Profile Robert van Tol

THE SUPERYACHT REVOLUTION

Robert van Tol is leading a revolution in the superyacht industry. He tells us about what drives him, and how the health of the world’s oceans is critical to the health of the superyacht industry.

By Isla McKechnie

There’s a revolution happening in the superyacht world. For an industry which relies on the health of our oceans for its success, the superyacht market was slow on the uptake when it came to adopting sustainability practices. And that’s despite having the world’s leading technology – and budgets – at the fingertips of owners, designers and crew.

Enter the Water Revolution Foundation. Conceived in 2018, its mission is to accelerate sustainability throughout the superyacht sphere. Founded by a group who came together and concluded there was no coordinated action in yachting; no collaborative platform to tackle the sector’s environmental impact and be proactive in its care of the oceans, it was designed to spearhead the sector’s environmental impact and better care for the health of oceans. One of those founders was Robert van Tol.

“I was very pleased to be among the cofounders, as I felt so strongly about driving sustainability in the yachting sector; something I’d missed throughout the previous 12 years I’d worked in the industry.”

He subsequently became the executive director of the foundation, turning his hand to setting up and expanding Water Revolution’s programme and partner base. To him, it’s about creating a holistic relationship between the industry and the environment which sustains it.

“I hope to show the sector that it’s in a unique strategic position to drive transformative change. Working with yachting’s affluent clientele provides opportunities to lead the way and innovate. As such, we can become true stewards of the oceans, moving towards a mutuallybeneficial relationship between yachts and the oceans.”

Getting the industry onboard

That ambition depends on industry buyin. In the four years since its conception, Water Revolution Foundation has attracted some of the biggest names in the market to its side, with a roll call of well-known superyacht brands cleaving to the cause. This year’s Monaco Yacht Show introduced an initiative which was another string to the bow. For the first time, the show created a sustainability hub, and Water Revolution Foundation was its strategic partner.

“It was an important step, in both a symbolic and concrete sense,” says Van Tol. “We were particularly pleased that the leading yacht show worked with us on criteria for who could be exhibiting in this new area. The exhibiting companies needed to back up their environmental claims with proof; either quantitative or qualitative.”

Van Tol discusses how critical this aspect of sustainability is, pointing to real change and creating a genuine impact as opposed to lip service, as crucial.

“Sustainability is not a box to tick, it requires investment and resources, but can then put companies in a leading position.”

“It is so important that environmental claims are able to be proven. The show criteria also gave visitors a certain guarantee on finding real solutions. This was the first year, and we have high expectations on the next edition, as more companies have already reached out to indicate their interest.”

Leading the way for leading companies

While creating a sustainable business has ethical and environmental benefits, the economic payoffs are compelling. Van Tol lists them off. Attraction of new clientele, and happier clients, attraction and retention of new talent to the industry, future-proofing the company; the list goes on.

“It’s the industry’s own responsibility to have a sustainable business (model) for the future, including a healthy ocean to provide clients with a sustainable yachting lifestyle. But also to attract talent to work for the yachting companies,” says Van Tol.

“On top of that, the growth of the Ultra High Net Worth Individuals (UHNWIs) target audience is outpacing the uptake of yachts.”

He questions whether yachting is attractive to new UHNWIs, pointing out that if the industry became more environmentallyfriendly it will almost certainly gain more clients than it would lose.

“All while social pressure increases, and therefore we have to accomplish more than just reducing our environmental footprint, we need to showcase what yachting contributes to make the world a better place and justify the resources it takes up.”

But he acknowledges it’s daunting. The foundation has created a range of tools to help companies get there. Vicechair Dr Vienna Eleuteri developed the Waterevolution model for the yachting sector. This became the programme which kick-started the foundation’s rollout and has provided the crucial link between sustainability science and industrial practice.

There’s also YETI. The tool was created by the Water Revolution Foundation to help yachts calculate their environmental credentials and can be used during the design, build, or refit process as a baseline assessment to subsequently improve, and know where improvements have been most effective.

“A YETI score (could) become the incentive to make real and significant improvements to the yachts’ environmental credentials. It could play a role in choosing a charter yacht, for marinas to provide benefits to yachts with better scores, for insurance premiums, finance rates, or to resell value, for example,” says Van Tol. So how does the superyacht industry score in sustainability? It’s not getting there fast enough. Van Tol points to the resources available to yachting companies and the lack of urgency at taking up sustainability practices.

“We are currently underutilising the resources that are (or could be) available to our industry. There are many sustainable solutions already available that can and should be embraced to build, operate and refit yachts better.”

He puts this down to a knowledge gap, saying the right skills are missing from the industry, and there’s a dearth of sustainability managers in the superyacht sector. There’s also an absence of attention to sustainability at board level, as well as a lack of urgency and a fractured approach despite the small size of the industry. But for those who want to upskill, help is at hand.

“Our approach from the start has been to help the sector, and we are facilitating those that want to move forward with the right and scientific approach. If you are willing, and embrace our entire approach, it is a new business model that futureproofs your company.”

“Ocean stewardship is to protect the biggest lungs of the planet, and puts yachting in a completely different perspective.”

A start on change

How to begin then, for companies who are yet to start their sustainability journey? Van Tol says it begins with measuring – properly measuring – which can be as simple as finding a CO2 calculator online. From there, the Water Revolution Foundation advocates a Life Cycle Assessment which is the leading scientific methodology for assessing environmental impact. Once the company has assessed its impact, it can choose real solutions, and Van Tol says there are a lot of low-hanging fruit which can be changed easily.

“It means securing your own future. In these times of high energy prices, improvements in energy consumption could have already made a return on investment. But also with shortages of staff, one could become a more attractive employer. Using less new and more recycled material could also result in less dependency or cost, for example.”

And there’s something else. Van Tol warns that the superyacht industry needs to be cognizant of societal pressures and changing attitudes around the world if we want the sector to exist in the future.

“There is a risk that yachting becomes something that was popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but did not adapt and then lost its license to operate.”

“Look at the pressure society places on big, and in its opinion, unnecessary polluters, as well as increasing environmental regulations from governments. If we don’t adapt, we could enter a time where yachts can’t sail into coastal or pristine marine areas anymore, or heavy polluter taxes apply,” says Van Tol.

“And if so the future doesn’t look that prosperous.”