Polar Promise: Sustainability Report (2019)

In April 2019, Quark Expeditions unveiled our sustainability strategy under the banner, Polar Promise. The comprehensive strategy advances both ongoing and new initiatives aimed at improving environmental and social outcomes in the polar regions and provides a framework upon which we can build. The strategy translates Quark Expeditions’ existing and new efforts into concrete, measurable goals and sustainable outcomes to be achieved by 2025.

Sustainability Report | 2019 POLAR PROMISE

Table of Contents

Our Polar Promise

1 3 5 7 9

Introduction

Polar Promise Framework

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

2019 Progress

Principles

17 19 22 23 24 25 27 29 31 33 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 59 61

Leadership in Industry Associations Sustainability as a Strategic Driver

Stakeholder Training Sustainable Sourcing

Planet

Scope 1 Carbon Emissions

SeaGreen

Green Technologies for Quark Expeditions Vessels Ultramarine —a sustainable, game changing ship

Advancing the UN Clean Seas Pledge

Partnerships

Leadership On the AECO Community Engagement Committee

Supporting Community Projects

Innovative Community Engagement in Ittoqqortoormit

Building Capacity through Nalunaiqsijiit: the Inuit Cruise Training Initiative

Trainee Profiles

The Nunavut Tourism Summit

Investing in Polar Research and Conservation

Positive Impact

Polar Ambassador Program Launch

Our Promise

Our Polar Promise

1 | For more information, contact Quark Expeditions at Sustainability@QuarkExpeditions.com

2019 Sustainability Report |

Introduction

For nearly three decades, Quark Expeditions has been journeying exclusively to the polar regions. With a diverse fleet of small expedition vessels and icebreakers, we have brought passengers from across the globe to the farthest reaches of the Arctic and Antarctic. Our guests’ experiences are enhanced by lectures and interactions with on-board historians, glaciologists, biologists, naturalists and researchers, along with the top expedition leaders and most diverse field staff in the industry. Quark Expeditions’ travelers seek immersive experiences in unique places. Our off-ship adventures are designed to deliver authentic and unforgettable moments, forging our passengers’ connection to these spectacular but complex environments. We take people further into these regions than any other operator not only to provide unforgettable experiences, but to also build a community of lifelong polar ambassadors.

In this, our first sustainability report, we summarize our progress in launching our Polar Promise sustainability strategy and reflect on successes and challenges for the 2019 fiscal year, defined as October 1, 2018 to September 30, 2019. While we are proud of the work we’ve accomplished, we have no plans to rest on our laurels. Our Polar Promise puts into place concrete goals for our sustainability efforts starting now and reaching to 2025 and beyond. At Quark Expeditions, we’re committed to environmentally responsible tourism because protecting the places we visit is vital to ensuring we can continue to enable travelers to enjoy the spectacular beauty of the polar wilderness.

3 | For more information, contact Quark Expeditions at Sustainability@QuarkExpeditions.com

2019 Sustainability Report |

Polar Promise Framework

Quark Expeditions' sustainability framework is the initial step on an ambitious journey to be an industry leader in sustainability. The Polar Promise framework was designed to bring together existing sustainability activities and to facilitate future initiatives, enabling us to focus on the most impactful issues while driving business value.

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PLANET Reducing our footprint and building industry resilience are vital to safeguarding the planet. It’s a no-brainer: all of us must do everything possible to reduce our footprint. Goal: By 2025, Quark Expeditions will reduce carbon emissions per passenger by 10%, and the Quark Expeditions-owned fleet will be zero waste.

PRINCIPLES Embedding responsible business practices into our mission and values is vital to the success of our sustainability program. As a polar-focused tourism operator, our sustainability principles are integral to every decision we make, whether it’s in the polar wilderness or in the places we work each day.

Goal: By 2025, Quark Expeditions will be the most environmentally polar-focused tourism operator.

PARTNERSHIPS It’s through outreach, collaboration, and innovative thinking that we will have a positive impact on the people, environment, and communities we visit. 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 Our Legacy at Quark Expeditions has always been to inspire and empower our guests to make changes that create positive impact, wherever they live. Our guests return home with memories of unforgettable polar experiences, and often with an enhanced appreciation of the environment and the need to protect it. Goal: By 2025, the positive benefit of bringing people to the polar regions will far outweigh any impact of taking people there.

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UN Sustainable Development Goals

Launched in 2015, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a way to view the impact of our activities and a benchmark to assess the relevance of our initiatives. As part of our Polar Promise, Quark Expeditions has identified five of the 17 Sustainable Development

Goals to which we believe we can make the biggest contribution as a tourism business. We recognize that by making a strong commitment to these goals across all parts of our business, Quark Expeditions can be a real force of good in the polar regions and drive change for the better.

