IGY Marinas is Joining Industry Leading Companies Around the World to be Better Stewards of the Environment

Mission Statement: Through innovation, investment, and education, IGY will provide leadership in the yachting and marina sectors to combat climate change and CO2 emissions, while continuing to promote the sustainable and responsible enjoyment of the earth’s precious marine ecosystems.

With the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, global warming, and rising sea levels, climate change has become a prevalent and urgent topic throughout the world, including in coastal communities in which the marine trade and yachting industries are located and depend upon. Continued degradation of marine and coastal ecosystems will uncertainly affect the yachting and tourism sectors that depend on the enjoyment of these precious marine resources.

Global industries such as transportation and manufacturing industries emit thousands of tons of carbon dioxide per year, causing pollution and global warming. Being at the forefront of environmental sustainability is how IGY and other corporations can prevent negative long-term effects on the environment. While IGY has long embraced environmental sustainability, in 2021 IGY announced plans to achieve carbon neutrality at all facilities in the IGY network by 2025, and to also offer certified and convenient opportunities for all of its guests and clients to participate in carbon offsetting of their own commercial and recreational activities.

IGY is joining global industry-leading companies such as Amazon and JetBlue in committing to becoming carbon neutral in the coming years. The goal of the carbon neutrality pledges, in support of the groundbreaking Paris Agreement signed in 2015, is to decrease detrimental impacts on the environment through more sustainable practices and reducing carbon emissions. Becoming carbon neutral is how companies and individuals can support the worldwide shift from a net carbon-emitting planet to a carbon-reducing one.

FAQs

1. Why should everyone care about carbon emissions?
   • Carbon emissions are released into the atmosphere as a result of a variety of activities including burning fossil fuels such as coal and oil. Soil, oceans, and plants either convert or store carbon, maintaining balance in the environment. However, when carbon emissions outstrip the Earth’s ability to manage the carbon dioxide, environmental changes occur such as global warming, extreme weather events, and other irreversible and harmful impacts occur.  Although emitting little amounts of carbon dioxide does not have a big impact, the net amount of carbon dioxide around the world being emitted changes the environment drastically. One significant change that can be seen in the environment is the average global temperature. As the amount of carbon dioxide emitted increases, and deforestation has reduced the planet’s ability to counteract it, the global average temperature has increased.
2. Why is the issue worsening or being more talked about lately?
   • Combatting climate change has become a higher profile international issue since 2015, with the signing of the Paris Agreement, an internationally binding treaty on climate change that was signed by 196 countries. Global carbon dioxide (CO2) levels are worsening for a variety of reasons, including global industrialization and development, coupled with deforestation and land and ocean habitat destruction.
3. How do we reduce carbon emissions?
   • Reducing carbon emissions can occur by limiting certain activities that consume fossil fuels. Recycling and using recycled products help reduce carbon emissions from manufacturing. It is very challenging to eliminate carbon emissions, and so purchasing carbon offsets is one way to further reduce our carbon footprint.
4. What is a carbon footprint?
   • A carbon footprint refers to the combined amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) that is emitted into the atmosphere because of daily activities.
5. What is a carbon offset and how can we be sure it works?
   • A carbon offset, also referred to as a carbon credit, can be thought of as an investment. When a company or an individual offsets their carbon footprint it means that they are mitigating carbon emissions by investing in projects that reduce carbon emissions elsewhere. Several accredited third-party organizations certify carbon reducing projects that help reduce carbon emissions. The Verified Carbon Certified Standard (VCS) and the Gold Standard assure that projects are functioning properly and fulfilling the environmental services that they say they are fulfilling.
     
6. How much does it cost to offset one ton of carbon?
   • The cost to offset one ton of carbon varies widely in the range of $5 to $50. Carbon offset prices are dependent on the type of carbon offset project, the type of carbon standard that the project was developed under, the location of where the carbon is being offset, the benefits received as a result of buying the offset, and the year the carbon offset is bought.
7. What is IGY doing to help combat the growth in carbon emissions?
   • IGY is combating growth in carbon emissions by:

1. 1. 1. Prioritizing the use of sustainable power sources and recycled and reduced carbon footprint products.
      2. Offsetting CO2 emissions from marina operations by purchasing carbon offset credits through the market with a focus on verified and locally relevant projects.
      3. Offering IGY tenants and marina customers the opportunity to offset their carbon emissions through fuel and electricity consumption at IGY marina locations through the voluntary purchase of carbon offsets.

8. What is the long-term goal of the initiative?
   • The long-term goal is to achieve carbon neutrality across the IGY network by 2030. This means that the amount of CO2 that is emitted in the IGY network of marinas around the globe is neutralized by an equal amount of CO2 that is prevented from being emitted elsewhere in the environment. IGY will also soon offer clients the ability to achieve carbon neutrality while staying with IGY marinas year-round.
9. How is carbon created in marinas?
   • Carbon dioxide is created through the consumption of non-renewable energy resources. Physical buildings require different power sources such as natural gas, electricity, and coal. Carbon is also emitted through fuel consumption. Marina fuel stations represent a significant portion of carbon emitted at marinas. Boats would not be able to run without fuel which is why fuel is such a large necessity.
10. How is IGY decreasing its carbon footprint?
    • IGY hopes to reduce its carbon footprint by using more sustainable energy sources such as solar power, recycling, and using sustainable materials. Carbon footprints can be reduced specifically through the transition from using substantial amounts of fossil fuels such as coal and oil to renewable energy such as solar panels. Another way in which you can reduce carbon footprints is by using sustainable and efficient practices and methods of disposing waste. A third way to reduce carbon footprints is by maximizing energy efficiency. For example, maximizing energy efficiency by replacing low-quality light bulbs that require frequent replacements with LED lights and more efficient solar-powered technology. IGY is currently offsetting the number of carbon emissions annually through the purchasing of carbon offsets.
11. How does IGY select its carbon offset projects?
    • IGY seeks projects that are geographically and substantively relevant to IGY’s network locations and the yachting industry. The two projects sponsored in 2021 are:
      • A forestry project that protects and plants trees in the Mataven Forest in Colombia. This project is a REDD+ certified project which stands for “Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation”. The entire project itself prevents over 3.5 million tons of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere each year. The main objectives of the project include conservation of forest maintenance, restoration, social development of indigenous groups, and preventing greenhouse gas emissions through a tree-planting program.
        A member of the Mataven Forest community in Colombia measuring a tree.
      • The second project is the Aura Solar I project in La Paz, Mexico that creates energy through solar panels. The project comprises 100 hectares of solar panels on land with no vegetation that protects environmentally sensitive areas by not deforesting or constructing on pre-existing forests and vegetation. The Aura Solar I Project allows the city of La Paz to avoid large fossil fuel imports and 45,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions a year. It also protects environmentally sensitive areas from the impacts of fossil fuel transport, such as the Sea of Cortez, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The solar project also reduces over 35,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually.
        The solar panel fields of the Aura Solar I Project outside of La Paz, Mexico                             

12. How can I participate/help?
    • There are many ways for individuals to help combat climate change.  Purchasing carbon offsets equal to the net amount of carbon dioxide emitted by personal activities each year is one way to promote and support projects working to reduce emissions. There are companies that provide a platform for people to offset their carbon footprint.  When staying with IGY, guests also participate in a program to purchase fuel and utility offsets which will make your stay more sustainable and eco-friendlier. Recycling, reusing, and patronizing environmentally conscience companies are other ways to support the global initiative to combat climate change.