SEA Index® recognised as key tool in the Adapt-Pelagos project
- 27 October 2025
The SEA Index® participated in the first workshop of the UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme)’s Adapt-Pelagos project, the conclusions of which have just been published.
Organised on 18 September 2025 at the Yacht Club de Monaco by Plan Bleu, UNEP’s regional activities centre as part of its Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP), the workshop brought together experts, decision-makers and maritime sector stakeholders from the signatory countries in the Pelagos Agreement (France, Italy, Monaco). The objective was to define concrete strategies to reduce the environmental impact of maritime activities on marine mammals and fragile ecosystems in the Mediterranean.
SEA Index®: an innovative and recognised tool
The technical report resulting from the workshop highlighted five key messages that mirror the contribution and expertise of the SEA Index®. Set up by YCM in 2020, in collaboration with Credit Suisse (a UBS Group brand), the SEA Index was cited as one of the few innovative indicators competent to promote and support sustainable practices in the sector.
“Our role in the UNEP/MAP Plan Bleu Adapt-Pelagos project underlines the indispensable role that superyachts should play in marine conservation. Being recognised as a key tool validates our mission to provide the industry with scientifically sound methods to not only measure the environmental impact of yachts, but more importantly to offer owners a path forward to mitigate their impact,” said Natalie Quévert, General Secretary of the SEA Index®.
Report delivers its conclusions
The report’s main conclusions align with the SEA Index’s core mission, which is to work towards a meaningful transition to more sustainable recreational boating. These are:
- Protect biodiversity and ecosystems, a top priority being to reduce vessels’ impact on marine mammals and fragile habitats, a goal that drives the measurable emission reductions advocated by SEA Index®.
- Take concrete actions to reduce CO2 and NOx emissions, as well as underwater noise, and to adopt speed limits, all of which are integral to the Superyacht Eco Association’s sustainability objectives.
- Sustainability indicators, specifically the need for joint cross-sector measuring tools to monitor the climate and biodiversity; a gap already filled by the SEA Index® in providing, for example, a clear and comparable system to measure the carbon intensity of superyachts.
- Focus governance and collaboration to reinforce cross-border cooperation between States, ports and operators to sustainably protect the ocean.
A collective dynamic for the Mediterranean
For over forty years, Plan Bleu has been producing studies, scenarios and indicators to support public policies for sustainable development in the Mediterranean.
The SEA Index® reaffirms its commitment to actively participate in these crucial multi-sector discussions and to roll out the measurable tools required to improve the yachting sector’s environmental performance for the long term.