The five Sustainable Development Goals Quark Expeditions has targeted are:

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all. Quark Expeditions employs a small and growing team in our office and on our expeditions. We support and invest in our people, regardless of location. We created Quark Academy to ensure our expedition staff have the highest level of training in the industry, are committing a significant investment in ongoing professional development of our expedition team through workshops, summits and symposiums, and we are committed to building skills for residents of the North through the Nalunaiqsijiit Inuit Cruise Training Initiative and by hiring local guides when traveling in Arctic communities. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. Quark Expeditions is committed to eliminating waste before it is made. We are in the process of developing a purchasing plan to address this commitment, and have already implemented many initiatives, including providing our guests with reusable bottles, outfitting cabins with refillable soap and shampoo bottles, providing straws and napkins only on request, and eliminating unnecessary packaging from our parkas.

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Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. Quark Expeditions shares the polar regions with our guests, knowing that our presence has a footprint on their fragile ecosystems. The health of these environments is intimately interconnected with the health of the rest of the world. Through investment in our game-changing new ship, Ultramarine , operational improvements, and the use of low sulfur MGO fuel, we continue to reduce our GHG emissions, intensity and do our part to tackle one of the most pressing challenges of our time.

Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development. Due to its intersectional nature, the tourism industry has the opportunity to strengthen partnerships and engage multiple stakeholders to work together to achieve common goals, including the SDGs. As founding members of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) and a member of the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO), we espouse this goal of partnership in the practice and promotion of safe and environmentally responsible travel to the polar regions. We also support international and local partners including Penguin Watch, Polar Bears International, and the South Georgia Heritage Trust, as they work to conserve and protect the indigenous flora and fauna that breed and grow in the polar regions. Through our Polar Ambassador program, we help our community of guests remain engaged in polar conservation after they disembark. Quark Expeditions is proud to have taken the UN Clean Seas pledge and to participate in Clean Up Svalbard, helping to collect and remove around 20 tons of waste from the beaches of Svalbard each year. We serve only sustainably sourced seafood on our ships, and our new ship, Ultramarine , is equipped with custom engineered 5 blade propellers to reduce noise emissions. On our voyages, beyond just observing the unique wildlife, Quark Expeditions’ guests also come to understand the changing environmental conditions that influence life in the polar oceans and the ongoing effects on their habitats.

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Executive Summary

The goals for Quark Expeditions’ Polar Promise for fiscal year 2019 have been largely to establish baselines and processes for collecting data for the future. While this may not be glamorous, it has proven to be powerful, and has armed our entire team with information about the small and not-so-small impact of the changes Quark Expeditions has made over the past few years. This step is an important one to ensure that sustainable programming remains part of who we are and what we do.

We have achieved some significant progress towards our goals. Some of the highlights from 2019 include:

9 | For more information, contact Quark Expeditions at Sustainability@QuarkExpeditions.com

2019 Sustainability Report |

Principles

Representing at AECO and IAATO Quark Expeditions is an active member of both the Arctic and Antarctic governing organizations to help establish and enforce regulations that reduce the impact of tourism in the polar regions.

Stakeholder Training Quark Expeditions is developing reference materials for our staff, agents, partners, suppliers and guests that focus on working together to improve our collective environmental performance. Sustainability as a Strategic Driver Every year, Quark Expeditions evaluates where we want to go as a business. In 2019, two sustainability drivers were included in our strategic plan for fiscal year 2020 to show our commitment to our Polar Promise. Embedding our Sustainability Focus The success of our sustainability program starts with embedding responsible business practices. Quark Expeditions is updating our mission, vision and values to clearly affirm our sustainability focus. Sustainable Sourcing Quark Expeditions is developing a sustainable sourcing policy that intends to shift our spending towards products that are more environmentally sound and socially and ethically beneficial.

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Planet

28% Reduction in Carbon Emissions Quark Expeditions is excited to announce that an analysis of our historical fuel consumption shows that we’ve decreased emissions from vessels by 28% from 2010 levels of fuel consumption emissions.

270 Cubic Meters of Recyclables Diverted The inaugural year of the SeaGreen recycling initiative diverted 647M 3 of recyclable material during the 2018/19 Antarctic season. Quark Expeditions was responsible for 270 cubic meters of these.

Reducing Waste with MAGS World Explorer is equipped with a Micro Auto Gasification System (MAGS) that thermally breaks down waste, reducing its volume by up to 95%. MAGS produces heat and a soil enhancer called biochar.

