Water Revolution Foundation organised the Sustainability Communication Discussion & Training programme together with Superyacht Life Foundation and Superyacht Builders Association. The sessions were hosted by marketing expert Thomas Kolster of the Goodvertising Agency.
Session 1: Discussion on Sustainability Communication and Greenwashing
Objectives
- Discuss the challenges and opportunities for sustainability communication in the industry
- Introduce the ‘REAL’ concept of sustainability with all three aspects of it: MESSAGE – MESSENGER – CONTEXT
- The short-term and long-term impact of effective communication and greenwashing on the superyacht industry
Content
What is sustainability?
- Define sustainability and why it’s important in the superyacht industry
- Discuss the environmental, social, and economic aspects of sustainability in the superyacht industry
- Discuss the current state of sustainability in the superyacht industry
- Highlight the challenges and opportunities for sustainability communication in the industry
- Greenwashing
- Define greenwashing and why it’s a concern in the superyacht industry. Discuss examples of greenwashing in the industry.
As part of Session 1, we had homework – to find a good or bad example of sustainable communication, either from the superyacht sector or any other industry. I chose to talk about Lego Green and the campaign to promote sustainability to kids by encouraging them to rebuild their existing Lego sets into more sustainable objects or buildings.
Session 2: Training on Sustainability Communication and Greenwashing
Objectives
- Learn effective sustainability communication strategies for the superyacht industry
- Understand how to avoid greenwashing and promote genuine sustainability initiatives and innovative products
Sustainability communication
- What to and what not to communicate? Translating technical information to worthy communication
- Discuss effective communication strategies for sustainability for the superyacht industry
- Greenwashing prevention & hero-trap
- Discuss how to avoid greenwashing and promote genuine sustainability initiatives
- Discuss what is hero-trap and how to avoid it
- Highlight best practices and case studies
Aside from sustainability communication guidelines for the industry, Water Revolution Foundation has activated other initiatives: Their ocean conservation Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs) programme, Water Revolution Foundation’s ‘Yacht Environment Transparency Index’ (YETI), the ‘Superyacht Sustainability Route’ at METSTRADE and the Sustainability Hub at Monaco Yacht Show.
Overall, I thought it was a practical and helpful programme especially relating to the challenges with media communication around sustainability.
