by Water Revolution Foundation | 10 Nov 2021 | Press Releases
A group of prominent shipyards has committed to setup a structural approach for reinvestment into the regeneration and conservation of our precious oceans. They now call on fellow yacht builders to join them in this important commitment.
Abeking & Rasmussen, Ameryachts, Baglietto, Feadship, Gulf Craft, Heesen Yachts, Horizon Yachts, Lürssen Yachts, Oceanco, Royal Huisman, Sanlorenzo, Silveryachts, Southern Wind, Tankoa, Turquoise Yachts, and Vitters are the first builders that have agreed to reinvest based on the Gross Tonnage (GT) of yachts they deliver.
The importance and logic of ocean conservation for the yachting sector
From 2021 onwards, the United Nations declared the next 10 years the ‘Ocean Decade’, aiming to catalyse transformative ocean science solutions for sustainable development. Oceans absorb more than 90% of the excess heat generated by global warming and are taking in over 25% of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, making them the planet’s largest carbon sinks. In short, the oceans’ health determines all life on Earth.
The builders are also well aware that without healthy oceans there is no sustainable future for the yachting sector. It is therefore logical that the entire yachting community would take on the role of ocean stewards – not as philanthropy, but as an investment in our common future.
“Today, an innovative approach towards ecological transition is about acknowledging the ocean-climate nexus and the central role of marine ecosystem conservation for a healthy planet,” says Dr Vienna Eleuteri, Water Revolution Foundation’s initiator and sustainability scientist. “I am very pleased with this group of builders taking the lead in setting up structural reinvestment by the yachting sector to regenerate our oceans.”
Taking real action means simultaneously reducing our environmental impact while regenerating the oceans’ capacity to recover from negative impacts. For the latter, we need to embrace nature’s very own solutions and weapons against climate change. Marine mammals and their marine ecosystems play a crucial role and therefore their natural habitats need to be protected as blue carbon ecosystems.
Import Marine Mammal Areas
The entirety of funds collected will go to Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs), endorsed by Water Revolution Foundation and promoted as one of the most effective programmes for ocean conservation among the entire yachting community to support.
IMMAs is an existing programme of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Task Force on Marine Mammal Protected Areas. The premise of this programme is simple: when seeking to protect the ocean, we need to know where to start.
Through identifying the areas important for marine mammals, these can be prioritised for protection measures by governments, intergovernmental organisations, conservation groups, and marine stakeholders. This does not automatically mean banning human activities – in fact, it is about aligning human activities with the needs of nature, so-called ‘sustainable ocean use’. By being aware and adapting to nature’s needs, all marine human activity – including yachting – can operate in a much more conscious way at these critical areas. The IMMA programme works very well too for yacht crew to participate through citizen science.
With 159 IMMAs already established across the Southern Hemisphere, the scientists behind the IMMA programme are now looking to the Northern Hemisphere. In total, there are nine regions of the ocean still to be mapped. The North Atlantic is next up, which is the common crossing route for yachts and superyachts between the Mediterranean and Caribbean seasons.
What is the commitment?
The shipyards are committing to contributing the amount of €1 per gross ton they delivered in 2021. For each new yacht delivered, the yards will match the gross tonnage in euros and reinvest this via Water Revolution Foundation into IMMA for its North Atlantic project which starts in early 2022.
The amount of €1 per GT is based on the €555,000 target funding needed to start the two-year North Atlantic IMMA project. This target amount was divided by the 455,000 total expected GT to be delivered in 2021 and rounded off to €1. The builders that committed have so far delivered around 60,000 GT in 2021.
Call to action
The first committed yacht builders now call on their colleagues to join in on this commitment and choose the coordinated approach to raise the required funding for this important ocean conservation programme. The yards also encourage other players in the yachting sector to band together and make a similar commitment to protect what is most dear and critical to our common future.
Final notes
At a time where the focus is on countries and politicians at the COP26 in Glasgow for international action to tackle climate change, industry plays a key role too. Instead of waiting for legislation, taking our own measures to reduce and regenerate will be more constructive, more appreciated and therefore most effective.
Note that this coordinated contribution to ocean conservation is not meant to offset the impact of the yachts delivered nor their production processes, but to structure reinvestment by builders into the most critical natural resource for the yachting sector and to reach the target funding for IMMAs, as the first collectively supported ocean conservation programme.
by Water Revolution Foundation | 16 Sep 2021 | Featured, Press Releases
Water Revolution Foundation, has teamed up with the renowned Goodvertising Agency and its sustainability communication guru, Thomas Kolster, to create sustainability communications guidelines. The guidelines aim to help the yachting sector communicate more effectively about their sustainability effort.
The marketing directors of the Foundation’s three anchor partners, Benetti, MB92 and Oceanco, were involved in the development to ensure the guidelines are aligned with the specifics of the yachting industry.