Sustainable New Ship: Ultramarine Ultramarine features a pioneering mix of advanced sustainability features that will reduce its environmental impact to an extent unseen for a polar vessel of comparable size.

320,000 Single-Use Plastic Bottles Eliminated Quark Expeditions continues to drastically reduce single-use plastics on board our ships. In 2019, we eliminated nearly 320,000 single-use bottles by giving our guests reusable water bottles.

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Partnerships

AECO Community Engagement Committee Quark Expeditions was one of the industry leaders who proposed and formed AECO’s first community-focused committee. The community engagement committee is working towards greater industry-wide efforts on engaging with Arctic communities.

Four New Community Engagement Projects This year, Quark Expeditions is excited to engage with some fun and impactful community engagement projects, including inviting residents of Ittoqqortoormiit on board for a voyage on Ocean Nova and students from Sisimiut on board for to engage the staff working on Ocean Adventurer for an afternoon.

Nalunaiqsijiit Quark Expeditions hosted two Inuit Cruise Training Initiative interns aboard Ocean Adventurer traveling in Nunavut during the Arctic 2019 season.

$500,000 To Polar Research and Conservation 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.

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Positive Impact

Polar Ambassador Program Launched The Polar Ambassador Program is a voluntary program designed to give guests the opportunity to remain involved in polar conservation. It’s a community of guests, a network of like-minded polar advocates that stay in touch with one another via the conduit of polar ambassadorship. 17 New Polar Ambassadors A pilot of the Polar Ambassador program was run on Ocean Adventurer during the Arctic 2019 season, with three times our original goal signing up for the program. These committed individuals are taking action in their respective communities, hosting workshops on plastic pollution, presently to weekly lunch groups and donating to conservation charities.

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2019 Progress

PRINCIPLES By 2025, Quark Expeditions will be the most environmentally responsible polar-focused tourism operator.

PLANET By 2025, Quark Expeditions will reduce carbon emissions per passenger by 10% and Quark Expeditions-owned fleet will be zero waste.

2019 Goals

Business strategic drivers include ‘sustainability’ driver and relevant metrics

Develop and implement Quark Expeditions’ carbon emissions measurement for Scope 1 emissions and release first report on emissions

Key initiatives from sustainability strategy being implemented and internally reported

Quark Expeditions is a lead partner in SeaGreen initiative

Staff and partner pre-season briefings/trainings on Quark Expeditions’ sustainability strategy

First MAGS unit deployed in fleet on World Explorer

Entire fleet is single-use plastic free

Develop sustainable sourcing policy in consultation with partners and suppliers

Develop plan for zero waste

First annual sustainability report published on website

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PARTNERSHIPS By , Quark Expeditions will continue to lead change through community engagement and by supporting scientic, conservation and sustainable development in polar communities.

POSITIVE IMPACT By , the positive benet of

bringing people to the polar regions will far outweigh any impact of taking people there.

Goals

Further leadership position within AECO Community Engagement Committee

Ambassador program governance, metrics, management and comms/IT infrastructure established

Launch two community engagement projects during the Arctic season

Ambassador program pilot launch Arctic season

Ambassadors/signatories the rst season following launch

Collaborate on Inuit Cruise Training Initiative and host a minimum of two trainees onboard

actions publicized on the Ambassador forum six months following the end of the launch season

Invest in research partnerships in Arctic and Antarctic, in-kind and direct support

Continued support to UN Clean Seas and close liaison with AECO new Environment Ocer to nd opportunities to advance their mission and nd new collaboration opportunities

Create onboard resources to support our partners' work

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Principles

Quark Expeditions aims to be the leader in responsible polar tourism, the ‘go to’ operator for conscious travelers and the preferred partner of the world’s most responsible brands. We employ the best people in the industry and will lead the industry in diversification of our workforce. We work to reduce our impact, catalyze change in the industry and help improve our suppliers’ operations.

17 | For more information, contact Quark Expeditions at Sustainability@QuarkExpeditions.com

2019 Sustainability Report |

Principles

Leadership in Industry Associations

AECO and IAATO work with all member operators to manage landings and visits in the polar regions in a responsible way. Regulations that are currently in place restrict the number of vessels able to visit a site at any given time and the number of individuals allowed ashore during landings. For example, Antarctic landings are limited to no more than 100 visitors ashore at a time. Guidelines for landing sites and community visits ensure that the impact of visits are lessened.

Quark Expeditions is dedicated to delivering transformational experiences in the polar regions in an environmentally responsible way, including working with and providing support to organizations whose mission is to protect and preserve these areas. We are active members of both the Arctic and Antarctic governing organizations, the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO) and the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), to help establish and enforce regulations that reduce the impact of tourism in the polar regions. We adhere to the stringent guidelines set out by these organizations, which are designed to ensure the polar regions are protected for future generations. In addition, we regularly collaborate on opportunities to advance their respective missions.

