Infographic | 2020 POLAR PROMISE
PRINCIPLES Embedding responsible practices throughout our business, whether it’s in polar wilderness or in the places we work each day. Goal: By 2025, our goal is to work exclusively with suppliers, vendors and external partners who share our commitment to preserving the polar regions.
PLANET Reducing our footprint and building resilience through best practices and advanced sustainability technologies. Goal: By 2025, Quark Expeditions will reduce carbon emissions per passenger by 10%.
PARTNERSHIPS Making a positive impact on the people, environment, and communities we visit through outreach, collaboration, and innovation. Goal: By 2025, Quark Expeditions will continue to lead change through community engagement and by supporting scientific, conservation and sustainable development in polar communities.
POSITIVE IMPACT Inspiring and empowering our guests to make changes that create positive impacts, wherever they live. Goal: By 2025, the positive benefit of bringing people to the polar regions will far outweigh any impact of taking people there.
In April 2019, we reinforced our commitment to the polar regions with the unveiling of POLAR PROMISE —the most comprehensive and holistic sustainability strategy in place in the polar regions. In Polar Promise, Quark Expeditions identifies measurable goals to be reached by 2025. OUR ONGOING COMMITMENT
Sustainability has always been part of our DNA.
Q uark Expeditions was one of the founding members of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), whose mandate includes the preservation of the Antarctic region Quark Expeditions has long been active in the environmental conservation efforts of the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO) We launched the first-ever carbon-neutral voyage to Antarctica in 2012 From 2014–2016, Quark Expeditions partnered with CarbonNeutral to offer passengers a pay-as-you-fly carbon offsetting program on international and domestic flights
$686,729 of the proceeds from our onboard charity auctions have been donated to the citizen science group Penguin Watch since 2012 Since 2014, $169,924 of the proceeds from our onboard charity auctions have supported the South Georgia Heritage Trust and Friends of South Georgia In 2017, Quark Expeditions eliminated single use plastics In 2019, we eliminated 14,000 Individual yogurt containers and 320,000 single use plastic bottles.
Check out the infographic for a snap-shot of some of our other recent sustainability achievements.
Polar Promise is simply — our promise to preserve the pristine polar regions for generations to follow. We invite you to join us on that journey.
This infographic reflects Quark Expeditions’ sustainability successes and goals—celebrating our past while... THE PROOF IS IN OUR POLAR PROMISE
Sustainability
planning for the future!
REDUCE SINGLE-USE PLASTICS Quark Expeditions continues to drastically reduce single-use plastics on board our ships. In 2019, we eliminated:
By working with our hotel provider, we’ve replaced individually wrapped items like butter, sugar, jam, honey, and yogurt with bulk versions. We’ve installed water fountains on our vessels so that passengers can refill their own reusable Quark Expeditions water bottle as needed. Cabins have been outfitted with soap and shampoo dispensers to reduce waste, and we provide straws, paper napkins, and receipts only on request.
320 , 000 Single use bottles. Our guests receive their own reusable water bottles!
14 , 000 Individual yogurt containers.
7 , 600 Parka bags. Now in bundles vs individual plastic bags
OFFSHIP INITIATIVES
The inaugural year of the SeaGreen recycling initiative diverted 647 cubic meters of recyclable material during the 2018/19 Antarctic season. Quark Expeditions was responsible for 270 cubic meters of this total. 270 CUBIC METERS OF RECYCLABLES DIVERTED
Quark Expeditions provides free berths to conservation and scientific organizations, giving scientists access to remote regions to further their research. In addition, a portion of the proceeds from our onboard auctions are directed to these organizations. $500 , 000 Our annual goal to support Polar Research and Conservation. The funds, raised since 2014, support the Habitat Restoration project, whose goal was to restore the sub-Antarctic island to its original status as one of the world’s most important seabird sites. Funds were used for baiting during the eradication phase and to support rodent-detecting dogs for the current monitoring and maintenance phase. $169 , 924 Auction proceeds supporting South Georgia Heritage Trust and Friends of South Georgia.
GREEN TECHNOLOGIES FOR OUR VESSELS
Ultramarine ’s LED lighting can potentially use 50% LESS
ULTRA MARINE like the recently-launched World Explorer , will be equipped with a Micro Auto Gasification System that thermally breaks down waste, reducing its volume by UP TO 95 %
energy than standard fluorescent lighting.
Fuel-efficient Ultramarine We expect the average daily fuel consumption of Ultramarine to be approximately half the consumption of older chartered vessels of similar size.
Ultramarine has sufficient effluent storage to operate at full capacity with 340 PEOPLE (guests and crew) for 5 DAYS , eliminating the need for any discharge in particularly sensitive areas.
These advanced waste systems mean the technologically- advanced vessel can operate for 40 DAYS and discharge no solid waste!
OUR GOAL
40 DAYS ZERO WASTE
BY 2025
WINNING THE CARBON EMISSIONS CHALLENGE!
Quark Expeditions will reduce carbon emissions by:
Quark Expeditions’ historical analysis confirms that we have decreased emissions from vessels by 28% from 2010 levels. Reduction in Carbon Emissions
Our sustainability strategy is an ongoing journey. Join us on our voyage to preserve the polar regions for generations to come!
For more on our comprehensive Polar Promise strategy, visit: QUARKEXPEDITIONS.COM/POLARPROMISE
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