A series of short documentaries highlighting how a variety of global companies are striving for a more sustainable environment includes, for the first time, a superyacht company. In fact, the “50 Sustainability Climate Leaders” series includes only one superyacht company, Germany-based Lürssen.
Created by TBD Media Group and hosted on a special webpage by Bloomberg, “50 Sustainability Climate Leaders” reveals how each organization or brand has a specific vision for sustainability. Additionally, the documentaries show how the companies are taking action, and what the impact is thus far, both internally and in what they create. Even more specifically, “50 Sustainability Climate Leaders” spotlights the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.
Peter Lürssen (above), managing partner of the family-run shipyard, appears in the documentary. He reveals, among other things, how technology such as heat-insulated glass makes the builder’s custom megayachts more sustainable. More importantly, however, he describes how his children pointed out the state of the ocean and the growing extinction of plants and animals. “‘We have to clean up what you leave behind,’” they told him.
“At that moment, I started to actively look around,” he continues. “Are there partners, and where are partners, to end the quest to care more for the ocean?”
By seeking new methods, new technologies, and new partners, Lürssen is even changing its own facilities. In the video, for example, you’ll learn how things seemingly unimportant as rain water and windows receive consideration.
Furthermore, Lürssen has been a supporter of the Blue Marine Foundation for the past five years. The non-profit focuses on restoring healthy oceans through the creation of marine-protected areas. One such protected area is in the video.
Additionally, Peter Lürssen shares how the shipyard was an early partner of the Water Revolution Foundation. This non-profit aims to drive sustainability in the superyacht industry, in conjunction with scientists and other leading figures. Plus, he shares the ongoing work of the Foundation to create an assessment tool to evaluate individual yachts’ impacts.
Ultimately, “We believe in the creativity and the ability of our people,” Peter Lürssen asserts. “We encourage them to think outside the box.” This is partly why he’s convinced a true emissions-free yacht can come by the end of the decade.
The bottom line, though, is this. “If the oceans are polluted, people have no more fun and enjoyment on the yachts, and we go out of business.” There’s no yachting industry, either.
Lürssen lurssen.com
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