by Water Revolution Foundation | 4 Jun 2024 | Press Releases
Distinguished yachting industry leaders convened last week for the second edition of the Business Leadership event, organised by Water Revolution Foundation and hosted by Feadship. With a focus on establishing a Regenerative Approach for Yachting, the event featured insightful discussions and exchanges among the scientific community and industry pioneers, culminating in the beginning of a collective journey to develop a roadmap for the yachting sector to become regenerative by 2050.
From Ocean Strategy to Regenerative Approach
Expanding upon the achievements of May 2023’s inaugural industry leader event hosted by Lürssen in Hamburg, which educated attendees about ocean status and impactful conservation initiatives by leading ocean scientists, Water Revolution Foundation’s mission continues with renewed vigour. This year’s focus on regeneration is a direct reflection of the insights gained during the previous event, emphasising the importance of proactive conservation efforts for positive impact investment alongside mitigation strategies to reduce negative impacts – ultimately embracing a new regenerative business model.
“It is fundamental to set one common industry goal and have a widely adopted strategy on how to get there, together. With these targeted events, we challenge and equip company owners and CEOs of dominant players in the yachting market to become change agents, not only leading their companies towards the future, but the entire sector. We are very pleased to provide such a powerful group with a cross-industry strategic platform,” shared Water Revolution’s Executive Director, Robert van Tol.
Setting the stage from the perspective of space
A celebrated figure in the realm of space exploration and scientific research, Dutch astronaut Andre Kuipers set a powerful tone for the day by sharing his unique perspective of our blue planet from the vantage point of space. With striking imagery highlighting the devastation of ecosystems over time, he called upon the audience to reduce pressure on nature and give it time to recover, emphasising that this can only be achieved through collaboration and setting ambitious goals.
Guided by science
Water Revolution’s vice-chair and initiator, Dr. Vienna Eleuteri, alongside Professor Adriana del Borghi from the University of Genoa and Blue Economy Specialist Jorge Barbosa, unveiled a regenerative strategy for the yachting industry to address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. Calling for a shift from mere impact reduction to regeneration, they proposed a climate neutrality plan based on the 3R-model: Reduce, Remove, and Repair. These principles advocate for minimising negative impacts, adopting cleaner alternatives, and actively restoring ecosystems to neutralise any remaining effects and ultimately become net-positive.
“By embracing this structured approach, we can lead the way in demonstrating how luxury and sustainability can coexist. The adoption of these principles will enable our sector to meet regulatory demands, gain consumer and public opinion trust, and ensure long-term viability in an increasingly eco-conscious market,” shared Eleuteri.
Establishing an industry roadmap
With the scientific insights as a foundation, attendees were divided into breakout rooms to gather ideas for an ambitious roadmap implementing the 3-R model across all stages of a yacht’s lifecycle. This collaborative effort resulted in the formation of concrete actions for the coming years, demonstrating strong alignment among stakeholders on the necessary steps to achieve regeneration.
To conclude the day, Feadship CEO Jan-Bart Verkuyl called on attendees to mark their commitment to the regenerative approach and participation in this monumental event.
Industry innovations
Inspiring presentations also came from within the industry, including valuable insights on Foundation Zero, an open-source platform aimed at fostering a mentality of shared innovation and collective R&D to accelerate progress, and Feadship’s environmental initiatives concerning both product and process innovation.
The path ahead
The discussions initiated during this event signify the beginning of a transformative journey towards a regenerative future for yachting. Moving forward, Water Revolution Foundation will collaborate with attendees to refine the generated ideas and incorporate input into an industry roadmap taking concrete actions aligned with the principles of Reduce, Remove, and Repair. As stated by Feadship CEO & Chairman of Water Revolution Foundation, Henk de Vries: “This is not just about furthering our business – it’s about making sure we have a business for the future.”
