The governing body for yachting in New Zealand will develop an environmental standard for its clubs and host carbon neutral-only events by 2022, according to its newly-published Environmental Sustainability Strategy.

Yachting New Zealand’s Clean Club standard will evaluate the ability of clubs to lower their environmental impact and champion sustainable behaviour.

The standard will be developed by March 2019, with the expectation of having 50% of all clubs accredited by June 2021.

Clean Clubs is one of five major pillars (below) making up the strategy. Part of the Clean Clubs pillar includes an annual beach clean (the first of which takes place next month), and the development of an environmental pledge that sailors will be expected to abide by.

Hosting carbon neutral events is one of the most ambitious targets in the strategy. It is referenced within the Lower Event Impacts pillar, which includes the development of a clean regatta template to be produced by July 2019.

The organisation also wants to rid the Oceanbridge NZL Sailing Regatta of single-use plastic by 2019.

Through the Better Together pillar, Yachting New Zealand wants to secure two partners to deliver sustainability messaging in its programmes by the end of 2019. It will also create a partner matrix by the end of 2018.

The organisation has pledged to embrace technology that facilitates sustainability and establish communication and education programmes around environmental sustainability.

See the full strategy here.