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About IAATO Quark Expeditions was one of the founding members of IAATO, whose key objectives include advocating and promoting safe and environmentally responsible travel to the Antarctic. IAATO's membership is truly international and is comprised of more than 100 respected companies from all over the world. Members believe that the ultimate protection and conservation of Antarctica will depend on sound policy, and they have worked diligently to establish extensive operational procedures, guidelines, and requirements. IAATO's focus on conservation, management, and education promotes a greater understanding of Antarctica, with the goal of leaving it as pristine and majestic for future generations as it is today. To learn more about IAATO visit iaato.org

About AECO Quark Expeditions is also a member of the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO), an international organization for cruise operators that was founded in 2003 and is dedicated to managing environmentally friendly, safe and considerate cruise tourism. AECO’s guidelines form the association’s backbone. They are essential tools to achieve its objective: to ensure that cruise tourism in the Arctic is carried out with the utmost consideration of the natural environment, local cultures, as well as challenging safety hazards at sea and on land. To learn more about AECO visit aeco.no

2019 Sustainability Report |

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Sustainability as a Strategic Driver Sustainability is core to Quark Expeditions’ license to operate in the polar regions. We recognize our responsibility to do more to protect these magnificent places and have, over the course of our nearly 30 years, undertaken many initiatives aimed at improving the environmental and social outcomes in the region. With the release of our Polar Promise, we aim to ingrain those values into our business. Every year, Quark Expeditions evaluates where we want to go as a business and we create key strategic drivers in categories like sales, product, customer experience and marketing. In 2019, two sustainability drivers were included to demonstrate our commitment to our Polar Promise. They are:

And the future looks even brighter. With the success of the publication of our Polar Promise and this annual report, Quark Expeditions is proposing four sustainability strategic drivers for 2020. 1. D eliver & Report on our Polar Promise 1st annual report by December 2019 2. Challenge our Polar Promise to ensure it stays relevant and is suitably ambitious for our business. Deliver a sustainability stretch plan 3. Create highly compelling stories showcasing significant sustainability progress for both internal and external audiences

These sustainability drivers form the roadmap leading to our Polar Promise goals for 2025.

1. Publish our three-year comprehensive sustainability plan by June 2019 2. Further reduce single-use plastic from ship operations, conduct trial with Ushuaia recycling companies

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Stakeholder Training Our Polar Promise sets up a framework for setting sustainable goals, measuring our performance, and reporting on our successes and failures. Its impacts can be felt by stakeholders throughout Quark Expeditions: in our office, on board our ships, and by our partners, suppliers and guests. For that reason, it’s vital that every stakeholder understands each of the four pillars (principles, planet, partnerships, and positive impact), and how each relates to them. Establishing and communicating our values with partners and suppliers, especially, is important to ensure they understand our vision for sustainability and how it could potentially impact their business practices. By engaging with our suppliers to manage and improve their environmental,

social, and economic performance, we can improve our collective impact and potentially grow the market for sustainable goods and services for the expedition travel industry. Quark Expeditions is in the process of developing internal reference and onboarding materials for our staff, pre-season briefings and reference materials for agents, partners and suppliers, and voyage briefings and reference material for our guests. The training and reference material will do more than just provide information about our Polar Promise. It will be about opening dialogues about working collaboratively, appreciating multiple perspectives, reflecting, and thinking critically and creatively.

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Sustainable Sourcing Quark Expeditions is in the process of developing a sustainable sourcing policy that aligns our purchasing decisions with our values, improves our guests’ experiences, and enhances our financial performance and competitiveness. Our sustainable sourcing policy intends to shift spending away from goods and services that negatively impact the environment and society towards products that are more environmentally sound and socially and ethically beneficial. We work with our suppliers to understand how we can best implement our desired changes so that everyone can reap the benefits of the policy.

The sustainable sourcing policy is being built on practices that are already being used informally at Quark Expeditions. For example, this year we were able to eliminate more than 7,500 parka packaging bags by having our supplier stop wrapping parkas individually. By working with one of our hotel providers, we’ve been able to replace individually wrapped items like butter, sugar, jam, honey, and yogurt with bulk versions. Some previously implemented sourcing policy changes mean that the Quark Expeditions fleet is nearly free of single-use plastics. We provide our guests with reusable water bottles and have installed water fountains on our vessels. Cabins were outfitted with soap and shampoo dispensers to reduce waste, and we provide straws, paper napkins, and receipts only on request.