Participating companies
This event owes its success to the pioneering organisations whose representatives were integral participants: Abeking & Rasmussen, AkzoNobel, Azimut|Benetti, Bluewater Yachting, BNP Paribas, Burgess Yachts, Clyde & Co, Döhle Yachts, Dykstra Naval Architects, Espen Oeino International, Feadship, Ferretti Group, F/LIST, Fraser Yachts, Heesen Yachts, Luise Group, Lürssen Yachts, MB92 Group, Oceanco, RWD, Sanlorenzo, Safe Harbor Marinas, Safe Harbor Rybovich, Seable&Co, Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design, SYBAss, Tankoa, The Superyacht Group, VBH, Vripack, Winch Design, and Wright Maritime Group.
by Dilan Sarac | 23 May 2024 | Insights
They say last but not least… We know you will enjoy this conclusion to our 5-part series guiding you through Environmental Indicators relevant to a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology (find Part One to Four of our Series starting here).
The Ecopoint represents the total potential environmental load of a product or solution: it is a cumulative, more holistic value that includes the impacts on human health, the ecosystem and resource diversity. The single numerical score of Ecopoint represents the overall impact of a product or solution, and is an aggregated result of the 10 previous indicators discussed until now. This score can be interpreted as a measure of sustainability performance, where lower scores indicate lower environmental impact.
Therefore, the Ecopoint allows us to group the nine environmental indicators in three different categories of damage: (1) Human Health, (2) Ecosystem quality and (3) Resources. This way, obtaining a single score representing the total environmental impacts during the product’s life cycle is possible.
Human Health and Ecosystem Impact
The Ecopoint index factors in the impact on human health and ecosystems, how a product’s life cycle may affect human well-being including health risks related to exposure to pollutants, and how it may impact ecosystems, including biodiversity and habitat disruption.
Resource Diversity
This takes into account the diversity and availability of natural resources, as well as the potential depletion of non-renewable resources and the consequences for future generations.
Four important factors are combined to assess a product’s environmental impact using the Ecopoint measure:
- Characterization Factors (CA): These are like scores that show how harmful a substance or emission can be for the environment.
- Damage Assessment Factors (DA): They include different types of harm, like global warming or air pollution.
- Normalization Factor (NO): This gives you a way to compare the impact to an average or reference value.
- Weighing Factor (WE): This helps decide how much importance to give to each type of harm.
The Ecopoint index is essentially a form of multi-criteria assessment that allows decision-makers to weigh different environmental and sustainability factors. It acknowledges that environmental issues are interconnected, and a single value can provide a more comprehensive understanding of the trade-offs and impacts associated with a product.
Learn more
Get in touch with us at info@waterrevolutionfoundation.org to find out more about the scientific methodology used within our programmes and how you can get involved.
by Water Revolution Foundation | 27 Mar 2024 | Insights
Authors: Awwal Idris (Environmental Expert, Water Revolution) & Nikos Avlonas (President, Center for Sustainability & Excellence)
It’s increasingly common for buyers to encounter advertisements promoting products as sustainable or eco-friendly. Such claims, often referred to as “green claims,” are being noticed in the yachting industry as well. With numerous producers, manufacturers, and suppliers eager to gain a marketing edge by labeling their products as green or sustainable, the new Green Claims Directive will influence how companies, also in the superyacht and maritime sectors, can communicate about the environmental credentials of their products or services. This new directive seeks to eliminate the deceptive practice known as greenwashing.
Addressing greenwashing with the Green Claims Directive
Greenwashing is a trend where companies deceive consumers with exaggerated or misleading environmental claims to influence their purchasing decisions. To address this issue, the European Union has introduced the Directive on Unfair Commercial Practices (Directive 2005/29/EC). This legal framework aims to safeguard consumers from deceptive green marketing tactics, and would also impact the superyacht industry in a number of ways.
Many EU member states have already integrated the provisions of the Green Claims Directive into their national laws and regulatory frameworks related to consumer protection and advertising standards. However, the extent to which these laws are enforced and the effectiveness of enforcement mechanisms can differ between countries.
How it could impact the superyacht industry
Clarity in Advertising: The directive would require that any environmental claims made by superyacht manufacturers or sellers be clear, accurate, and substantiated. This means that vague or exaggerated claims about a yacht’s environmental friendliness would be prohibited, reducing the potential for greenwashing.
Increased Accountability: Superyacht companies would need to provide evidence to support any environmental claims they make about their products. This could include data on emissions, fuel efficiency, use of sustainable materials, or any other eco-friendly features. This increased level of accountability would prevent companies from engaging in greenwashing.
