3 minute read
INTERVIEW
My generation has had the privilege of living in an extraordinary world, full of beauty and variety. There is nothing more important than being able to leave our grandchildren behind a world as we have known it, so they have the same opportunity to discover its wonders.
However, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that we are arriving at the issue of sustainability very late. Recent reports show that we are far worse off than we thought on climate change.
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The situation has become so critical that even the shortterm goals we have set ourselves for 2030 may no longer be enough. It may be a case of bringing our objectives forward to 2025. It doesn’t mean abandoning targets but maybe we should be dividing them in two; between those long-term issues where we’re still grappling for solutions and the quicker, more viable fixes which can be accelerated.
There are some issues, such as waste management, water treatment and electrification of docks that can be fastforwarded. We have already discussed many of these solutions and set ourselves five-year targets. But given the critical urgency of the situation, we will surely have to accelerate them and solve them sooner than expected. These are all problems that aren’t necessarily easy to resolve, but nor are they impossible.
I recently spent some time in hospital, and it gave me plenty of food for thought. When you observe closely how a hospital works, the amount of waste generated is frightening. It made me think about what we can do in the refit business and how we need to take immediate action to address those things that are within our power to influence. Jettisoning waste into the sea is not only an urgent issue, but it should also be considered a punishable crime. We have to be able to solve this situation now. If we don’t, we are endangering not only the future of our industry, but the world as we know it today.
At MB92 one of the main actions we’ve taken has been in dock electrification. We have invested significantly in providing connections so that all yachts that use our facilities can be connected to onshore electricity that comes entirely from renewable sources.
It’s inconceivable to me that a yacht today should have to be powered by a diesel engine while docked in a refit shipyard or a marina. It should be obligatory for all yachts to be plugged into onshore power by the end of 2022. Given that superyachts spend just 15% of their time cruising, this would drastically reduce their carbon footprint.
I’d love to say otherwise but, unfortunately, I believe that regulations are necessary. Without regulations there will always be someone that is going to try to cut corners to lower costs.
Eliminating emissions during the propulsion of boats is a more complex issue that’s likely to take longer to resolve. But I was hugely encouraged by the news that Team New Zealand from the America’s Cup has developed the first auxiliary boat powered by hydrogen. This was a project that was initially meant to take three years, but they have done it in nine months. It’s too early to say if it will be a success because they are still conducting sea trials, but I think it definitely shows that hydrogen could be an alternative to diesel for the industry. Team New Zealand have shown that it’s possible to accelerate timelines and that where there’s a will then the pioneers will find a way.
For Team New Zealand, surely their main goal is to develop a sailing boat that can go faster - and yet they have invested time and money on a support boat’s propulsion system. I think that this shows a trend and a determination from the corporate world to find solutions because ultimately the funds to develop this system came from the team’s sponsors. It shows that those sponsors are concerned about these issues and are determined to make solutions happen.
It is my belief and hope that we soon see owners, management companies, shipping agencies, as well as yacht officers and crews, demanding sustainable practices from the marinas and the shipyards where they are moored or carrying out maintenance.
There is going to be increasing pressure and demand from society, and it is my hope that this filters through the entire production and supply chain, meaning that soon if a yacht is not sustainable, it will dramatically lose its value.
