Le Boat’s Sustainability Plan
To enrich the lives of our guests and local communities through inspiring travel experiences
At Le Boat, we’re committed to creating inspiring boating memories and enabling our customers to see the world from the unique perspective of the waterways they cruise. This means we have a responsibility to ensure our cruising regions are protected and preserved at their very best for all to enjoy.
Our ‘Climate, Nature & Community’ plan includes our carbon reduction actions, our efforts to reduce single-use plastic waste, and our support for local nature and communities. Read on for more, including how you can play your part in preserving waterways for many generations to come.
Climate
- We have developed a carbon reduction roadmap to reduce our carbon emissions over the coming years and decades.
- So far we have been able to roll out use of biofuel across our entire fleet in one base (Douelle base in Lot, France) reducing carbon emissions by up to 90% when compared to standard diesel fuel.
- We continually invest in our fleet ensuring our new boats are fitted with modern engines that are efficient, reliable and comply with the latest emission regulations.
- We also support the removal of carbon from the atmosphere through our partnership with Blue Marine Foundation. Read more about this pioneering partnership and its impacts here.
Nature
- We work closely with local organisations who help maintain and protect our waterways to promote their message and help with their work.
- In particular, we are keen supporters of Voies Navigables de France. Together, we are working towards the preservation of the Canal du Midi, France’s most famous canal, and their iconic plane trees.
- We are also working hard to protect the nature around our waterways through the reduction of waste. We have started rolling out on board water filters across our fleets, giving easy access to drinking water while reducing the need for single-use plastic bottles.
Community
- Travelling inland waterways is a great way to experience truly local and authentic restaurants, shops, markets and more, whilst also supporting local economies that often don’t benefit from more mainstream tourism.
- In addition, we pride ourselves on creating employment opportunities on and around our bases, especially in more remote areas. In France, we’ve sought to enhance this through our apprenticeship scheme, which provides training to young people who may not otherwise have been able to access skilled jobs.
What you can do
You can play your part too by following our 10 Golden Rules to being a Green Boater:
- Manage your onboard energy consumption, such as switching off lights when not in use.
- Reduce speed to avoid breaking wake on banks. This will help reduce both erosion of banks and unnecessary fuel use.
- Keep a consistent course when you spot wildlife to avoid collisions and make your boat predictable.
- If you can, turn your engine off when you are moored or passing through a lock, to save fuel and improve air quality.
- Don’t throw any waste overboard, including cigarette butts.
- Separate recycling while onboard, to deposit in recycling bins back at base.
- If your boat has a water filter, use this instead of purchasing plastic water bottles. If not, the bigger the water bottle, the less plastic is wasted!
- Be mindful of what you put down the drains/toilet – use eco-friendly washing up liquid and toiletries.
- Conserve water while onboard as much as possible.
- Purchasing local products along the way helps support local communities while you enjoy some regional flavour!