The Greg Mortimer, an Aurora Expeditions ship, in Antarctica. Photo / Jocelyn Pride
The Greg Mortimer, an Aurora Expeditions ship, in Antarctica. Photo / Jocelyn Pride
An Australian expedition cruise company has achieved B Corp certification, as only the second travel B Corp to operate in Antarctica and the northern Arctic. But is there value in individual companies setting climate and impact goals in regions where cruise and expedition tourism are growing exponentially?
Aurora Expeditions, based out of New South Wales, says the three-year process was audited by the B Lab Group, a not-for-profit organisation that assesses the social and environmental impact of a business.
Aurora CEO Michael Heath said he was “very proud to achieve B Corp certification”, calling it a “validation of the work we have done as a purpose-driven organisation when Greg and Margaret Mortimer founded the business 30 years ago”.
A remarkable accolade considering the company’s work in sensitive polar ecosystems.
As well as earning an “Impact Rating”, Aurora is to rework its incorporation documents to make a legal commitment to have an overall positive impact.
The company was given 87.5 out of a qualifying score of 80.
There is also a commitment to a three-yearly review and recertification. Given the maximum Impact score is 250, there is plenty of room for improvement.
However, Heath called it a “natural next step … in the right direction”.
“It enabled us to continue to demonstrate areas where we are continuing to improve … from workforce though to supply chain and management and code of conduct, all to higher standards.”
IAATO-AECO industry vs individual accountability for environment
As part of the audit, there is a pledge to transparency and to publicly divulge the areas that need work. As well as an ongoing legal case brought against the company by its workforce from the beginning of the Covid 19 pandemic, another concern in the disclosure document is the company’s operations in sensitive ecosystems.
As a polar expedition company, Aurora’s main revenue is from taking tourists to fragile parts of the world.
With polar organisations setting protocols for operating in these delicate regions, tourism operations in these regions are already strictly regulated.
Since 1991, the activities of tour companies have been subject to the Antarctic Treaty via the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), and in 2003 a counterpart was created for Arctic cruise traffic — Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators.
The MV Ocean Explorer, a Bahamas-flagged Norwegian cruise ship with 206 passengers and crew, in northwestern Greenland. Photo / AP
However, Heath says the company’s main gambit in impacting these delicate ecosystems for the better is through providing a platform for science aboard their vessels.
As part of the Polar Citizen Science Collective, he says the company provides places for researchers and enrols guests on citizen science projects, “taking advantage of visits to remote areas and engaging travellers in the collection of data”.
So why would the company need to apply for B Corp certification when much of the environmental qualifications are overseen by polar organisations?
As a member of IAATO and AECO since their foundation, Aurora is “very supportive of these protocols”, Heath says; however;r the certification provided “validation” for the company’s work so far.
