Water Revolution Foundation launches YETI 1.0

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YETI (Yacht Environmental Transparency Index)

“The Amsterdam-based Water Revolution Foundation has launched the Yacht Environmental Transparency Index (YETI), which is designed to reduce the ecological impact of the superyacht industry by scoring and comparing yachts based on their environmental credentials.

The index emphasises the operational efficiency of a yacht’s lifecycle and tackles ecological impact by benchmarking vessels against an average operational profile, enabling those within the superyacht industry to make more informed decisions for new builds and refit projects.

YETI 1.0 focuses on the most impactful part of a yacht’s lifecycle – its operational phase. By expressing the calculated emissions in EcoPoints and dividing such points with the yacht’s gross tonnage, YETI 1.0 determines a score that is relative and comparable within its class. Following regulations and engineering practices, the defined classes are Under 500GT, 500-3,000GT and Over 3,000GT.

To use YETI 1.0, data concerning a vessel’s general parameters, speed-power, load determination, generators, battery bank, and heat distribution system are submitted on an input sheet.

When joining the fleet review, yachts are provided with an extensive feedback report that includes a YETI 1.0 score, explanation of how the score was determined, comparison to the rest of the assessed fleet within a given class, and suggestions for potential areas of improvement.

Robert van Tol (far right), Executive Director of Water Revolution Foundation

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. Studies conducted as part of the project include the upstream impacts of fuels, engines and generators, and the average footprint of shore power in the most popular marinas.

Data for yachts can now be submitted to calculate its YETI score, which will come with a detailed feedback report providing a comparison with the rest of the fleet.

Robert van Tol, Executive Director of Water Revolution Foundation, said: “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.”

Workshops will be organised for industry members to attend a live YETI score calculation to better understand the required input, assessment process, and outcomes generated as a single score. This session will reveal how choices are rewarded and showcase how YETI is designed to help instead of judge.