WATCH: Extinction Rebellion protests at Superyacht Forum in Amsterdam

Extinction Rebellion supporters have protested at the doors of the Superyacht Forum at METSTRADE this morning (16 November).

The Extinction Rebellion group is protesting at the 30th edition of the Superyacht Forum at Amsterdam’s RAI. The superyacht event brings together leading industry figures, with speeches and workshops about the future of the superyacht industry.

A spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion Amsterdam says: “Superyachts are an obvious symbol of climate and social injustice. This event is one big greenwashing fest and this bullsh*t industry for the ultra-rich has no right to exist in times of increasing climate disruption.”

The number of superyachts in the world is estimated to be around 9,000, while there are around 2,700 billionaires. “This shows who the target audience is – superyachts exist solely as an endless pit of provocative consumption by the super-rich,” says the spokesperson.

Extinction Rebellion points to a recent Oxfam report, which details that billionaires are responsible for a million times more greenhouse gas emissions than the average person, mainly through their investments in polluting industries.

In its press release this morning, following the protest at the Superyacht Forum, Extinction Rebellion says: ‘The poorest 50 per cent of the world’s population are responsible for less than 15 per cent of global emissions, but are already bearing the brunt of the climate crisis. Superyachts are an extreme example of this: on average, Europeans are responsible for about seven tonnes of CO2 per year, while a superyacht with a permanent crew, a helipad, submarines and swimming pools emit about 7,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.”

“No matter how much effort is put into energy efficiency, alternative fuels or recyclable building materials – superyachts are, by definition, not sustainable. This is the ‘whale’ in the room: No one needs a superyacht. There is no future for the superyacht industry,” says the spokesperson.

Recently, superyacht sales rose to a record level (+75 per cent in 2021).

“We absolutely cannot trust an industry based on borderlessness and excessive consumption to self-regulate. Be honest: Stop greenwashing the hobbies of billionaires. Government, do what it takes and crack down on the disproportionately polluting elite with taxes, regulations and even outright bans. Superyachts, like private jets, have no place in a just transition.”