Three new signs have recently been greeting boaters arriving in Cortes Bay.

They say: 

• “200 gal/740 l diesel = 2 tons CO2”
• “<2 tons CO2 per person per year = safe fair share”
• “luxury emissions wipe out life”

While many people on Cortes live simple lives with a relatively small carbon footprint, summer brings wealthy tourists with different values and ways of being. And wealth, it seems, frequently goes hand in hand with massive energy consumption.

Is wealth equivalent to climate destruction? 

No. Wealth is a resource that could be used to support a planet-wide transition toward an ongoing liveable world.

But the evidence against wealth holders, in general, is pretty damning. The Stockholm Environment Institute conducted a study in 2019 to assess consumption emissions based on income level. Using their findings, Oxfam International published a report and call to action in 2023 called “Climate Equality: A Planet for the 99%”.¹ Their report included the following alarming statistics:

• The wealthiest 1%—the 77 million richest people in the world—were responsible for 16% of global consumption emissions in 2019.
• These outsized emissions by the super-rich in 2019 alone will cause 1.3 million excess deaths due to heat. Most of these deaths will occur between 2020 and 2030.
• While people with income in the lowest 50% reduced their emissions by more than a fifth over the past 30 years, those in the top 1% have not reduced their average emissions at all.
• If they aren’t curbed, the carbon emissions of richest 1% alone will be 22 times greater than the level compatible with a 1.5°C temperature increase by 2030—the goal of the Paris Agreement.

Am I super-wealthy?

Just in case you’re wondering if you’re one of the top 1%, the finance and investing website DQYDJ (Don’t Quit Your Day Job) says probably not: there are roughly 1,313,064 households in the wealthiest 1% in the US (where these statistics were generated) and their net worth starts at $13,666,778.² In Canada, according to The KickAss Entrepreneur, entry into the top percentile for wealth requires a net value of just over $10,000,000.³

Nevertheless, the climate crisis is all of ours. It helps to remember that every ton of CO2 not released into the atmosphere contributes to a less unliveable future… avoiding unnecessary emissions of any size is an act of love.

How damaging are yachts?

Large yachts are among the most expensive—and most polluting—assets people with excess wealth own. Yet most yachts, even the largest, are exempt from emissions rules implemented by the International Maritime Organization.⁴ One report that analyzed the climate-damaging emissions of 20 billionaires found two-thirds were related to their yachts.⁵ 

While super-, mega-, and giga-yachts (loosely defined as ≥80 ft/24 m, ≥200 ft/60 m, and ≥300 ft/90 m, respectively) are not in abundance in the waters around Cortes, we certainly have our share of more modest luxury yachts passing by and visiting the marinas of Cortes. Instead of being symbols of wealth and prestige, to some locals they are symbols of egregious disregard for the well-being of life on Earth. 

What kinds of boats do come to Cortes?

Jenny Hartwick has been the manager of the Harbour Authority of Cortes Island (HACI) for nine years. The mandate of the HACI is to maintain the docks and other infrastructure in support of commercial working boats, but they also accommodate recreational boats when they’re able. Hartwick said recreational boat traffic to Cortes has generally increased over the years, with 2022 being the busiest year on record and 2023 being a close second, though this year the numbers are down somewhat. 

And, her observation is, they’re getting bigger. “I’d say about once to twice a week we get a request [to dock] from a recreational boat that is 60 feet or longer,” she said. “The largest request this year was from a 135-foot boat. But the answer is no, we simply do not have the infrastructure to support boats that large.” Instead, she said, “The size of most recreational boats at HACI docks is between 28 and 50 feet. Anything bigger is hard to raft up to.” She speculated there might be more capacity for large yachts at the two yacht club outposts—Seattle Yacht Club and Vancouver Yacht Club—in Cortes Bay. “But most people on Cortes won’t see the really big boats. They’re out there, but they’re just passing by.”

[ed. note: neither Seattle nor Vancouver Yacht Clubs responded to requests for comments for this article.]

When asked if any of the recreational yachts she sees are powered by renewable energy like solar, Hartwick said no. But, she pointed out that people with commercial aquaculture boats on Cortes are keenly following improvements in technology that will lead to more sustainability in their industry. Their livelihoods are going to be impacted by climate change, and she thinks they will be early adopters of cleaner ways to run their boats.

What can be done besides putting up signs?

In September of 2022, Canada implemented a tax on certain luxury items, including luxury cars (notably, RVs and camper vans are exempt), private aircraft, and recreational boats or yachts. The tax rate is 10% of the total price paid or 20% of the difference between the price and a set threshold ($100,000 for cars and planes, $250,000 for boats and yachts), whichever is less.⁶ But clearly this will do little to dissuade wealthy yachters from making their purchases and polluting the planet.

Another approach that could be taken is to criminalize “ecocide”. The term ecocide was coined in the 1970s to describe the willful destruction of nature, and efforts are underway to make it an international crime. That would put ecocide in the same category as genocide, crimes against humanity, crimes of aggression, and war crimes.⁷ In February of 2024, Belgium became the first European Union (EU) nation to codify ecocide as a both a domestic and international crime.⁸ Just days later, European Union lawmakers voted to criminalize cases of environmental damage “comparable to ecocide”, marking the “end of impunity for environmental criminals”.⁹ Whether or not using superyachts could constitute a crime under these laws is still untested.

Taxes and legal actions are punitive measures that may or may not be effective. Meanwhile, is there more to be done to change the hearts of luxury boat users? To inspire them to appreciate their connection to the fragile fleeting beauty around them take their responsibility for the effects of their lifestyles seriously? If you have the answer, please let me know.

Footnotes:

1. Oxfam International. “Climate Equity: A Planet for the 99%” https://issuu.com/oxfamca/docs/climate_equality_report_oxfam  Nov. 20, 2023
2. DQYDJ. “Who Are the One Percent in the United States by Income and Net Worth?” https://dqydj.com/top-one-percent-united-states/ 
3. The KickAss Entrepreneur. “Net Worth By Age Percentile Calculator For Canada By 2025 – UPDATED [February 2024]” https://thekickassentrepreneur.com/net-worth-by-age-percentile-calculator-for-canada/ Feb. 19, 2024.
4. Lloyd’s Register. “A Greener Future for the Superyacht Industry” https://www.lr.org/en/knowledge/insights-articles/a-greener-future-for-the-superyacht-industry/ Sept. 20, 2023.
5. Burga, Solcyre. “From Private Jets to Superyachts, Here’s the Climate Impact of the Rich and Famous”  Time https://time.com/6208632/celebrities-climate-impact-private-jets-yachts/ Aug. 25, 2022. 
6. Canada Revenue Agency. Subject Vessels Under the Select Luxury Items Tax Act https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/publications/ltn3/subject-vessels-select-luxury-items-tax-act.html#_Toc112155925 Jan. 2023.
7. Stop Ecocide International. “Making Ecocide a Crime” https://www.stopecocide.earth/making-ecocide-a-crime Accessed Aug. 20, 2024.
8. Chini, Maithe. “Belgium becomes first in EU to recognise ecocide as international crime” The Brussels Times https://www.brusselstimes.com/937229/belgium-becomes-first-in-eu-to-recognise-ecocide-as-international-crime-tbtb Feb. 23,2024.
9. Younes, Lylla. “A new EU ecocide law ‘marks the end of impunity for environmental criminals’” Grist https://grist.org/regulation/eu-ecocide-law-environmental-crime-international/ Mar. 6, 2024.