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Planet

Quark Expeditions aims to reduce our carbon emissions per passenger by 10% through fleet improvements and changes in order to reduce our impact. We’re working with our supply chain to measure, report and reduce their emissions, and our office and field operations aim to reuse or recycle 100% of waste on Quark Expeditions-owned vessels.

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Planet

Scope Carbon Emissions This is the rst year that Quark Expeditions is reporting on carbon emissions, and we’re excited to announce that an analysis of our historical fuel consumption data shows that we’ve decreased emissions from our vessels by % per guest per day from values. Scope greenhouse gas emissions are direct emissions sources that Quark Expeditions owns or controls. These include ship, zodiac and ight fuel consumption. The purpose of reviewing the historical Scope emissions is to allow Quark Expeditions to evaluate our progress to date and to establish a baseline to further reduce our carbon emissions. This analysis includes our vessels’ daily fuel volume per guest and encompasses both voyages and positioning. It does not include guest transportation to embarkation/debarkation points. Future reports will incorporate historical and new emissions generated from y cruises, Zodiac operations, sta transportation, and oce-related emissions, which we recognize are not insignicant.

Ship Carbon Emissions

FISCAL YEAR

By reporting our carbon emissions per guest, Quark Expeditions is actively committed to transparency regarding reducing our carbon footprint in the polar regions as well as responsibly selling berths aboard our vessels.

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SeaGreen One of Quark Expeditions’ first steps towards reducing our environmental footprint is to measure and transparently report on the waste we generate on our voyages and through our operations. By measuring our waste, we can see the impact our work has on the regions we visit and therefore work to improve our performance and environmental resilience. SeaLand’s SeaGreen recycling initiative had its inaugural year during the 2018/19 Antarctic season. Quark Expeditions, in collaboration with 22 other Antarctic cruise operators, piloted a recycling program to address the large amounts of recyclable materials being landfilled in Ushuaia. As part of the program, containers were placed alongside vessels at ports of call to collect recyclable items such as cardboard, plastic bottles and glass. These containers were transported to the SeaGreen recycling yard at the end of season. The items were then separated by material, compacted, and transported to Buenos Aires for further processing and sale. The pilot SeaGreen recycling initiative was a success, diverting 647 cubic meters of recyclable material during the Antarctic season. Quark Expeditions was responsible for 270 cubic meters of these diverted materials.

Quark Expeditions

SeaGreen

283.12 m3

103.11 m3

Glass

164.51 m3

60.11 m3

Plastic

201.11 m3

106.82 m3

Cardboard

648.74 m3

270.04 m3

Glass Plastic Cardboard

0.08

0.07

0.06

0.03 0.04 0.05

0.02

0.01 0

Kapitan Khlebnikov

Ocean Adventurer

Ocean Endeavour

Ocean Diamond

2018 – 2019

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We’re excited that $, Argentine pesos were generated from the sale of recyclables from the Antarctic / SeaGreen program. All of the participating operators agreed to direct these funds to the Centro de Actividades Alternativas para Discapacitados (CAAD) (Alternative Activities for Disabled People). CAAD is a non-formal, permanent education program providing a place for social, cultural, and educational activities for people with disabilities. People with disabilities of all ages, no matter what pathology or disability, are encouraged to take part. Programs help students develop the skills they need to be contributing members of society, giving people with and without disabilities the opportunity to mingle and integrate.

More than students in Rio Grande and Ushuaia participate in CAAD programs. Learning is encouraged through hands-on workshops and modules. Currently, modules are oered from March to December, and include sports, swimming, sensomotive adaptive activities, physical education, self-expression through movement, dance, music, nature activities, gardening, animal care, sewing, bookbinding, pottery, cooking, carpentry and school maintenance, handicrafts, fun and educational games, oral and written expression, computing, and media. There are also modules for people with autism and generalized developmental disorder. Summer camps run in January and February. People with disabilities in the area use CAAD to access new and challenging activities they were previously unable to take part in, giving them the much-needed opportunity to integrate into society.

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Green Technologies for Quark Expedition Vessels

World Explorer and Ultramarine will be equipped with a Micro Auto Gasication System (MAGS) by Terragon Environmental that thermally breaks down waste, reducing waste volume by up to %. These units sequester carbon to reduce CO emissions, and are virtually self-sustaining after a .-hour startup. Developed and tested with support from the US Oce of Naval Research, Canadian Navy, and Sustainable Development Technology Canada, these units not only exceed MARPOL regulations, they’ve initiated a drive towards a change on the regulatory framework. MAGS has two positive by-products: heat, which we can use for interior spaces, and a soil enhancer called biochar, which improves soil’s water and nutrient retention and pH.

