HX has set a new sustainability benchmark for expedition cruising with its standalone Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report chronicling a record year of impact for the science program and meaningful progress for the brand.
The independent 2024 report, titled Navigating for a Greener Future, underscores the world’s longest-running expedition cruise company’s commitment to transparency.
Scientific collaboration and community initiatives
Key highlights include a record-breaking 1,911 cruise nights dedicated to guest scientists and more than 30,000 citizen science submissions to support research on climate, microplastics, marine mammals and more.
In partnership with the University of Tasmania, HX also became the first expedition cruise company to launch an accredited module for staff and guests with more than 1,870 participants enrolled in the six-hour Antarctic science and governance course.
HX partnered with Ocean Bottle to distribute 40,000 reusable bottles for guests and crew, saving 45 million plastic bottles (516 tonnes) from entering the ocean.
Crews donated up to €7,000 to local community causes through the Rapid Response Fund in 2024, funding the likes of scientific equipment in Scotland to school supplies in Colombia.
Fleet-wide, despite extensive docking periods with fuel and waste still produced, HX recorded 27 per cent less total CO₂ emissions in 2024.
The company is committed to achieving carbon neutrality for Scope 1 emissions by 2040 and Net Zero across Scope 1, 2, and 3 by 2050.
HX CEO Gebhard Rainer said: “This report marks an important milestone in HX’s journey as an independent company.”
“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.”
Read the full report here.
