Author: Dr Vienna Eleuteri, Co-Chair and Initiator of Water Revolution Foundation
“Sustainability is no longer about doing less harm. It’s about doing more good”. – Joachen Zeit*
Yachting’s course toward sustainability is set, with zero emissions as the final destination. Following global climate policy goals, which have long aimed for climate neutrality by 2050, the European Union is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030.
Enter the EU ETS: the European Emission Trading Scheme, a cornerstone of EU climate action since 2005. Though currently limited to yachts over 5,000 GT, it’s only a matter of time before the entire yachting industry is included, driving significant change. The EU ETS, led by the Greenhouse Gas Emission Allowance Directive, encourages cost-effective emissions reductions for a more environmental yachting future.
Achieving true impact
The goals are clear and impact all of us, but how can we truly achieve effective change that signals a real shift in direction? After all, this is a challenge that finds us all “in the same boat.” The 2022 IPCC Report and 2023 Synthesis Report highlight the private sector’s role in spreading climate misinformation and contributing to “maladaptation”—actions meant to address climate change but ultimately worsening risks and harming biodiversity. Though maladaptation is described as an “unintentional side effect,” the evidence is clear: current actions are falling short, and the entire private sector is still off course.
Staying with the nautical metaphor—and beyond it—we’re charting a well-defined course, but with tools that lack precision, risking both our destination and the optimization of our efforts toward a goal that demands a bold shift in direction. Unless we break through the rhetoric and recognize that continuing on this same path won’t relieve natural ecosystems from relentless exploitation and climate stress, we’re simply repeating a cycle expecting a different outcome—a notion Einstein famously defined as madness.
Debunking sustainability myths
Before diving into the solutions, let’s clarify a common misconception: yachting’s emissions are cited by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) as just 0.3% of global maritime emissions (2-3% overall) yet this figure only reflects fuel use and overlooks the full ecological impact. Beyond propulsion, yacht construction, maintenance, disposal, and infrastructure like marinas and ports all contribute significantly to ecological footprints – disrupting biodiversity, destroying habitats, and contributing to pollution—while not reflected in operational emissions figures.
An additional issue is carbon inequity: yachting serves a small, affluent population with a disproportionately high per-capita carbon footprint. Despite advances in resource efficiency, the benefits are often offset by rising consumption, especially within affluent sectors.
As we sail further into the 21st century, it’s clear that simply aspiring to carbon neutrality isn’t enough—it’s akin to anchoring in shallow waters. This moment calls for the yachting industry to assume genuine leadership by moving from mere harm reduction to the promotion of regenerative practices that actively enhance environmental health. Only by adopting this approach can the yachting sector embark on a path that meets net-zero goals in a serious, proactive, and, above all, credible way.
Establishing a roadmap to 2050 with the 3-R model
This ambition aligns with the recent Water Revolution Foundation industry leadership summit, hosted for its second edition in 2024 by Feadship in Hoofddorp, the Netherlands. At this gathering, industry leaders came together to outline a roadmap to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and establish the strategic framework necessary for realizing this goal.
The 3-R model introduced at the event provides a structured, measurable framework to achieve both net-zero emissions and a nature-positive impact — making it the first sector to adopt this model systematically. Recently validated at COP28 in Dubai during a Water Revolution Foundation-hosted panel at the UN Sustainable Development Goals pavilion, the model has gained international recognition for its scientific rigor and relevance.
Starting with Reduce, the model pushes organizations to set clear net-zero targets, embedding emission reduction into their core strategies. Remove goes further, encouraging investment in proactive emissions offsetting, such as renewable energy projects replacing fossil fuels. However, the true innovation lies in Restore, which emphasizes the restoration of ecosystems. This stage unlocks the potential of blue carbon solutions like seagrass meadows, mangroves, coral reefs, and key biodiversity marine ecosystems that sequester carbon while revitalizing marine resources impacted by human activities.
Putting this vision into action, the Foundation’s Ocean Assist program provides a practical and accessible solution for the yachting community to integrate a complete model aligned with net-zero and nature-positive goals. Driven by an independent advisory board, the program funds high-impact projects that deliver maximum regenerative value, rigorously assessed on a scientific basis.
A balanced investment strategy
The Ocean Assist program reframes marine conservation as essential to the yachting industry, introducing a balanced investment approach that combines Verified Emission Reductions (VERs) and Regenerative Contribution Units (RCUs). VERs are carbon credits representing one ton of CO₂ offset through verified emission reductions, allowing yachting companies to align with global sustainability targets. RCUs go further, channeling funds into “blue carbon” ecosystems — like seagrasses and coral reefs — that both capture carbon and enhance marine biodiversity, directly addressing the ‘Restore’ segment of the 3-R Model. Together, these units form a dual strategy: VERs address carbon offsets, while RCUs support ocean health, shifting the industry from neutral to regenerative impact.
Ocean Assist Units (purchased through the Ocean Assist programme) each combine one VER and one RCU, allowing companies to calculate their carbon footprint or invest in units to offset specific emissions, thereby actively contributing to marine restoration. Companies can start by calculating their total carbon emissions or the impact of individual products and services to determine how many Ocean Assist Units are needed for full or partial offsetting. Each unit provides a one-ton CO₂ offset through VERs, along with additional regenerative benefits through RCUs, supporting projects like Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs).
After investing, companies can track the impact of their Ocean Assist Units using a transparent system, which offers clear metrics for ESG reporting and compliance with the EU’s Green Claims Directive, CSRD, and EU Taxonomy.
This combined approach empowers the yachting sector to go beyond carbon neutrality and positions it as a leader in regenerative environmental development. As the program’s philosophy perfectly captures:
“True luxury is not just about the journeys we take, but the legacy we leave behind—a thriving ocean, resilient and restored, for generations to come.”
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Visit the Ocean Assist Page here.
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*Joachen Zeit is a renowned businessman celebrated for his visionary initiatives as the former CEO of Puma, where he integrated environmental and social responsibility into the company’s core business model. He advocates for “doing more good” rather than just “doing less harm,” inspiring industries to adopt a regenerative approach for addressing global challenges.
© Photo by Breed Media – Jeff Brown