Very low emissions, far less than IMO Regulations require

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A sustainable, game changing ship.

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Waste By minimizing waste brought on board, gasifying combustible waste to generate useful heat with MAGS, and compacting other retained waste, Ultramarine can operate for 40 days and discharge no solid waste! Black and grey water generated on board Ultramarine are fully treated to dischargeable condition anywhere in the world. Beyond that, there is 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. Detailed analyses were conducted on the propeller and hull interaction in order to reduce losses due to cavitation (bubbles) and frequency- induced vibrations in the hull structure. These analyses were used to determine the optimal propeller size, hull clearance and speed. Dynamic Positioning allows Ultramarine to hold position with minimal energy use and without dropping the anchor on sensitive seabeds.

Quark Expeditions is extremely proud of our new expedition vessel, Ultramarine , which features a pioneering mix of advanced sustainability features that will reduce its environmental impact to an extent previously unseen for a polar vessel of comparable size. Ultramarine has been issued CLEAN certification by DNV GL, the world’s largest resource of independent energy experts, and TIER III status by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the organization responsible for developing the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL). Structure Ultramarine ’s hull design combined the latest in computational fluid dynamics techniques in the initial design stages, followed by iterative hull form modeling, and state-of-the-art production fairing to ensure the lowest possible resistance. By using these techniques, we expect to reduce the hull's drag by approximately 4%.

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Energy Ultramarine will be outfitted with four diesel- electric engines of two sizes which can be run in any combination according to combined power and propulsion needs, providing very flexible and efficient fuel consumption. We expect the average daily fuel consumption to be approximately half the consumption of our older chartered vessels of similar size. LED lighting is used throughout Ultramarine , from navigation lights to cabin and bathroom lighting. These lights have a potential energy use savings of up to 50% when compared to standard fluorescent lighting. Lighting controls, both local and central, will provide the opportunity to minimize the level of lighting to what is required for any particular service for additional energy savings.

Ultramarine uses a state-of-the-art energy recovery wheel that collects energy from the exhaust air to reduce the energy demand for maintaining a comfortable environment for guests and staff. Secondary energy recovery is built into the ship to recover heat from the engine exhausts and used to heat hot water service and generate potable water onboard. Individual cabins are outfitted with Fan Coil Units, allowing good local control of the internal temperature. Using the best quality thermal insulation, together with low heat transfer windows, keeps the spaces inside Ultramarine at a more stable temperature. These efforts reduce energy usage in the Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system and makes Ultramarine a more thermally comfortable environment for guests and staff.

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Advancing the UN Clean Seas Pledge

UN Environment launched Clean Seas in February 2017 with the aim of engaging governments, members of the general public and the private sector in the fight against marine plastic pollution by targeting the production and consumption of non-recoverable and single-use plastic. The goal is to channel outrage into positive action. Quark Expeditions took the Clean Seas pledge, but in fact has been drastically reducing single- use plastics on board for much longer. For the past 5 years, we have been providing each of our guests with a reusable water bottle, cabins have been outfitted with soap and shampoo dispensers, and we provide straws only on request. These contribute to our Clean Seas pledge and serve as a launching point for discussions with guests about the effects of single-use plastic waste in our oceans, the foundation for our expedition without which we wouldn’t be able to operate.

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In , Quark Expeditions eliminated:

, single-use bottles by giving guests reusable water bottles

parka bags by requesting removal from one vendor

individual yogurt containers

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Partnerships

Quark Expeditions aims to be the leading expedition investor in outreach projects within the polar regions. We will work with the widest circumpolar network of scientists, community leaders, and sustainable innovators, and have a team of eld and oce sta members tasked to collaborate internally and externally to meet these goals. Our goal is to contribute a minimum of $, USD each year through in- kind donations, Quark Expeditions funding, and funds from passenger auctions in support of key polar environmental research, community engagement and sustainable development projects.

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2019 Sustainability Report |

Partnerships

Leadership on the AECO community engagement committee At the AECO annual general meeting in October 2018, AECO’s first community focused committee was formed. It embraced a vision for greater industry-wide efforts to engage with communities. The committee was prompted after a group of industry leaders, including Quark Expeditions, came together in the interest of better engaging with Arctic communities. The group worked closely with senior industry stakeholders and those who shared their vision, and proposed the idea to the AECO membership to vote on. The vision was met with unanimous support. The work of this committee will be to advance partnerships and collaboration with communities.

