YETI launches tool to track superyacht emissions

The first version of the Yacht Environmental Transparency Index (YETI) was launched at this year’s METSTRADE and shared with key members of the industry.

The tool, which scores and compares yachts based on their environmental credentials, is said to “emphasise the operational efficiency of a yacht’s lifecycle to reduce ecological impact by benchmarking vessels against an average operational profile.”

The launch unveiled the details of YETI 1.0 and its focus on the most impactful part of a yacht’s lifecycle – its operational phase. The tool works by expressing the calculated emissions in “EcoPoints” and dividing such points with the yacht’s gross tonnage to determine a relative score that is comparable within its class. The defined classes for YETI 1.0 are <500, 500-3000GT, and >3000GT.

“The groundwork has been done, it is now time for the industry and owners to utilise this reliable reference to know where a yacht stands and what opportunities there are to improve its environmental credentials,” says Robert van Tol, executive director of Water Revolution Foundation, the non-profit that is a driving force behind YETI.

To use YETI 1.0, data concerning a vessel’s general parameters, speed-power, load determination, generators, battery bank, and heat distribution system must be submitted on the input sheet. When joining the fleet review, yachts are provided with a feedback report that includes a YETI 1.0 score, an explanation of how this score was determined, comparison to the rest of the assessed fleet within a given class, and suggestions for potential areas of improvement. 

By taking a yacht’s unique operational profile as a benchmark, YETI 1.0 provides scores comparing a single vessel to the rest of the fleet rather than applying the generic approach for commercial ships.

YETI scores are calculated based on energy use for propulsion, including expected fuel, shore power consumption, and related emissions.

YETI is a collaboration between a range of shipyards, naval architects, and research institutes.

Companies, captains, engineers, shipyards and naval architects that can support the group with expertise and data are encouraged to take part in this collaboration to develop YETI 2.0 and expand the tool’s scope beyond operational efficiency.

Yacht owners can now submit data for their yacht(s) in order to calculate its YETI score, which will come with a detailed feedback report providing a comparison with the rest of the fleet.

Readers can help by filling out this form. 

Workshops will also be organised for members of the industry to attend a live YETI score calculation in order to better understand the required input, assessment process and outcomes generated as a single score.

Focus on the environmental impact of the superyacht is growing, with global warming now expected to reach or exceed 1.5 degrees C in the coming two decades.

Extinction Rebellion supporters protested at the doors of the Superyacht Forum at METSTRADE 2022, with a spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion Amsterdam saying: “Superyachts are an obvious symbol of climate and social injustice.”