The opening day of the Monaco Yacht Show 2025 saw a milestone moment for the future of sustainable yachting. On Wednesday, 24 September, the Water Revolution Foundation officially launched the Ocean Assist Programme, a pioneering initiative designed to help the superyacht community select and support verified ocean conservation projects.

Billed as the first science-based, regenerative impact programme tailored for the yachting sector, Ocean Assist provides a practical framework to turn obligation into action and opportunity into measurable impact.

From Commitment to Collective Action

At its core, the programme aims to transform individual commitments into collective impact by providing:

●      Verified environmental solutions for the superyacht sector;

●      Transparent, science-driven methodologies;

●      A RINA-certified standard, already recognised by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at COP28 in Dubai.

Robert van Tol, Executive Director of the Water Revolution Foundation, highlighted the urgency of the launch:
“As an industry, we have a responsibility to act as stewards of our ocean. Yachting represents the highest standard of luxury; therefore, we must hold ourselves to a higher standard. Ocean Assist enables our sector to lead by example and deliver a multiplier effect for positive change.”

The 3-R Model: Reduce, Remove, Restore

Ocean Assist integrates seamlessly with the Roadmap to 2050 - Towards Regenerative Yachting, encouraging companies and yacht owners to first reduce their ecological footprint, then remove unavoidable emissions, and finally restore ecosystems to create net-positive outcomes.

Examples include adopting biobased alternatives for construction materials, using biofuels to cut emissions, and investing in restoration projects that actively regenerate marine environments.

The programme introduces two key instruments designed to quantify and certify positive impact:

●      Verified Emission Reductions (VERs): Established certificates confirming a set number of tonnes of CO₂ removed, which can be included in official sustainability reporting.

●      Regenerative Contribution Units (RCUs): A forthcoming certification to measure and verify the impact of ecological restoration and biodiversity projects.

Certificates are issued via the Carbon Account Registry for Climate Neutrality, ensuring credibility and transparency throughout the process.

The launch of Ocean Assist drew strong engagement across the yachting sector. Industry figures including Solenn de Braux, Yacht Charter Agent and member of Y.CO’s Sustainability Committee, and Georgina Menheneott, Head of Sustainability at Burgess, joined van Tol in underlining the importance of making sustainability an embedded strategic objective rather than a compliance exercise.

Their collective message was clear: by adopting science-based solutions like Ocean Assist, the industry can accelerate its path to net zero while safeguarding the very oceans that define its existence.

Rebecca Gabbi