Strategy and Objectives To ensure the utmost consideration to local people, communities, and cultural heritage, the AECO Community Engagement Committee aims to:

1. Ensure dialogue and collaboration with all relevant stakeholders 2. Develop mutual benefits, including economic development, social responsibility and sustainability 3. Facilitate education of staff and visitors 4. Coordinate joint efforts within the industry 5. Support community interest in competency development and training 6. Contribute to the wellbeing of Arctic communities

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Pirurvik Preschool The Pirurvik Preschool opened its doors in January 2016 and offers an Early Childhood Education (ECE) program for children ages two- and-a-half to four years old in Pond Inlet. The program is child centered, based on the Inuit and believe that by expanding our sphere to include those who live in the North as essential partners in the development of our expedition narrative, we will be able to build a better Quark Expeditions, ensure social and economic benefits for communities, and provide a greater experience for our guests. Community engagement is about evolving together by working in collaboration with each other. One way that Quark Expeditions supports the communities we visit is by donating a portion of the proceeds from the charity auctions held on each expedition. This year, we are excited to direct generous donations from our guests to support the following community projects. Supporting Community Projects Communities have played a key role in Quark Expeditions’ experiences throughout our history in the polar industry. As our industry and environments change, it is important that we support each other and work through challenges together. We recognize the benefits of teamwork

Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ) principles, and enriched through the use of Montessori materials, with a goal to provide a culturally relevant learning experience. Pirurvik is guided by the IQ principal Pilimmaksarniq, which is a traditional practice of allowing children to learn at their own pace. Children follow their own natural curiosity by choosing topics of interest to them. The learning materials are hands-on resources and allow for self-directed development with teachers acting as facilitators by providing appropriate support. Students are motivated to learn based on their individual interest in each activity. This experiential approach to learning creates a classroom of engaged and happy children. Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit embraces all aspects of traditional Inuit culture, including values, world- view, language, social organization, knowledge, life skills, perceptions and expectations. Pirurvik aims to change the lives of children throughout Nunavut by developing innovative and comprehensive ECE programs that are rooted in traditional child-rearing practices, and that are responsive to the needs of each community.

To learn more about Pirurvik Preschool visit pirurvikpreschool.com

43 | For more information, contact Quark Expeditions at Sustainability@QuarkExpeditions.com

Food Bank — Pond Inlet The Mittima Food Bank, based in Pond Inlet, provides a grocery drop to over 400 families every two weeks. The Food Bank was founded just last year. The total cost of each food drop averages $4,500 CAD and includes a package of healthy groceries to families in need. Food security in Nunavut is a real and alarming faced by all residents of the territory. A program such as this puts several healthy meals on the tables of families in need. Elders Tea — Pond Inlet The Elders Tea is a community-led weekly gathering for elders where they can come together, enjoy a meal, tea and activities. The atmosphere of the gathering combined with the access to country food, such as char, seal, whale and caribou, makes this a positive and powerful recurring event for the elders of the community. Ilisaqsivik Society Incorporated as a non-profit, community- based Inuit organization in 1997, Ilisaqsivik Society is dedicated to promoting community wellness. Ilisaqsivik strives to support community development and wellness in a way that maintains respect for traditional Inuit teachings and learning, and is accountable to

the community. Founded, led, and staffed by Inuit residents of Clyde River, the society offers a wide range of culturally based programs that support the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs of all community residents from infants to Elders. Ilisaqsivik Society serves many communities by dispatching Inuit counselors to communities in crisis, and their land-based programs will soon be part of a territory-wide rehabilitation program. Ilisaqsivik holds several multi-day, land-based healing and cultural retreats throughout the year to promote intergenerational healing from past traumas associated with settlement and rapid socio-cultural change. The retreats also offer the chance for families, elders, and children to form strong bonds on the land while sharing skills and knowledge. These programs require a significant amount of funding, equipment, and gear to continue to operate.

To learn more about Ilisaqsivik Society visit ilisaqsivik.ca/

2019 Sustainability Report |

Innovative Community Engagement in Ittoqqortoormit With our increased emphasis on engagement with local communities in the Arctic, and the growth of expedition tourism in Scoresbysund, Greenland, Quark Expeditions began investigating innovative and meaningful ways to integrate local narrative into our expedition experience. Through the resulting initiative, we invited four community members to join us on two voyages on Ocean Nova during the Arctic 2019 season. These community ambassadors were paid for their time and were expected to do nothing more than share the experience of a Quark Expedition voyage with our guests, and their perspectives whenever and however they felt most comfortable doing so. Our first guests were Evald, a senior hunter from the community, and his wife Karula. They were incredible guests who enthusiastically immersed themselves in the experience and in the onboard culture. They walked with our guests across landing sites, pointing out specific bones and

artifacts along the way, taking time to describe their meaning and origin in detail. They openly shared their reflections about their life experiences on the land with our guests. Upon their return home, they planned to meet with the community to share their experiences and information about the way Quark Expeditions operates and what we communicate to our guests. For Evald and Karula, for our guests, and for the expedition team, it was a very positive experience. And we hope that it will be similarly positive for the community in the long term, as they define what tourism in Ittoqqortoormit looks like.

