RYA share plans to achieve carbon zero by 2050

The RYA have outlined its plans for the recreational boating sector to reach zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The RYA is excited to launch ‘Pathways to Zero: The RYA’s Vision for a Zero Carbon Recreational Boating Sector by 2050.’ It is an ambitious document and outlines the key actions and milestones that will need to be reached by the RYA and the wider sector to achieve the vision for zero-carbon in response to the climate emergency.

The report has been developed to deliver on the requirement within the RYA’s Sustainability Strategy, launched last year, to set out an achievable pathway for the wider recreational boating sector to significantly lower emissions.

The report includes over one hundred individual actions, many of which are related to policy, logistics and behaviour change, and can be achieved at minimal cost. The report also contains recommendations for broad technology changes which will require funding by the sector, with Government support, over the coming years.

Commenting on the launch of the Pathways to Zero report, Phil Horton, RYA Environment and Sustainability Manager, said: “The development of this report follows wide research across the sector, analysis of sustainability forecasts, as well as speaking with RYA members and marine businesses. In addition to addressing our own operational impacts, we believe that it is essential to the safeguarding of our sport that the RYA contributes to mitigating the long-term environmental impacts of recreational boating. Addressing these concerns will have many benefits for boaters that go beyond carbon emission reductions, such as reduced noise, better manoeuvrability and response, reduced maintenance costs, and zero pollution.

“The report outlines the key areas where we have identified a need for change, many of those actions included will be relatively easy fixes. However, other actions will require investment, whether that be in time or funding.

“The RYA interacts directly and indirectly with an estimated 250,000 recreational boaters each year, therefore one of our objectives is for the changes in behaviour occurring within the RYA to be shared and adopted by those boaters and the wider boating community.”

The full ‘Pathways to Zero: The RYA’s Vision for a Zero Carbon Recreational Boating Sector by 2050’ report and its associated background paper are available to download now from the RYA website.

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