“Businesses are pressured to act more sustainably across the board. It’s great to see the yachting industry rise to the challenge,” said Thomas Kolster about this joint project with the yachting companies and Water Revolution Foundation as the collaborative platform.
The sustainability communication guidelines, which are digital and publicly available, take the user through a chronological path of ten steps for shaping effective messages regarding their sustainability efforts. When all ten boxes are ticked, you can be assured of a constructive message. These steps include some key points such as putting sustainability efforts in perspective, distilling complex environmental issues into simple stories and last but not least making your colleagues and stakeholders part of the sustainability journey. Each step comes with do’s, don’ts, and great examples. While external examples can broaden the sector’s horizon with the cases from the non-yachting industry, internal examples share the applicable yachting-related practices.
“In an industry that is rapidly embarking on its path towards sustainability, the marketing & communication can somewhat outpace the actual progress that’s being made. The majority of yachting companies are currently still in the phase of developing sustainability strategies and setting their short and long term goals. In that way, current communication is mostly about intentions, not yet about real milestones accomplished. That is logical as long as these intentions are communicated realistically and constructively.” said Robert van Tol, executive director of Water Revolution Foundation. “The guidelines will help to avoid negative effects, as these can be far greater than the positive ones, especially outside our yachting bubble. So called ‘greenwashing’ has direct and indirect boomerang effects, which we can avoid by effective communication.”
These guidelines are also meant to help yachting media assess the messages and claims regarding sustainability that come their way through press releases, new concepts and advertising. Follow-up questions supported by these 10 points should be asked to communicate more effectively and beneficially about the sector’s sustainability efforts. After all, every public statement affects the image of yachting, especially when they’re about sustainability.
“A rising tide lifts all boats. It’s promising to see the yachting industry stand together to tackle the greatest challenge of our time,” said Kolster.
You can download the sustainability communication guidelines here.
by Water Revolution Foundation | 10 Jul 2019 | Press Releases
Superyacht industry business leaders become Water Revolution Foundation’s first anchor partners – all joining the mission of “driving sustainability in superyachting”.
Water Revolution Foundation, the non-profit on a mission to drive and accelerate sustainability in the superyacht industry, has announced the support of nine anchor partners: Abeking&Rasmussen, Alexseal, Amels | Damen, Benetti, Feadship, Heesen, Lürssen, MB92 and Rybovich. These forward-thinking companies have not only recognised the urgency to reduce the industry’s ecological footprint, but have pledged substantial multi-year commitment and financial contributions. Together, these nine leading companies have made a bold statement on what the future of superyachting will look like.
“This leadership is exactly what the superyacht industry urgently needs to accelerate sustainability efforts”, said Robert van Tol, executive director of Water Revolution Foundation. “Reducing our footprint is a collective challenge and requires real cooperation. I’d like to thank our first anchor partners for sharing this vision, making it possible to start this ambitious programme and call on other companies to join this revolution too”.
With the International Maritime Organization directing the maritime industry to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2050 from 2008’s levels, as well as the continued increase in marine protected areas, the time for the superyacht industry to act is now. “Sustainability is something we can no longer view as optional. But, more importantly, our industry is well positioned to take the lead with a smart and affluent clientele and our unique connection with the ocean”, said van Tol. “Our foundation is open to all industry companies. Sustainability is not a competitive advantage; it is a responsibility, a minimum standard that we need to continuously improve upon collectively.”
Water Revolution Foundation’s activities will revolve around three areas of focus: promoting new technology and empowering innovation; pro-actively creating the industry’s own sustainability agenda, going beyond legislative requirements; and reinvesting in ocean conservation.
The inaugural year will see the foundation develop an assessment tool that can measure the impact of design and build choices along with the footprint of existing yachts and effectiveness of technical solutions. The first industry-tailored sustainability management course, part of an industry educational programme, will also be launched. Water Revolution’s first joint industry project will be to determine a yacht’s operational profile and how to compare yachts with one another. A database for verified sustainable solutions will also be developed, facilitating designers, builders and refitters with the knowledge needed to accelerate the shift towards sustainability.
Water Revolution Foundation started from within the superyacht industry and is led by a board of directors comprised of key industry figures, including Henk de Vries (Feadship), Philippe Briand (Philippe Briand Design), Vienna Eleuteri (sustainability scientist), Martin Redmayne (The Superyacht Group). At the latest board meeting, two new board members were appointed: Peter Lürssen (Lürssen Yachts) and Wayne Huizenga III (Rybovich).
A scientific board will provide Water Revolution Foundation with insights and guidance, along with assessing which ocean conservation and research projects are worthy of the industry’s investment.
Companies who operate in the superyacht industry are invited to become partners to support this much-needed revolution. Individuals can sign up for the Water Revolution Foundation newsletter to stay updated on future developments.
