Superyachts are the ultimate status symbol for royalty, oligarchs and billionaires from Jeff Bezos to Bernard Arnault. Floating palaces are a source of fascination and mystery, as well as a source of greenhouse gas emissions.
The planet-warming pollution caused by luxury yachts benefits so few that lifestyle social scientist Gregory Thrall calls it a form of “ecocide” in his new book, Superyachts: Luxury, Serenity, and Ecocide and “apparent seclusion.”
According to a report earlier this year by media and market intelligence company SuperYacht Times, there are nearly 6,000 superyachts, or vessels over 30 meters (100 feet) in length, at sea. The total has quadrupled in the past three decades.
“It’s hard to imagine a more convincing sign of wealth than owning a superyacht,” said Sal, a professor at the University of Lille in France.
Concentration of wealth has not only led to the explosive growth of superyachts. It also leads to a split in per capita emissions, with the richest living the highest carbon lifestyles.
According to Oxfam research, the world’s richest 10% already account for half of global carbon dioxide emissions. The nonprofit found that it would take 1,500 years for the bottom 99 percent to emit as much carbon emissions as one of the world’s top billionaires. Emissions from the super-rich come from a variety of sources, including large homes and frequent jet travel. But according to a 2021 study, superyachts are its largest source of greenhouse gas emissions.
According to Salle’s book, the top 300 superyachts emit nearly 285,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year, a figure greater than the entire country of East Asia.
Superyachts are more than just climate polluters. Wastewater, noise and light pollution, particulate matter in exhaust fumes, and even where ships dock can have a negative impact on the local environment. Combined, these huge impacts are why Sall calls these ships ecocide.
The term was coined in the 1970s to refer to the deliberate destruction of nature, and is often used to describe actions taken by wealthy people due to their large carbon footprints. In 2021, lawyers proposed that ecocide be included in international criminal law, treating it the same as genocide. Earlier this year, EU lawmakers voted to criminalize environmental damage “amounting to ecocide”. It remains to be seen whether the new law will be used to prosecute the use of superyachts.
Some shipowners are aware of the dangers their ships pose to the environment. Jeff Bezos’ $500 million superyacht Koru set sail in April 2023 with its sails powering the voyage. However, it still comes with a diesel engine. Oxfam estimates that the 127-meter (416-foot) ship emitted 7,000 tons of carbon dioxide over the past year, equivalent to the annual emissions of 445 Americans.
This estimate is also almost certainly on the low end, as the calculations take into account that the yacht is on standby rather than in transit. This figure does not include Koru’s companion yacht Abeona, a 75-meter support motor yacht that functions like a garage with a helipad and jet ski.
The sails on Bezos’ boat are an exception: the vast majority of superyachts are powered entirely by engines. In 2023, only 8 new sailing yachts will be built, compared with 195 new motor yachts.
Malcolm Jacotine, founder of superyacht consultancy Three Sixty Marine, said understanding the true carbon emissions of superyachts was difficult due to a lack of data collection and the secrecy surrounding the yachts themselves. Using data from the International Maritime Organization, Jacotine estimates that if the industry adopts a “business as usual” approach, yacht emissions will reach 10 million tons by 2030.
To help boat owners understand the impact of their boats, he has developed two carbon emissions calculators. But they have limitations because they rely on voluntarily reported data and estimated tons of diesel fuel.
Yachts rely on engine power for 10% to 20% of the year. Robert van Tol, executive director of the Water Revolution Foundation, said ships reach top speed only 0.1% of the time in a year. For the rest of the year, the ship will become a floating hotel, running on generators for longer periods of time and emitting more carbon dioxide, according to Jacotine’s calculations.
However, Oxfam researchers say emissions figures are calculated on a per-ship basis and one yacht may sail more than another in a year, resulting in higher sailing emissions. Yachts are not subject to International Maritime Organization emissions rules, so the true emissions from any vessel are difficult to discern. This reflects the fact that superyachts are both ostentatious and unknowable.
“Superyachts are all about attention,” Sal said. “but [they] The vehicles are also very secretive, as you can’t get inside without an invitation.
The new building is less concerned with the engine reaching top speed and more focused on saving energy in a hotel mode. But sustainability may not be the primary consideration in purchasing decisions.
“Buying a yacht is not a completely rational decision,” said Ralph Dazert, director of intelligence at media and market insights company SuperYacht Times. “It’s a very emotional thing because it costs you a lot of money.”
According to Dazert, the total value of yacht sales in 2023 will reach 4.6 billion euros ($4.9 billion). He said the sustainability movement would be driven largely by shipyards and engineers adding features to new buildings, including using recycled materials. New fuels can also reduce emissions.
This year, Italian shipbuilder Sanlorenzo will test the first 50-meter steel yacht powered by hydrogen fuel cells, and another 114-meter yacht from German shipbuilder Lürssen using the same technology will be developed for the Apple Watch in 2025. Produced by Marc Newsom.
But the bigger the build, the longer the wait. That means it will take years for some of these features to appear on the high seas, Jacotin said.
In an effort to reshape the image of superyachts, some owners are using their superyachts for research and exploration. These include a new 195-meter yacht owned by Norwegian billionaire Kjell Inge Rokke, which will be launched in 2026 and will involve more than 50 scientists in ocean research. (It also works on custom cruises.)
Despite increasing public scrutiny, superyachts are a customer-driven industry. For most buyers, luxury goods still trump climate concerns. Sal points out that like many premium products, superyachts are more than just products. They represent a “lifestyle” that is currently closely associated with carbon-intensive activities.
“Ecocide causes profound harm, and that harm persists over time,” Saar said. “What can you apply this to? [superyachts] What we do is not just personal… but global.
