The adoption by the UK Government of the premise of reaching Net Zero by 2050 has raised some eyebrows among sceptics. This is an ambitious policy whereby the amount of human-caused emissions of greenhouse gases are balanced by their removal out of the atmosphere. It sounds ambitious and has been seized on by some more cynical politicians as a ‘wedge issue’ that can be used to divide people into virtue, signalling environment lovers and cruel coal guzzling realists who think the plan is absolutely for the birds. This is, of course, risible and unpleasant and seems a long way from the world of sailing; yet it touches us too as the effects of Net Zero are far reaching and the ability of the sailing industry to adopt sustainable methods of construction is vital. Unfortunately boatbuilding in glass fibre is fundamentally unsustainable. All the materials used from the woven rovings to the epoxy are chemically synthesised and when you
