World Sailing launch consultation on ambitious sustainability targets

by World Sailing on 26 Oct 2017 World Sailing will launch a bold ambition for sailing's contribution to global sustainability at its Sustainability Forum in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico on Tuesday 7 November 2017.

At the Forum, World Sailing will launch its Sustainability Agenda 2030 which sets out World Sailing's commitment to helping create a better world through sport. Sustainability Agenda 2030 includes a series of challenging targets across technical standards, events, training, venues and facilities, members and participation. The presentation of Sustainability Agenda 2030 will kick-off a four-month consultation process, ahead of the targets being finalised in Spring 2018.

The Sustainability Forum will be streamed live across the World Sailing Network. Priorities and where the sport aims to be in 2030 will be outlined by Mike Golding, World Sailing Sustainability Commission Chairman, and complemented by perspectives from a range of sport and industry experts.

Followers will be encouraged to join the debate and conversation using the #UnitingOurSport on social media.

Follow live from 14:30 - 17:30 local time, 19:30-22:30 UTC on Tuesday 7 November via - YouTube.

Speakers and content at the Sustainability Forum include:

• Mike Golding, Chairman of World Sailing's Sustainability Commission and accomplished offshore sailor, will present World Sailing's Sustainability Agenda 2030 alongside Dan Reading, Sustainability Programme Manager at World Sailing;
• Ocean advocate, skipper and World Sailing Sustainability Commission member, Emily Penn, will explore and highlight the issues of ocean plastic pollution;
• Volvo Ocean Race winner and Vestas 11th Hour Racing Sustainability Manager, Damian Foxall, will give insight into the races sustainability programme and the perspective from a competing team;
• The benefits of electric propulsion will be discussed by Captain Todd Sims from Torqeedo;
• Go Sailing, for a Change co-founder, Enrico Benco, is working to identify, develop and promote sustainable solutions for the composite industry in order to foster the adoption of a Circular Economy model. Benco will speak about the benefits of basalt, a fully recyclable alternative boat making material to Glass Reinforced Plastic;
• Martin Wadhams, Chairman of RS Sailing, will give a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities of a sustainability agenda from a manufacturer and class association point of view;
• More than 1,200 sailors from 100 nations will race at the 2018 Hempel Sailing World Championships. Klaus Natorp, Head of the event, will give insight into sustainability initiatives the event is undertaking in advance and during the Championships;
• Having worked for the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Organising Committees of the Olympic Games as Sustainability Manager, Julie Duffus, now leads the International Olympic Committee's drive with International Federations. Duffus will outline the importance of sustainability in sport.

Sustainability Agenda 2030 is one of two open forums at the 2017 Annual Conference. Balancing the Boat: growing female participation and developing pathways in competitive sailing will be held on Monday 6 November.

At Balancing the Boat, attendees will discuss solutions to ensure more women take up sailing and remain within the sport through the development of clearly defined pathways and systemic change to create more opportunities for women at the top of the sport.

Both forums will be held alongside World Sailing's 2017 Annual Conference which commences on Saturday 4 November and runs through to Sunday 12 November. The forums, two days of Council meetings and the Annual General Meeting will be streamed live across the World Sailing Network.

The overarching theme of the 2017 Annual Conference is 'Uniting Our Sport'. Sailing's stakeholders will be working together to grow and develop the sport to ensure millions more people fall in love with sailing.