HX makes major strides on sustainability front

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HX has released its first independent Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) report, a bold statement of intent following its recent separation from the Hurtigruten Group. Entitled “Navigating for a Greener Future,” the 2024 ESG report outlines HX’s achievements and long-term goals, offering a transparent look at the company’s sustainability efforts and operational impact. “This report marks an important milestone in HX’s journey as an independent company,” said Gebhard Rainer, CEO of HX. “It reflects not only the tangible progress we’ve made, but also our unwavering commitment to setting a new standard in sustainable expedition travel. Transparency, innovation, and responsibility are central to our operations, and we believe this report demonstrates how those values translate into real-world impact.” The report highlights several key areas of progress, particularly in scientific collaboration, plastic reduction, community impact, and emissions management. “Whether it’s eliminating single-use plastic, launching the first university course at sea, or reducing emissions through smarter itinerary planning, this shows what’s possible when sustainability is embedded in everything we do,” Strategy Manager for Sustainability Felix Hamer said. In 2024 alone, HX dedicated a record-breaking 1,911 cruise nights to guest scientists and facilitated over 30,000 citizen science submissions through 3,425 sessions. These efforts contributed to critical research on climate, microplastics, and marine biodiversity, in partnership with leading institutions including the British Antarctic Survey, Norwegian Polar Institute, and Alfred Wegener Institute.

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A major milestone in educational outreach was also achieved with the launch of the first-ever accredited university course at sea. Created in partnership with the University of Tasmania, the six-hour module focused on Antarctic science and governance and saw participation from over 1,870 guests and staff, with 760 certificates awarded by early 2025. Further bolstering its environmental credentials, HX’s partnership with Ocean Bottle saw the distribution of 40,000 reusable bottles to guests and crew, preventing the equivalent of 45 million plastic bottles from entering the ocean. HX has been a plastic-free pioneer since 2018. The company’s ESG efforts have not gone unnoticed. HX earned the top score on the Friends of the Earth environmental scorecard, became the highest-ranked expedition cruise line in NABU’s environmental index, and won several accolades including the Princess Royal Training Award and Seatrade’s Expedition Cruise Initiative of the Year for its Rapid Response Fund. The Rapid Response Fund exemplifies HX’s localised community support, enabling crews to directly fund grassroots initiatives. In 2024, it was activated seven times, providing support such as scientific equipment in Scotland and shoes for a youth wrestling club in Cambridge Bay, Canada. Environmental metrics also showed promising shifts. While 2024 included extensive fleet docking, total CO₂ emissions dropped by 27%. A newly launched itinerary planning tool now calculates carbon footprints in advance, helping to redesign routes with lower emissions.

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