuels such as hydro-treated vegetable oil (HVO) as the cleaner future for your yacht. Ask your captain or yacht manager to look into replacing fossil diesel with HVO as your clean and smart fuel. It requires no modifications, reducing your impact on the planet.
We hope these four positive steps can set you on a path to more sustainable yachting. We also hope that you will respond to this call to lead the way and propel yachting forward.
Access all resources by visiting waterrevolutionfoundation.org/open-letter. Or, contact our team, who will be happy to answer any questions.
Water Revolution Foundation waterrevolutionfoundation.org
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