Water Revolution Foundation spent last week at the Superyacht Forum and Metstrade for a full programme of meetings, presentations and collaborative sessions. Our team contributed across multiple stages, advancing conversations on environmental responsibility and practical pathways for a more sustainable superyacht sector. Below is a wrap-up of our sessions.
NXT-GEN Anti-Fouling Session
Our Environmental Specialist, Awwal Idris joined the panel for the NXT-GEN Anti-fouling session which brought together coating manufacturers, shipyards and insurers to explore the rapidly evolving landscape of fouling control. The discussion highlighted the need to balance hull performance, regulatory changes and environmental protection, with a growing emphasis on reducing toxic releases and preventing invasive species transfer. Speakers compared differing approaches – from traditional biocides to silicone foul-release technologies – while emphasising ongoing misconceptions around operational requirements for newer systems. The panel strongly supported a sector-wide shift from “antifouling” to the broader and more accurate term “fouling control,” and underlined the increasing role of Life Cycle Assessment in material innovation, though better integration of real-world operational performance into these assessments remains essential.
HVO: Breaking Barriers to Adoption
Our Technical Director, Hanna Dąbrowska moderated the HVO session, a deeply practical session that clarified the regulatory, operational and technical realities of adopting HVO as a drop-in fuel for the yacht fleet. Certification frameworks, including EU schemes and emerging IMO guidance, were outlined to demonstrate that integrity mechanisms already exist to manage fraud risks within the renewable fuel supply chain. The panel noted that HVO is compatible with most modern engines, offers cleaner combustion and enhanced engine longevity, and maintains excellent long-term storage stability. While availability varies regionally and cost remains slightly above MGO, most barriers are rooted in misconceptions – particularly confusion between HVO and FAME biodiesel. The key takeaway is that HVO represents the only immediate and scalable decarbonisation tool for the existing fleet (however it is still a temporary solution according to the IMO), with adoption limited more by perception and education than by technology.
The Ocean Assist Programme
Our Initiator and Vice Chair, Dr. Vienna Eleuteri was joined on stage by Georgina Menheneott from Burgess, Fiorenzo Spadoni from RINA and Francesca Webster from Superyacht Times to discuss our new programme Ocean Assist. This session introduced Ocean Assist as a scientifically verified, regenerative investment pathway designed specifically for the maritime sector. It explained how Ocean Assist Units combine carbon removal, biodiversity regeneration, water-quality improvements and social benefits within one transparent and independently validated methodology. Case studies demonstrated operational uptake, including Burgess’ integration of these units into travel, events and fleet management, while RINA outlined the ISO 14064-3 verification process that underpins credibility and safeguards against greenwashing. With global environmental reporting expectations rising and regions like the Red Sea already embedding regenerative metrics into marine tourism frameworks, the session highlighted Ocean Assist as a forward-leaning, reputation-enhancing approach for the yachting community.
Hub of Verified Solutions Matchmaking Session
This dynamic speed-dating format connected verified solutions from our Hub of Verified Solutions with an expanded group of potential buyers, creating an energetic environment for discovery, knowledge exchange and commercial traction. The session saw strong engagement and meaningful introductions, reinforcing the Hub’s role as the central platform for proven sustainable technologies in yachting and demonstrating growing industry appetite for verified, ready-to-implement solutions.
If you would like to learn more about our Hub of Verified Solutions or submit a solution for verification, visit: https://waterrevolutionfoundation.org/programmes/hub-of-verified-solutions/
WRF IMO Zero-Framework – What Is NXT
With the decision at IMO to delay the Net Zero Framework by one year, our voluntary industry Roadmap 2050, launched last June, was the perfect topic for a session discussing what yachting can do pro-actively rather than sit back and wait for regulations. Our Executive Director Robert van Tol called this Roadmap yachting’s compass to navigate unchartered waters together. With the quantified targets in 5-year increments for the four life cycle stages of a yacht: Design, Build, Operation and Refit, all yachting stakeholders are connected and have a role to play. While investments in new technologies continue, the infrastructure and local policies would need to be updated in order for clients to go for it and avoid chicken-egg situations.
The Superyacht Coating Conference
Our Environmental Specialist, Awwal Idris, joined the panel at this year’s Superyacht Coating Conference, which returned at a pivotal time for the sector. The session explored the accelerating regulatory shift around antifouling coatings, driven by concerns over biocides that harm marine life, accumulate in sediments and affect sensitive coastal zones. With the IMO AFS Convention, the EU Biocidal Products Regulation and local restrictions on copper and co-biocides already in force – and more substances under review – the trend is clearly moving toward stricter controls and increased interest in non-biocidal alternatives.
The panel underscored the need for a solid Business-as-Usual (BAU) baseline to understand today’s typical environmental impact and to ensure new systems can be meaningfully compared against it. Life Cycle Assessment was highlighted as a practical tool for this process, enabling manufacturers to test scenarios early in formulation, adjust materials, reduce toxicity and refine performance before products reach market. The overarching message: next-generation fouling-control solutions must pair high technical performance with demonstrably lower environmental cost, supported by transparent evidence and clear comparison to BAU.
Yacht 2030
Our PhD student, Ludovico Ruggiero from Politecnico di Milano presented the Yacht 2030 project, a structured, life-cycle-based approach to supporting more environmentally friendly yacht design. The session introduced a practical framework built around three phases: measuring environmental hotspots through Life Cycle Assessment, applying targeted optimisation strategies, and benchmarking designs against both previous configurations and the wider market.
The research presented demonstrated how small but well-informed design decisions – such as selecting aluminium with high recycled content, reducing structural mass through advanced engineering, or integrating remanufactured components – can generate meaningful upstream impact reductions. Early case-study results showed that applying only a handful of targeted guidelines delivered a 10% improvement in the cradle-to-shipyard phase, underscoring the value of embedding Life Cycle Thinking at the concept stage.
