If there is one thing that boat builders and suppliers agree on when it comes to sustainability, it is this: "There is no single solution. It's going to take a whole bunch of very individualised steps." So says Ollie Taylor, Deputy Director of the Anthesis Group, an international consultancy based in London. Taylor has been working for six years on how ships can become more environmentally friendly in their production and utilisation. It is an arduous profession. There are still many in the industry who argue that the impact of the boat market on overall emissions is negligible, says Taylor. "That's why they believe it's not worth thinking about other processes and materials." He believes this is a mistake. After all, even if there is no threat of EU specifications and regulatory intervention for the time being, something is changing.
There is a growing social awareness of the need to reform the old economic model, simply because it no longer works. The boat market in its current form is "a product of the economic upturn of the post-war era, which has brought prosperity to more and more people". In combination with the emergence of GRP series production in the 1970s, sailing yachts went from being a luxury for the few to an affordable hobby for hundreds of thousands. "Nobody seriously asked what would happen to the boats when they could no longer find owners," says Taylor. However, this nonchalance is no longer socially acceptable. The next generation is already questioning the status quo. "If we don't offer solutions, it will be difficult."
A number of boatbuilding pioneers have already set out on this path, including some small, innovative start-up shipyards as well as established brands.
