To measure the sailing industry's contribution to a sustainable future, the Ecoclipper sailing cargo project has analyzed it in relation to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. These 17 goals were set by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015 and are to be achieved by 2030. They are “the blueprint for achieving a better and more sustainable future for all.”
Goal 1 «No Poverty»
Sail cargo uses local centres of employment, shorter supply chains and products grown and made in one area: encouraging local employment and enhancing local communities. The sail industries encourage fair practices. Continuing expansion can be made profitable as future employment and income is provided. This helps the self-sufficiency of communities and supply chains become more resilient to climate change.
Goal 2 «No Hunger»
states that “Climate change is putting even more pressure on the resources we depend on”. Sail cargo and travel look to reduce emissions where possible and vessels emit no pollution whilst sailing. In this way, the sail industry contributes to the fight against global warming and indirectly, hunger.
Goal 3 «Good Health and Well-Beeing»
The conventional shipping industry is detrimental to the health of people living in ports and coastal areas as it causes large amounts of air and water pollution. Cruise ships are also direct causes of pollution in seaside and coastal towns. Sailing ships do not emit high levels of pollution and sailing is good for mental well-being as those onboard are closely connected with nature.
Goal 4 «Quality Education»
An expansion of sail cargo would increase educational benefits in the fields of traditional crafts such as woodworking, rigging and seamanship skills. Additionally, these educational benefits to volunteer crew, passengers, maritime museums involved in docking and the broader public offer huge potential. Sailing ships also provide sail training; a hands-on educational experience, sail training is proven to benefit participants through practical sailing and seamanship skills.
Goal 5 «Gender Equalitiy»
Women in the shipping and travel industries have been historically under-represented and although there are now targets put in place to employ more women in leading roles, there is still a discrepancy. There is also a history of this within sailing, however women are quickly becoming leaders within the sailing ship industry where skill and ability is paramount and people are given the same opportunities.
Goal 6 «Clean Water and Sanitation»
Conventional shipping and travel industries continue to pollute water through toxic chemicals, sewage and waste which is damaging to coastal communities. Sailing ships do not emit such levels of pollution and emphasise good environmental, non-polluting practices.
Goal 7 «Affortable an Clean Energy»
A containership of around 8,000 TEU (TEU = twenty foot long containers) would consume around 225 tonnes of fuel per day steaming at 24 knots. They use Heavy Fuel Oil which is dirty and highly polluting. Sailing requires no fuel. The ships use affordable and clean energy; the wind. Many of these vessels also use solar power and wind turbines to generate power on board. Affordable, clean energy provided the impetus for sail cargo and travel and has a continuing benefit.
Goal 8 «Decent work and Economic Groth»
Sail cargo and travel are inclusive, ethically driven industries. The organisational structure is broad-based rather than pyramidal. As this report suggests these industries will grow, and as they are labour intensive industries, job opportunities will grow also.
Goal 9 «Innovation and Infrastructure»
A flourishing sail cargo industry would see a stimulation in traditional ship-building, the heritage industry and would open up sail travel. Innovation lies in designing and building new sail cargo ships. The food and commodity marketing would be innovated in order to promote ethically driven, sustainably sourced and delivered goods.
Goal 10 «Reduce Inequalities»
As seen in Goals 1 and 8, the sail industry is ethically driven and is largely inclusive. It encourages the growth of small scale, local producers and suppliers, as opposed to large scale multinational corporate systems. Sail cargo emphasises the need for less consumption and to buy local where possible, thereby reducing inequalities.
Goal 11 «Sustainable Cities and Communities»
The sail industry encourages sustainable transport on land and at sea. The industry also helps protect cultural and natural heritage in communities and coastal cities.
Goal 12 «Responsable Consumption»
Through not factoring in environmental costs, the travel and shipping industries have been able to offer extremely cheap services and goods. In the eyes of many, this has led to unsustainable excessive consumption of flights and goods. As the sail industry has no hidden costs to the environment, it reflects the actual cost of transport and travel. This leads to a more transparent understanding of the consumers environmental impact.
Goal 13 «Climate Action»
Unlike the conventional shipping and travel industries, sail cargo has environmental issues at the forefront of its design and business activity. Sail cargo encourages a cleaner, more resilient economy and emphasises the need to raise awareness of the climate crisis.
Goal 14 «Life below Water»
The shipping industry is directly harming life below water through noise pollution, invasive species from ballast water and fuel waste from scrubbers that contribute to acidification of the sea. Cruise ships also harm life underwater through waste. Sailing ships can be engineless or have smaller engines, produce less waste and use static ballast, thereby causing significantly less damage underwater.
Goal 15 «Life on Land»
The environmental gains and low carbon footprint profile of the sail industry has obvious benefits in reducing global warming in areas such as desertification, flooding, coastal erosion and the degradation of natural habitats.
Goal 16 «Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions»
This goal includes the aspiration to build more inclusive societies and the sailing community, being ethically and values driven, is exceptionally inclusive of age, gender and race.
Goal 17 «Partnerships for the Goals»
The sail cargo and travel communities rely on intense and extensive partnerships from the global to local level. At the core of these partnerships is the desire to help the planet and strengthen communities in line with the UN objectives.