Consumer Protection: The directive aims to protect consumers from being misled by false or exaggerated environmental claims. Superyacht buyers would have more confidence that the environmental benefits touted by manufacturers are genuine, leading to better informed purchasing decisions.
Reputation Management: Superyacht companies found to be engaging in greenwashing could face damage to their reputation and credibility. With increased scrutiny and regulations in place, companies would be incentivized to ensure their environmental claims are accurate to maintain trust among consumers and stakeholders.
Shift towards Genuine Sustainability: The directive could drive a shift towards genuine sustainability efforts within the superyacht industry. Companies may invest more in environmentally friendly technologies, materials, and practices to differentiate themselves in the market without resorting to greenwashing tactics.
Moving forward
Overall, the Green Claims Directive will likely have a positive impact on reducing greenwashing in the superyacht industry by promoting transparency, accountability, and genuine environmental stewardship. Third-party proofing of claimed sustainability credentials will shape the communication practices of the superyacht industry in 2024 and beyond, and all communication experts in Europe may need to attend courses in order to educate themselves on the legal risks of greenwashing.
by Dilan Sarac | 5 Mar 2024 | Insights
When we talk about footprint, do you think carbon? We tell you all about the Water Scarcity Footprint which is also used to assess a yacht’s environmental impact, in Part 4 of our Environmental Indicators series! (find Part One to Three of our Series starting here).
Water stands as one of the planet’s most precious resources, serving as an indispensable element vital for sustaining life. It plays a pivotal role in supporting human existence and maintaining biodiversity, crucial ecosystem functions, upon which we all rely. Therefore, it is imperative to measure water consumption in product manufacturing to identify processes that utilise significant amounts of water and to explore solutions for ensuring its efficient use.
The water scarcity footprint helps assess how particular water use contributes to or exacerbates water scarcity in a given area. We assess this impact by considering the quantity of water consumption and the water stress index (WSI) of the region from where the water is extracted, to determine the impact of freshwater consumption in view of its deprivation potential.
Water Stress Index for yachting
In yacht manufacturing for example, water consumption is significantly high for the extraction and production of materials. The amount of water consumed when producing yacht-building material is more than double than during the operating phase of the yacht. Further, hull construction requires water in various stages such as composite-moulding process, curing resins, and more. While these stages do not use large volumes of water individually, they become high over the course of yacht production. The water stress index can thus be an important metric in quantifying how much water is consumed and identifying hotspots where efforts to minimise water use can be implemented.
The Water Stress Index takes into account factors like available water resources, population, and industrial demand for water in that area. Of course, water resource exploitation may have a different impact depending on the extraction area.
Water scarcity impact
If the water scarcity impact is high, it indicates that your product or solution is exerting considerable strain on an already water-stressed region. Consequently, it may be prudent to explore more sustainable water sourcing or conservation measures to mitigate one’s heightened environmental damage. Conversely, if the water scarcity impact is low, it suggests that your product or solution exercises a relatively minor impact on water scarcity in that region, which can be a positive indicator of sustainability.
The indicators for WSI reflect the cumulative amount of direct and indirect emissions to help us understand how a product or solution’s water use might impact water shortages.
Learn more
Get in touch with us at info@waterrevolutionfoundation.org to find out more about the scientific methodology used within our programmes and how you can get involved. Stay tuned to hear about the remaining indicator: the EcoPoint!
by Water Revolution Foundation | 9 Feb 2024 | News
We are so pleased to welcome our new Environmental Expert, Awwal Idris, to the Water Revolution team!
With a Master’s degree in Forest & Nature Conservation, Awwal’s expertise lies in a complex understanding of ecosystems, environmental impact assessment, sustainable resource management, and solving relevant challenges by translating data into actionable insights. As a skillful sustainability analyst and researcher, he will play a crucial role as the link with specialised research institutes conducting Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) and a powerful force in fostering innovation for the foundation, the yachting industry, and the world at large.
Raised among the lush landscapes of Ghana, his childhood instilled an unwavering passion for nature and a profound appreciation for its delicate balance. Grounded in a pragmatic, science-driven approach, Awwal is motivated to make a tangible impact promoting sustainability, resilience, and a healthier planet for all.
Welcome to the Revolution, Awwal!
