World sustainable transport day: how Fountaine Pajot contributes to more responsible mobility

This initiative aims to raise public awareness of more environmentally friendly mobility solutions and to encourage concrete actions that reduce the impact of transport on the climate and ecosystems.

While leisure boating is not an everyday mass mode of transportation, it is nevertheless directly linked to these challenges: propulsion, renewable energy production, onboard energy use, and even the transport of materials. This is why Fountaine Pajot has chosen to highlight, on this occasion, the transformations underway to make recreational maritime transport more sustainable.

The main source of environmental impact in leisure boating remains motorization. Carbon footprint assessments carried out by Fountaine Pajot have shown that thermal propulsion accounts for 80% of a boat’s emissions over a 40-year lifespan. To address this challenge, the shipyard has developed OD Sea+, a hybrid-electric propulsion system.

Of course, wind is the purest and most powerful energy available to a sailing yacht. This new motorization makes it possible to recover energy while sailing, fully harness solar input, and improve onboard energy management. The result is a quieter, smoother navigation experience that is far less dependent on fuel. By reducing emissions associated with movement at sea while supporting greater energy autonomy, OD Sea+ aligns perfectly with the goals of World Sustainable Transport Day.

Beyond technology, Fountaine Pajot also advocates for a change in practices. Eco-navigation means giving full priority back to the sail, optimizing speed, and managing the energy consumed and produced on board in a smarter way. OD Sea+ supports this approach by allowing sailors to monitor their energy consumption and production in real time, enabling more responsible navigation that remains closely connected to the elements.

This is a central point for Sigrid LONGEAU, CSR Manager at Fountaine Pajot, who summarizes the shipyard’s approach as follows:

“Eco-navigation at Fountaine Pajot is relevant because we started by addressing the main source of a boat’s carbon footprint: propulsion powered by fossil energies. Today, we have successfully tested hybrid-electric motorization, but we are actively continuing our research and innovation efforts. We have developed a form of navigation that is more respectful of the environment, but also one that offers greater autonomy, a much quieter experience with fewer vibrations, and a closer, more harmonious relationship with the natural elements.”

This combination of technological innovation and evolving navigation habits contributes to a more sustainable way of moving at sea, fully aligned with the spirit of this international day.

Sustainable transport does not concern navigation alone. It also applies to the entire logistics chain required to build a boat. Fountaine Pajot has introduced a system to pool supplier deliveries in order to reduce trucks running empty: a method known internally as the “milk run”. The shipyard is also developing reusable packaging to reduce waste and damage, and works with a local transporter equipped with electric trucks, made possible by choosing a network of nearby suppliers.

Employee mobility is also an important part of this effort: for the past two years, Dufour has reached the podium of the “May by Bike” challenge, a collective commitment that reflects the group’s determination to encourage more responsible travel at every level.