Sustainability
A commitment to conservation and community.
Quark Expeditions partners with scientists, conservation groups and local communities to further the efforts of wildlife conservation and sustainable community tourism.
Over the next three years, Quark Expeditions and our guests will invest over $2.5M USD through our conservation and community partnerships and projects.
CONSERVATION
We connect our guests to the natural world through hands-on experiences and education.
Advancing Polar Research
Every year, we provide researchers access to remote areas, advancing data on polar wildlife and ecosystems, while enriching guest education onboard. Last year alone, we invested $440,000 in in-kind berths.
Supporting Polar Conservation
Through onboard auctions and direct contributions, we help fund conservation organizations like Blue Marine Foundation, Penguin Watch, South Georgia Heritage Trust and more. In 2024, our team and guests donated $215,000 towards polar research and conservation.
Proud Members of Industry Associations
We actively contribute to industry membership associations that govern tourism in the polar regions by proudly serving on 30 committees and working groups for IAATO, AECO, CLIA, and Travel Nunavut.
COMMUNITY
We deliver authentic experiences for our guests that benefit our local partners and the communities we visit.
Partnering with Local
Organizations
We partner with local organizations to create experiences that connect guests with communities and their traditions.
Our Tundra to Table dining experience has been featured in National Geographic, Smithsonian, Afar and others, informing an audience of over 10-million people about Igapall and Greenlandic cuisine.
Supporting Community
Programs
We work with Arctic communities to support their goals for economic development and sustainable tourism—strengthened by local guide placement, we have put more than $200,000 USD towards community programming in 2024.
Investing in Communities
Through onboard auctions and programme proceeds, we help fund initiatives such as cultural infrastructure, community-led food banks, and culturally and linguistically relevant programs. Last year, the Quark Expeditions team and our guests donated $80,000 to community and education.
Land Acknowledgement
Quark Expeditions acknowledges and affirms the Articles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and recognizes Indigenous peoples’ inherent rights and historical territories.
Our office is located in the Toronto region, the traditional territory of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples. We acknowledge that this land is covered by Treaty 13, signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit, and the Williams Treaties, signed with multiple Mississaugas and Chippewa bands.
The areas we visit – the Arctic, subarctic, and coastal regions of southern South America – are the traditional homelands of many Indigenous Peoples. These include the Inuit within Inuit Nunangat, the Inuit of Kalaallit Nunaat, and the Yagán and the Selk’nam of current-day Patagonia. These places have complex colonial histories, about which we have much to learn.
We offer our gratitude and respect to Indigenous Peoples for their enduring wisdom and stewardship of these lands and waters. We honor the ancestors who cared for these territories as well as the present-day guardians who continue to safeguard the ecosystems, historical sites, and sacred places that we have the honor of visiting.
Reconciliation is an ongoing process for us all. We are committed to partnering with and learning from Indigenous communities to ensure our presence is respectful and contributes positively to their lands and cultures. Connection to land, histories, languages, and cultures is essential to identity. We honor this connection as we work to build a We invite you to learn more about the people who have inhabited the land you are on or are visiting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Beginning in 2025, Quark Expeditions has committed to investing over $2.5 million USD over three years, towards conservation and community partnerships in the polar regions.
Each Quark Expeditions voyage directly funds scientific research in the polar regions by giving scientists access to remote areas for critical fieldwork. In addition, guest contributions through onboard auctions raise funds to support conservation organizations working on penguin monitoring, seabird health, and habitat restoration.
The Quark Expeditions team include specialists in biology, ornithology, glaciology, and polar history. They lead presentations, guide landings, and help guests interpret wildlife behavior and environmental changes. The goal is not just for guests to observe, but to understand the ecosystems they’re visiting and the conservation challenges facing the polar regions.
Yes, Quark Expeditions serves on committees and working groups including The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), The Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO) and Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), to help set standards for sustainable polar expeditions.
All guests receive a reusable water bottle when they arrive onboard, and all ships are equipped with water refilling stations. Quark Expeditions has also reduced parka packaging by 80%, contributing to the elimination of over 16,500 kg of plastic in 2024 through optimizations in the supply chain.
Quark Expeditions partners with local organizations to create guest experiences shaped by community identified priorities. Examples include Tundra to Table, created with the Greenlandic culinary collective Igapall, and the Sisimiut Mountain Biking Programme, developed in partnership with local entrepreneur Klaus Mueller.
Quark Expeditions also works with communities to support their goals for economic development and sustainable tourism by employing local guides, co-developing community visits, and supporting community infrastructure projects through guest supported auction funds.
Quark Expeditions follows the GHG Protocol standard, categorizing emissions into scopes 1-3, and uses data to drive efficiency and decarbonization strategy.
From a 2019 baseline, Quark Expeditions reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emission intensity per passenger by 31% in 2024 through fleet improvements, optimized route planning, and higher occupancy. Quark Expeditions tracks fuel consumption on every voyage and is developing a decarbonization plan that includes investment in lower-carbon technologies, ship efficiency upgrades, and operational improvements.