RYA: championing environmental protection

“Many people going sailing are not racing; they are out there enjoying the natural environment,” says Phil Horton, RYA's sustainability manager.  

The RYA understand the climate change impacts both on and from recreational boating. They believe that water users and the boating industry have a duty to protect wildlife and enhance the environment. 

The RYA also appreciate that boats are very different to other sports equipment – they last a long time; a new boat today will last until well beyond 2050. This means that the sector must act now to positively impact the future.

In 2018, the sustainability manager role was created at the RYA, to develop a plan to mitigate their environmental impacts. Since then: 

• The team published an environmental policy in 2019, which they update every year. 
• Also in 2019, the RYA signed up to the United Nations Global Compact, which supports the Global Goals.  
• In 2020, they joined the United Nations Sports for Climate Action Framework, which sets a 2040 net zero target.  
• In 2020, the team launched their sustainability strategy. To ensure the strategy was embedded in the organisation, it was developed collaboratively through a series of workshops with over 250 employees, members and partners.  
• In 2021, the RYA team released their ‘Vision for a Zero Carbon Recreational Boating Sector by 2050’. 
• In 2023, the RYA’s new organisational strategy, ‘Together on Water’, was launched, embedding the principles of environmental sustainability along with equality, diversity, inclusion and safeguarding. In her foreword, RYA's CEO Sarah Sutcliffe says: “Our playground is nature, it is the open water, the blue spaces… The connection with nature is powerful and it belongs to everyone.” 

In line with these guiding documents, the RYA has acted to reduce emissions within their operations, including:  

• Installing 100kW of solar panels on their main building.  
• Upgrading to more efficient air-conditioning systems.  
• Leasing hybrid pool vehicles for the British sailing team and increasing the number of electric vehicle charge points.  
• Calculating their operational carbon footprint and targeting reduction actions on events, procurement, and travel. 
• Partnering with RS Electric under a UK SHORE and Innovate UK grant to trial electric coach boats for the youth and junior pathways. The RYA are targeting 100% electric coach boats by 2030.  
• Partnering with ePropulsion to trial electric safety boats at Midlands clubs. 

Externally  

20 years ago, the RYA partnered with British Marine to create ‘The Green Blue’, a sustainable boating education programme to help the boating community protect coastal and inland waters.

The aim of The Green Blue is to inspire sustainable recreational boating for cleaner, healthier waters. It is the overarching programme for the RYA’s environmental awareness work.

The Green Blue website provides a vast array of resources for boaters, clubs and boating businesses, including green boating guides, educational posters and toolkits, sustainable event checklists, a sustainable business directory, and ‘how-to’ guidance for writing an environmental policy and an environmental action plan. 

The pledge  

Recently the RYA created the ‘Green Blue Boating Pledge’ for boaters to pledge to respect, protect, and enjoy the environment.

Based on the Countryside Code, they say: "The Boating Pledge is for anyone who enjoys getting out on the water in a more environmentally sustainable way and wants to pledge to Respect, Protect, and Enjoy our inland and marine water, wildlife, and habitats."

The pledge includes specific actions, for example:  

• Respect voluntary no-anchor and no-access zones
• Use designated slipways  
• Don’t throw anything overboard  
• Keep your hull and equipment clean  
• Observe wildlife from a distance  
• Safeguard wildlife and habitats  

Campaigns  

Through the Green Blue programme, the RYA partner with other UK organisations to champion environmental campaigns. These have included:

Protect – Collect – Dispose: antifoul awareness

• Awareness on preventing water pollution from antifouling paints which are toxic to aquatic life. 
• Providing information on best practice antifoul paint selection, application, removal, and disposal methods.  

Stop the Spread: aquatic invasive species prevention

• The Green Blue supports the Check, Clean, Dry initiative to help prevent the spread of invasive non-native species. 
• The Green Blue is a participant in Invasive Species Week, a national event to raise awareness of the problems caused by invasive species and what we can all do to help. 

Boating Wildlife Aware: wildlife and habitat protection 

• Promoting best practice that boaters can adopt to minimise disturbance or impacts from their activities on local wildlife.  

#SaveOurSeabed: protecting marine habitats 

• A partnership with Natural England and other UK organisations, highlighting how boat users can help protect sensitive seabed habitats, including seagrass, through awareness talks, webinars, and developing guidance and signage.  

Each of these campaigns is promoted on the Green Blue website and includes posters and leaflets for clubs to print and display, a campaign week to drive action, and social media posts and hashtags for sharing.

This energy comes from the love that RYA employees have for sailing and their understanding that we need to protect our sailing environment.  

One of the co-benefits of the Green Blue environmental awareness work has been increased interaction with other sports governing bodies working together on environmental campaigns.

Most recently this has resulted in seven national governing bodies coming together to launch the Clean Water Sports Alliance, which seeks to influence action on water quality.