25 March 2021, Auckland: CarbonClick, New Zealand’s leading carbon offset provider, has launched Sapphire Traveller, a new carbon offsetting platform tailored to the boating sector. The platform was formally announced and launched at The Superyacht Gathering by Jan Czaplicki, co-founder of CarbonClick, and Ellie Brade, co-founder of The Superyacht Gathering, an annual social conscience yachting event. 

Sapphire Traveller has been tailored specifically to the boating sector and will allow vessels of all sizes, from small trailer boats to superyachts to easily carbon offset their travels. By using a simple calculation tool, users from around the world will have the option of either offsetting their annual carbon use or offsetting a one-off trip. The latter option will particularly suit the charter market and charter clients who personally want to neutralise the environmental impact of their yachting holiday.
 
CarbonClick has already worked with several niche sectors, and Czaplicki and Brade both saw the opportunity to extend CarbonClick’s offering and provide the boating sector with a platform of its own. “Within the yachting sector there is an increasing awareness of a need to do better from an environmental perspective and we hope that Sapphire Traveller will be an easy way to enable positive action,” says Brade.
 
Sapphire Traveller is fast and intuitive, with the calculation based on fuel used. “Our goal is that by providing a simple and easy tool, Sapphire Traveller will help make carbon offsetting the norm in boating,” said Czaplicki. “With other markets, such as the aviation industry, actively encouraging users to carbon offset their travels, we wanted to create a platform that would help boat users do the same and enjoy their boats in an environmentally conscious way.” 
 
Sapphire Traveller’s carbon offsetting programme works by helping boaters minimise their environmental impact by purchasing carbon credits equivalent to their carbon output. These credits are then used for certified carbon offset projects that meet the highest standards. “Sapphire Traveller will empower boat users to help play their role in tackling climate change,” says Czaplicki. “Yacht owners have a strong connection to the ocean and it is no surprise that many of them are looking for ways to actively help protect the waters they sail on.”
 
“We are very pleased to have had the formal launch of Sapphire Traveller at The Superyacht Gathering,” concludes Brade. “The purpose of the event is to build a culture and community of like-minded people within the superyacht industry to share insights and inspire environmental innovation in our industry, the sea and all beings that live in, on and around it, and Sapphire Traveller perfectly fits in with that goal as a means of encouraging lower-impact yachting.”