The Yacht Environmental Transparency Index (YETI): A Catalyst for Greening the High Seas

The Yacht Environmental Transparency Index (YETI) represents the vanguard in yachting’s sustainability evolution. Born from discussions regarding ‘green’ yachting and its quantification, YETI presents a reliable, systematic approach to assess a yacht’s environmental footprint and identify ways to enhance it. Consequently, guiding refitting projects in an eco-friendly direction is now more feasible than it ever was.

Launched in 2019, YETI has been on a roll, with every iteration contributing meaningfully to its growth. Its latest offering – a dedicated website with bespoke software for the revamped YETI Lite and the familiar YETI Pro – is a testament to such progress.

Spearheaded by Bram Jongepier, senior specialist at Studio De Voogt, YETI was initiated as an antidote to rampant greenwashing in the yachting industry. When weighing alternatives for energy carriers, a collaboration between De Voogt and Delft University gave birth to a tool that allowed quantification of sustainability impact.

YETI’s intention transcends merely examining the impact of yacht operations on global warming. Instead, recognizing and rewarding improvements made on the vessels that lead to positive environmental outcomes is a crucial aspect of its design. As such, YETI introduced Ecopoints, which reflect the total environmental load of a product throughout its lifecycle. Such a tool encompasses a broad spectrum of impact factors across three categories: human health, ecosystem quality, and resources. With the Ecopoint system and the capability to calculate CO2 equivalent impacts, YETI provides yacht owners with an accessible platform to promote and pursue sustainability, making it an increasingly integral part of the yachting landscape.