A naukri.com initiative
Dezeen
2d
141
Image Credit: Dezeen
How the superyacht industry is approaching sustainability
- The superyacht industry, which has seen rapid growth during the pandemic, is under increased scrutiny from climate campaigners due to its outsized environmental impact.
- A superyacht can produce up to 7,020 tonnes of CO2 a year and the emissions of the 300 largest superyachts in use is greater than Burundi's 13 million people.
- Despite this, seemingly every new superyacht is marketed as a step forward for sustainability, giving rise to accusations of greenwashing.
- Efficiency remains a significant issue, and yacht designers have prioritised using narrower shapes that allow vessels to cut more smoothly through the water, or use aluminium to build a lighter hull.
- Fuel is the major issue with over 90% of a superyacht's global warming potential contribution coming from burning fossil fuels.
- Hybrid engines and green methanol produced from agricultural or municipal waste are becoming more common, while some economic EU funding will be used for the first bi-fuel superyacht, running on green methanol and diesel, to be launched by 2027.
- In addition, the industry is experimenting with hydrogen and fuel cell systems, with the first hydrogen-powered superyacht being launched by Feadship in May.
- Reducing the environmental impact of superyachts is currently a matter of conscience and organisations such as the Water Revolution Foundation, established in 2018, are attempting to accelerate change.
- Mario Biferali has attempted to explore how wealthy clients' desire for enormous ships could be married with a less resource-intensive approach.
- Along with enhanced regulation, conscious moral duty is needed to reduce the environmental impact of the superyacht industry which some argue to be unjustifiable in today's world.
Read Full Article
8 Likes
For uninterrupted reading, download the app