Water Revolution Foundation Launches Revolutionary YETI 1.0

Paving the way towards a sustainable future in the yachting industry, the first version of YETI is expected to revolutionise the way superyachts are recognised to be 'green' through three key aspects: scoring and comparing yachts based on their environmental credentials; emphasising the operational efficiency of a yachts lifecycle; as well as tackling its ecological impact through benchmarking each yacht against an average operational profile. 

Created by a team of experts with, ‘unrivalled experience and accumulated brain power’, the ‘YETI Group’ came together at the Amsterdam-based METSTRADE to launch the new tool and showcase the YETI’s value for shipyards and clients when considering both new builds and refits. Unveiling the tool to an impressive audience, the presentation by Robert van Tol, Executive Director of Water Revolution, revealed more details about the ground-breaking tool, with a particular focus on how it can work to assess the sustainability of the operational phase of a superyacht. 

Through a developed and complex process, the YETI 1.0 expresses calculated emissions in ‘EcoPoints’ and divides these points with the gross tonnage of the yacht. From here, YETI determines a relative and comparable score for each vessel within one of three defined classes, <500, 500-3000GT, and >3000GT, to provide a more accurate and informed approach; working to reduce the EcoPoints within each size group. 

By collecting data for each yacht’s unique operational profile, YETI 1.0 compares each vessel to the rest of the fleet. YETI scores are calculated by energy use for propulsion, which includes expected fuel, shore power consumption, and related emissions.

The YETI 1.0 tool is pioneering the way towards a truly sustainable future of yachting. Guiding all industry members, from design to yacht management, increases the endpoint of reaching a reduced ecological footprint across the board. Already, the industry’s collaboration with the Water Revolution Foundation is commendable, with some of the most renowned shipyards, naval architects and research institutes setting competition aside and joining forces to progress sustainable change in a legitimate way. 

During the launch, companies were encouraged to support the YETI Group and partake in this unique collaboration, with the Foundation already looking to develop YETI 2.0 which will expand the tool’s scope further than looking at operational efficiency. 

Robert van Tol commented on the launch: ‘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.’