Yachts have always been a symbol of wealth around the world, and during the pandemic, this luxury leisure took on a new function for those who could afford it: social distance. In Brazil, according to Acobar (Brazilian Boat Association), there was an increase of 10% in sales of these vessels in the year 2020, which ended contributing to the growth of this type of fleet in the world.
Among the most luxurious options are megayachts – vessels known for their diameter above 100 meters – which have a devastating impact on the planet. Indiana University performed a calculation, in which a superyacht, with crew, heliport, submarine and swimming pool, emits more than seven thousand tons of CO2 per year.
Currently, it is estimated that the vessels of this type together emit per years about two million tons of CO2, a number that exceeds the individual annual emissions of almost a quarter of the countries in the world.
To better understand the volume of pollutants emitted by these boats it is possible to make a comparison with Portugal. According to Pordata (database on Portugal), the entire country during the year of 2019, were issued 50 thousand tons of CO2 in total, counting all sources of this gas in the country, such as vehicles and industries, even so, the value is lower than the amount emitted by this category of boats annually.
Another interesting comparison is with the state with the most cars in the country. Latin America: São Paulo, Brazil. Even with a gradual change in habits in the population, who have been questioning whether they should buy or rent cars, aiming at economy, and a considerable increase in alternative and collective transport options in recent years, such as subway line app cars, remains one of the most polluting cities in this regard.
Even with this scenario, according to with the vehicle emissions report of CETESB (Environmental Company of the State of São Paulo), in 2019, São Paulo issued 200 thousand tons of CO2 originating from vehicles, a quantity that does not even come close to annual emissions of megayachts.
With this in mind, businessman Aaron Olivera, born in Gibraltar and resident of Singapore, revealed an innovative idea, which will unite luxury with the ambitious idea of saving the planet, through scientific research that seeks to mitigate the effects of warming global around the world.
The Earth 300 (named Earth 300, in English) refers to its length 300 meters, which, if built, will become the largest superyacht in the world. This post is currently occupied by Azzam of 179 meters, which belongs to the Abu Dhabi royal family.