Design Targets
The Roadmap 2050
The Roadmap 2050: Design targets
Design is where a yacht’s environmental impact is largely decided, around 80% of a vessel’s lifetime footprint is shaped before a single piece is built. That makes it the most powerful stage to get right.
What are we targeting?
The targets focus on two things: how energy-efficient a yacht is designed to be, and what materials go into it.
New builds are benchmarked using YETI (the Yacht Environmental Transparency Index) and assessed against ISO/TS 23099, the first international standard for yacht environmental performance, published in February 2026 and directly derived from YETI. The standard provides a methodological framework to assess large yachts (30m+) across multiple environmental impact categories using EcoPoints. It is not limited to operational energy. The goal is for all new yachts to score as low as possible, pushing designers to rethink speed, range, energy systems, and material choices from the very first sketch.
On materials, the aim is twofold: to increase the recycled content going into new builds and refits, and to ensure materials are selected for recyclability at end of life. These are tracked as separate targets because they address different parts of the material lifecycle, input and output, and progress on one does not automatically mean progress on the other.
The targets at a glance
Two parallel tracks are being measured from 2025: adoption of ISO/TS 23099 across the naval architecture community, and submission of material data to build a clearer picture of what goes into the fleet. Both are tracked separately, because both matter independently.
The collective path forward
The Sustainable Yacht Design Taskforce brings together leading naval architects and designers to collaborate on making sustainable design the new standard. Join the taskforce to help shape the future of yacht design.
Design reduce actions
50% of yacht naval architects adopt ISO/TS 23099 as the framework for assessing overall environmental performance on new builds.
50% of designers submit their most commonly used materials for impact quantification.
40% of new yachts score below the YETI reference line.
Recycled content: 20% of materials used in new builds and refits by weight.
Recyclability: 20% of materials selected against verified end-of-life recyclability criteria.
60% of new yachts below YETI reference line
Use 40% recycled and recyclable materials on new & refits
80% of new yachts below YETI reference line
Use 60% recycled and recyclable materials on new & refits
100% of new yachts below YETI reference line
Use 80% recycled and recyclable materials on new & refits
100% of new yachts achieve a YETI score approaching the theoretical minimum, the lowest EcoPoint score achievable given the state of available materials and technology at that time.
Recycled content: 100% of materials by weight.
Recyclability: 100% of materials selected against verified end-of-life recyclability.