In an exciting milestone, culminating five years of invaluable industry-wide collaboration, the YETI software tool was officially launched during METSTRADE 2024. Coinciding with the Foundation’s 6th anniversary, this remarkable development will enable the yachting industry to assess, compare and improve its environmental footprint.
A celebrated industry debut
Presented by Water Revolution Foundation’s Executive Director, Robert van Tol, and Technical Director, Hanna Dąbrowska, YETI’s release captivated the attention of key yachting stakeholders in the METSTRADE Theatre.
A premiere demo of the software highlighted key distinctions between YETI Lite and YETI Pro, the two versions now available to users on a web-based platform developed by the Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN). YETI Lite is a free, open-source, entry-level tool designed to help non-technical users gain a basic understanding of their yacht’s environmental footprint. It provides estimated performance scores with up to 90% accuracy, based on Gross Tonnage and Load Waterline Length (LWL). Ideal for raising internal awareness, YETI Lite serves as an informational resource but is not suitable for making official claims.
YETI Pro, on the other hand, offers a comprehensive assessment tool for technical professionals, offering a full, in-depth analysis based on well-to-wake impact of energy carriers and reference lines to benchmark yacht performance. With an extensive dashboard reflecting assessment results, users can explore and test potential solutions for reducing environmental impact. This version achieves higher accuracy than YETI Lite and includes third-party verification options for official scores.
One step closer to zero
A collaborative effort between renowned shipyards, naval architecture studios, and research institutes has resulted in the development of this comprehensive framework to measure a yacht’s environmental performance in the operational phase of its life cycle.
This voluntary assessment tool provides both the yachting industry and yacht owners with a clear understanding of their vessel’s current ecological impact and the sources of that impact, serving as a valuable decision support system for setting sustainability ambitions in new yacht builds and guiding existing vessels (power and sail) toward meaningful environmental upgrades. To ensure industry-wide usability, a working group of various target users supported the tool developers to create an intuitive interface making YETI accessible to shipyards, designers, engineers, captains, crews, marinas, financiers, brokers, and suppliers.
How YETI differentiates itself
Moving away from traditional sustainability narratives of shame and blame, YETI allows users to input their own data and take control of their environmental impact. It provides a clear direction, shows the effect of potential solutions, and offers valuable education to users while serving as a robust risk-analysis tool.
The YETI method is not intended as an alternative for legislative developments such as EEDI, EEXI, CII, etc., going further than CO2 impact by taking a holistic Life Cycle Approach. It goes beyond regulatory compliance to deliver a sector-specific, transparent methodology tailored to the unique challenges of the yachting industry.
“Transparency is the cornerstone of meaningful change. By delivering clear, honest measurements and actionable insights, YETI empowers the yachting industry to move beyond compliance, take responsibility, and make informed decisions that drive real environmental progress. With a comprehensive view of a yacht’s impact, we are confident that YETI will provide the clarity and insights needed to navigate toward a future-proof yachting industry,” said Dąbrowska.
A new environmental metric for yachting
YETI introduces a new term for the industry to express its environmental impact: EcoPoints. No less than 18 different impact categories are evaluated and summarised into one single score. This innovative scoring system allows for easy comparison of the environmental impact of various products, calculating the various effects of parameters such as CO2, CO, HC, NOx, Ammonia, & PM 2.5 in one single number. Specific impacts are also reported separately, to allow for transparency and steering on a selection of them (e.g. CO2 equivalent, which is a common focus for regulatory bodies).
The future of YETI
YETI’s method is currently proposed in ISO TS23099 to become an industry standard and common benchmark. The aim is for the entire global fleet to be calculated using YETI Pro, with scores validated by a third-party for official certification, ensuring complete transparency.
“The launch of YETI software marks the dawn of a new era for yachting — one where actionable insights drive progress. By providing a clear, reliable framework for assessing and improving environmental performance, YETI offers a clear, data-driven pathway to achieve measurable change. Together, we can create a yachting industry that thrives while safeguarding the ocean we rely on for generations to come,” said Vienna Eleuteri, Vice-Chair & Initiator of the Foundation.
You may access the software here: https://yachtfootprint.com/
For those attending METSTRADE, a YETI Pro demo is available at Water Revolution’s stand (Hall 13.104, Elicium building). Additionally, a YETI webinar will take place on Wednesday, 27 November, 15:00 – 15:45 CET, offering a deep dive into the software and its potential for driving impactful improvements. Register now at https://yetiwebinar.rsvpify.com/