The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), alongside the International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA) and the European Boating Industry (EBI), launched a global industry questionnaire to assess the recreational marine sector’s readiness to adopt a harmonized Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology.

The survey forms a key part of the organizations’ joint initiative to develop the first globally aligned environmental assessment framework for recreational boats launched last year. The project aims to establish a consistent, science-based approach that can be used internationally to measure and communicate the environmental impacts of recreational craft across their life cycle.

The initiative builds on the Blue Boat Horizon (BBH) project led by EBI that developed an industry-first LCA methodology and now work towards global alignment with a methodology that is both robust and practical for adoption by boatbuilders up to 24 meters (roughly 79 feet).

“As stakeholder demands, eco-design and environmental reporting requirements continue to evolve, boatbuilders, suppliers and industry stakeholders are increasingly seeking reliable tools to understand, measure and improve environmental performance,” the NMMA says in a press release. “A globally-harmonized methodology will support greater comparability, transparency and credibility while helping businesses prepare for future market and regulatory expectations.”

The questionnaire has been designed to gather insights from boatbuilders and the supply chain around the world on their current understanding and use of LCA, the resources available within their organizations, perceived challenges to implementation, and the support they would need to adopt a harmonized methodology successfully.

“The success of this project depends on broad industry participation,” says Joe Lynch, ICOMIA CEO. “We want to ensure that our collaboration and the methodology reflect the realities of boatbuilders operating in different markets, building different types of craft and working at different levels of sustainability maturity. The feedback gathered through this questionnaire will help shape a practical solution that delivers value for the entire global recreational marine industry.”

The information collected will help the project partners:

• Understand the industry’s current level of LCA awareness and experience
• Identify barriers to adoption
• Identify current and forthcoming legislation
• Assess training and support requirements
• Guide the development of user-friendly tools and resources
• Ensure global relevance across different markets and boat categories
• Support the creation of a credible and internationally accepted methodology

The project ultimately aims to provide the recreational marine sector with a common framework that enables informed environmental decision-making, supports sustainable boat building continuous improvement and facilitates credible environmental communication across global markets.