Lorde says she 'shouldn't have gone' to Antarctica after reflecting on environmental impact

Lorde shared reflections about her 2019 Antarctica trip on A24's Divine Frequency podcast. Photo / Supplied

Despite it being "the best five days" of her life, Lorde said she "shouldn't have gone" on a trip to Antarctica due to the environmental impacts.

Speaking with Euphoria actress Hunger Schafer on A24's Divine Frequency podcast, Lorde said she had long been fascinated by the continent.

"I had been totally obsessed with it my whole childhood. I had had books on Antarctica because New Zealand is seven hours away," she said.

"Starting to engage more with our planet, I was sort of like, 'Oh my God, I think I need to go there.' I had the reaction which you're kind of not supposed to have, which is like, people call it last-chance tourism, like, 'I got to go there before it's too late.'

Lorde shared reflections about her 2019 Antarctica trip on A24's Divine Frequency podcast. Photo / Supplied

In 2019, the pop star was invited to visit Scott Base as part of a long-standing ambassadorial programme. Previous visitors have included Margaret Mahy, Dick Frizzell and Annabel Langbein.

After having the experience and reflecting more on climate change, Lorde realised it was the "opposite" of what you're supposed to do.

"It was probably kind of naughty to use those resources and burn that jet fuel," she said.

However, some good came out of the adventure.

"I wrote this book and the proceeds went to a couple of scholarships for people to do their doctorates in climate science, so I feel like that was a nice way of giving back."

Despite speaking highly of the experience, which inspired her latest album, Solar Power, Lorde said her first trip would be her last.

"I will never do anything like it again," she said. "I can't tell anyone to go there, because you shouldn't be a tourist down there."

According to Antarctica NZ CEO Sarah Williamson, the ambassador programme plays a key role in raising awareness about their agency's work.

"They share their experiences with their wide audiences, both local and international, and inspire others to value, protect and understand Antarctica," she said.