45 | For more information, contact Quark Expeditions at Sustainability@QuarkExpeditions.com

2019 Sustainability Report |

Building Capacity Through Nalunaiqsijiit: The Inuit Cruise Training Initiative With the official formation of the AECO Community Engagement Committee in 2018, Quark Expeditions and other members of the committee have been working hard to explore opportunities for collaboration between AECO members and communities in the North. One existing program, Nalunaiqsijiit—The Inuit Cruise Training Initiative (ICTI) in Nunavut, stood out as an exciting opportunity to collaborate with Inuit communities to create opportunities and support the growth of more engaged tourism in their land. Nalunaiqsijiit is a program fully funded and coordinated by the Government of Nunavut, which includes in situ training and experience on board ships as part of the program that had room for development. It launched in October 2017, providing ten Nunavummiut with all the qualifications and certifications required to work on board expedition cruise ships.

Quark Expeditions is committed to dedicating a significant amount of resources and training parameters to further develop the program. As part of Quark Expeditions and AECO members’ commitment to community engagement, Quark Expeditions hosted two ICTI interns on Ocean Adventurer voyages traveling to Nunavut during the Arctic 2019 season. Quark Expeditions has invited an additional four interns on board Ocean Endeavour during the 2019/20 Antarctic season. These internships are an exciting new opportunity for Quark Expeditions. While these are somewhat uncharted waters for us, we will be working closely with the government of Nunavut and the lead instructor at Nalunaiqsijiit, an Inuk from Nunatsiavut, to prepare the interns for their experience on board our ships. Partnering with these groups will allow us to communicate to our teams the expectations for their participation, mentorship, and ongoing capacity building while they are on board. If the internship and training are successful, we hope to continue to engage with and hopefully contract these new guides for future work within our expedition team!

THE PROGRAM COMBINES THREE PHASES: 1. Training in Iqaluit

2. Internship experience on a ship 3. Consolidation of learning and training certificates in Iqaluit

47 | For more information, contact Quark Expeditions at Sustainability@QuarkExpeditions.com

2019 Sustainability Report |

Her favorite thing about living in Nunavut is spending time on the land and sea with her family as often as she can. She favors autumn for its wild berry and mussel picking and lack of bugs; it’s also the perfect time to harvest caribou, one of her favorite foods. Inuujaq joins Quark Expeditions as Nalunaiqsijiit Participant and Guide. She looks forward to sharing her culture and stories with guests on board the ship and is thrilled to see the High Arctic once again. Inuujaq Leslie Fredlund NALUNAIQSIJIIT PARTICIPANT PROFILE

Like many people in her age bracket from Nunavut, Inuujaq was born in Churchill, Manitoba, as there were no hospitals or birthing centers in Canada’s North in the 1980s. She spent her childhood growing up in many northern communities, including Fort Smith, Qikiqtarjuaq, Arctic Bay, Pond Inlet, Iqaluit and, finally, Rankin Inlet, where she lives with her husband and daughters. Seamstress, designer, throat singer, entrepreneur, camper, harvester, beader and artist, Inuujaq enjoys crafting with Nunavut’s natural resources. Whether it is writing, spinning qiviut (musk ox wool), carving antler/ivory/baleen into jewelry or sewing warm clothing, Inuujaq is passionate about using her hands to get creative.

49 | For more information, contact Quark Expeditions at Sustainability@QuarkExpeditions.com

NALUNAIQSIJIIT PARTICIPANT PROFILE

Cedric Autut

Cedric has lived in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, for 27 years and has enjoyed watching the community grow, economically and population-wise, during that time. He’s also found it interesting to see the progression of technology in their lives in Nunavut. Fortunate to have spent his childhood summers living and learning from his grandparents, joining them on outings to harvest fish, seals, caribou and more, Cedric is passionate about camping, fishing, caribou hunting, seal and beluga whale hunting, as well as any sea mammals in the area surrounding Rankin Inlet. He speaks and reads Inukitut.

Having checked off skydiving and bungee jumping, Cedric looks forward to adding to his list of thrill-seeking adventures. He is eager to learn as much as he can from other cultures and also enjoys teaching others about his rich Inuit culture, something he himself is still learning about. Though he values his individual serenity time, Cedric is very sociable and can’t wait to meet and greet new people and ask questions about life outside of Nunavut and Canada.

2019 Sustainability Report |

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