The ocean covers 70 per cent of the planet and produces at least 50 per cent of the oxygen in the atmosphere. This same ocean is under threat from direct human activities and the creeping catastrophe of anthropogenic climate change. It is hard to overstate the capacity for positive change that the superyacht industry possesses. Transitioning our interaction with the ocean from treating it as a platform on which we operate and exploit, to us being the means by which the ocean is restored and protected, is imperative.

“It is time to realize that, to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and the objectives of the Paris Agreement on climate change, we urgently need collective action to revitalize the ocean. That means finding a new balance in our relationship with the marine environment.” Says UN Secretary-General António Guterres in a statement this World Oceans Day

At The Superyacht Group, we endeavour to chase the important stories and challenge the industry on the subject of ocean conservation and sustainable development. June 8th gives us chance to reflect on some of these vital topics we have discussed, and look ahead to how the industry can continue to evolve and grow sustainably.  The necessary change will be piecemeal, and many of the solutions are not glamorous. The industry's directive is clear, and the timeline for change is compressed. Far from a one-day event, the following pieces are some of the most pressing, engaging and consequential that we have addressed.

Like many kids my age, I dreamed of becoming a marine scientist. I never thought that this was the industry that would take me so close to some of the most inspiring leaders in the field. We must work to ensure that the next generation looks to our industry as integral to the solution and leading the way as guardians of the marine environment. We have the resources and the influence to affect this change.

There is some groundbreaking work that is taking place within our industry, and we are only just getting started. The onus is on us as an industry to work with the UN and organisations such as the Water Revolution Foundation to reach the sustainability targets, and redefine the role that superyachts play in the marine environment. 

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