SUSTAINABILITY VISION

ALL AT SEA FEBRUARY 2021 Shootin the ree e

e catch up ith Andre illar, marina manager at Ocean illage arina

Andrew also volunteers on hospital radio

QCongratulations on your new job. How does it feel to be marina manager at MDL’s agship marina and managing the boatyard at Sa on harf AM:It isanhonourbut comeswithgreat responsibility.It isnot onlyMDL’sflagshipmarinabut also the templateforfuturemarinasin theheart of citiesand towns.Wearepart of thelocalcommunity, supportingberthholders,marinebusinessesand residentsaswellashospitalityandleisurevenues.It is theheart withinaninternalcity. Q hat are you loo ing for ard to most about oining Ocean illage arina AM: I love Southampton.My grandparents met here and my father was born here before moving to Scotland,so really I have come back to my roots. I watched OceanVillage grow over the years while working on the cruise ships,and it has matured into something Southampton should be proud of.To manage the marina is truly a privilege. I am looking forward to meeting our residents,berth holders and tenants. Q Tell us about your new role’s biggest challenges AM:Likeanynewjob,getting toknow the peopleismost important.Gettingout on to the marinaandwalking theboards,that iswhere the businessis,that iswhere theberthholdersare.When comingintoanexisting teamyouhave tofindout about eachother,supportingandlearningalong the way.Peoplewhoworkwithyouat themarinaarewhat makesit successful.

Qou have a bac ground on cruise boats hat as your role and hat as the most interesting place you visited AM: I startedmycareeroncruiseshipsin2004when I joined a ship,ironicallycalledOceanVillage,owned byP&OandCarnival.Over theyears I hadvarious rolesfromentertainment andretailmanager tohotel manager.It wasanincredible timeinmylife,meeting amazingpeoplefromallover theworld.Myfavourite placewasRome. I have travelledaround theworld,but Romesticksinmyheadas thebest.

Qell us hat you love most about boating AM: People having fun and learning about their own boats.When you walk around the marina and you hear the laughter,the excitement of planned trips and watch them depart,that is just a great feeling.

Qhat is coming up in at Ocean illage arina AM:In2021weareplanning twoboatsshows for themarinaandSouthampton.Wewillhopefully beback tosomekindofnormalitywithregardssocial gatherings,sowatch thisspace. Q e hear you are also a radio DJ. ell us more AM: I justliketoentertainpeople,beingableto makesomeonelaughorlistentotheirchallenges.Music is a vehicleforallofustoclingontomemoriesandshare stories.Everyonehas a favouritepieceofmusicthat makesthemsmile,cryorrememberlovedones.Being abletovolunteeronhospitalradioismywaytorelax.

QStaying on the sub ect of radio, do you have an all time favourite song AM: I wouldsayPhilCollins,YouWillBeInMyHeart, from themovieTarzan.It wasplayingwhenmyfirst granddaughterwasborn.

Qhich sailors inspire you past or present AM: A ladywhosailed toBrixham thisyear. During thevoyageherhusbandcollapsedat the helmandshehad to takeover.Shebrought theboat intoBrixham,nolines,nofendersandherhusband completelyunresponsiveon thefloor.Hercourage, calmnessandhandlingof a boat shehadenjoyedas a passengerwas trulyremarkable.Herhusbandison themendafterwhat was a veryseriousevent,but I willneverforget it.It is a constant reminder tome that wecanallachieve theunachievable.

Qell us something people ould not no about you AM:InLondonin2003 I wasonstagewith MichaelJackson,youcanaskmemorewhenyoumeet meinperson…

mdlmarinas.co.uk/marinas/mdl-ocean-village-marina

R Sustainability Vision

The RYA has launched its Sustainability Strategy, Pathways to Zero: A Vision for a Sustainable UK Recreational Boating Sector.

Kate Fortnam, The Green Blue Campaign Manager

The strategy sets out how the RYA will deliver on its environmental objectives over the next 10 years, in response to the global threats to our climate and environment.

A timelinethroughto2030hasbeenselected inlinewithtargetsset intheParisAgreement andtheIntergovernmentalPanelonClimate Change’srecentreportsonremainingbelow a 1.5C temperaturerise.Theyear2030isalsothetarget datefortheUNGlobalGoals,whichincludesocial andeconomicaswellasenvironmentaltargets.

The Sustainability Strategy is designed to grow and develop over the following 10 years. It is not a static document and as scientific and political understanding of the topics surrounding sustainability advance the Strategy will adapt.

ey principles Our approach is informed by the following key principles:

Embedding: We will only be successful if the whole of the organisation and our wider stakeholders are committed to the outcome. The strategy was developed through 25 workshops held with more than 200 people including staff, clubs, individual members, committees and external advisers. This has begun the process of embedding sustainability thinking within Including the wider boating industry is important to achieve success the organisation and continues through the appointment of sustainability champions within each team. The aim is for people to think about sustainability in their day-to-day work, rather than relying on a specialist unit to make decisions.

Evidence, Standards and Transparency: On carbon emissions, we are developing our baseline data using standards such as the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and reporting our results through the Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting mechanism. We will report on social and economic performance through reporting our gender pay gap and applying for the Fair Tax Mark. Our next key objective is to put in place an ISO14001 compliant Environmental Management System. Using these standards ensures that we are transparent and, importantly, audited by others to ensure we remain on track and achieve our goals.

Pathways to Zero: This approach focuses on the end goal (zero carbon, zero pollution, zero waste). It sets a target date and then works back to the present to show what action is required and when. If we look at the overall target it can be overwhelming, so talking in terms of pathways helps us to take action now and measure our contribution to the end goal.

Tactics: We are taking immediate action wherever we identify quick wins. A great example of this is our move to Ecotricity for all of our energy supplies in our Hamble and Portland facilities.We are also looking to work with partners such as the Final Straw Solent,who focus on reducing single use plastics.Partnering with specialist organisations will help us to extend our reach with limited resources,and we will take those opportunities whenever they arise.

Partnerships: The RYA has signed up to the UN Global Compact, in support of the Global Goals, and the UN Sports for Climate Action network. More locally, we are members of Fit for the Future, a UK network of sustainability practitioners. All areas of recreational boating need to become more sustainable

We also work very closely with British Marine and The Yacht Harbour Association to ensure that we include the wider boating industry in our activities. The Green Blue, our joint information and education programme with British Marine, remains our main communication channel with boaters and industry.

These partnerships provide us with help and advice from other organisations that are going through the same thought processes, and we share information in an open and transparent manner. One of the great things about sustainability is that people are open about their problems and failures as well as their successes. Everything that we do has already been done by someone else, and we must all learn from each other if we are to achieve our goals.

e t steps The strategy’s action plan will be used to drive forward the changes envisaged and will provide a checklist for monitoring progress.The action plan will be reviewed annually and revised to ensure that the strategy remains on track.The RYA’s SustainabilityTeam are now working to deliver on the 45 actions identified in the strategy,and look forward to working with our staff,members and partners to deliver on our ambitious plans.

If you would like to read the RYA Sustainability Strategy in full,it is available to view on the RYA website. If you would like to get in touch regarding this or any other environmental issue,please get in touch via email: environment@rya.org.uk or call 02380 604 223.