by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 11:15 AM ET, Tue June 9, 2026
HX Expeditions is making progress on its environmental, sustainability and governance (ESG) goals.
This week, the company published its 2025 ESG Report, which highlights year-on-year progress across emissions, nature and community. It also includes the launch of the company’s first long-term sustainability strategy, setting clear and measurable SMART targets through 2030.
HX Expeditions is also now developing its reporting in line with the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), a new EU framework designed to standardize how companies disclose environmental, social and governance performance, while introducing a new destination-level approach to tracking impact.
“This report marks a significant step forward in how we define and deliver on our sustainability ambitions,” says Gebhard Rainer, chief executive officer of HX Expeditions. “As we celebrate 130 years of exploration, our 2030 strategy sets a clear path for the future, strengthening accountability, sharpening our focus and ensuring we continue to lead in responsible expedition travel while contributing meaningfully to the wider industry.”
Here are some of the highlights of the report:
- 12 percent reduction in direct CO2 emissions
- 50 percent reduction in sulphur oxide emissions and 14 percent reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions, supporting improved air quality
- 1,652 free cabin nights provided to scientists, the highest in the industry, enabling research in some of the world’s most remote locations
- 52 percent increase in citizen science contributions, with guests submitting a record 46,466 observations to projects such as eBird, HappyWhale, and others
- €226,370 ($262,000) distributed to 28 global projects through the HX Foundation, alongside €215,195 ($249,000) in guest donations
- 1,200 tonnes of ocean plastic removed through HX's partnership with Ocean Bottle
Verena Meraldi, the company’s chief scientist, has also announced that HX will increase the number of free cabin nights provided to guest scientists by 30% for sailings from 2027, reaching 3,900 cabin nights.
“HX is setting the industry standard because we lead with science—and our ambition is to keep pushing further, so scientists and researchers can reach the most remote places on Earth and deliver knowledge that really matters,” says Meraldi.
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