Clearing the Waters: Navigating the Murky World of Yachting Sustainability and Greenwashing

For those unacquainted with the term ‘greenwashing’, it refers to a practice where false or misleading information is disseminated about an entity’s environmental practices or benefits. The super-swanky world of yachting has not been spared from this phenomenon. The reality is that the concept of a completely ‘green’ or ‘sustainable’ superyacht is presently elusive, primarily due to the significant impacts throughout its lifetime. In fact, the annual average carbon footprint of a superyacht can be shockingly equivalent to nearly nine centuries of emissions of the average person.

A note of caution here: It’s crucial that these changes don’t result in inadvertent trade-offs. For example, while recycled materials can be used for various products, they sometimes lack the durability of unrecycled items and hence, require more production. A more durable material, no matter how sustainable, will still have to be disposed of eventually in what might be an impactful manner. The trick, therefore, is to look for products that will genuinely reduce impact throughout their use.

This holds true for alternative fuels as well. While sources like methanol, hydrogen and HVO can reduce emissions, their overall impact relies heavily on their production methods or required resources. To ensure options result in a significantly lower impact than business-as-usual, adequate supporting data and third-party certified or accredited products should be sought.

In the coming years, the verification of eco-claims is likely to become more stringent, thanks to a new EU Directive on Green Claims set to be released later this year. The directive outlaws any misleading or unverifiable claims about product environmental impacts and calls for all such claims to be supported by verifiable sources. This step is sure to bring more accountability into the play and aid yachting enthusiasts and industry players alike in ensuring that the glorious waves they ride aren’t tainted with greenwash. After all, in the course of charting the global waters, it’s essential to acknowledge and respect the value of the true blue.