Hurtigruten has been recognized as the most sustainable brand in Norway's travel and tourism sector in the latest edition of the Sustainable Brands Index for 2024.
Hurtigruten was the only travel and tourism brand among the top 100 in a survey that evaluated 282 brands across 25 sectors. This annual survey, conducted by SB Insight since 2013, included 13,000 Norwegian consumers.
Hedda Felin, CEO of Hurtigruten, stated: “We are delighted to see Norwegians perceive Hurtigruten as the most sustainable company in the travel industry. We see this as validation of the tangible results we have consistently delivered in safeguarding nature and culture along the iconic coastline we sail year-round, and the value we co-create with local communities along the Norwegian coast.”
Felin added: “For Hurtigruten, it is essential that our vision of sustainability aligns with our real-world results. This drives our investments in solutions designed to effect genuine change, including reducing emissions, managing food waste, sourcing local products, and purchasing services from coastal suppliers.”
According to Morningstar Sustainalytics' assessment, Hurtigruten achieved the highest ESG ranking among cruise companies worldwide, placing it in the top 3% of the international travel industry.
Felin further commented: “We have made significant investments in emissions reduction measures, including substantial environmental upgrades to our vessels. We are currently collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders from industry, government, and academia on zero-emission vessels designed to eliminate emissions while drastically reducing energy consumption.”
In addition, Hurtigruten unveiled plans for its Sea Zero project, which aims to introduce the world's most energy-efficient cruise ship by 2030.
The company has already modernized three of its seven ships to run on hybrid batteries, with the aim of reducing CO₂ emissions by 25% and NOx emissions by 80%.
In 2009, Hurtigruten Group led the industry by banning the use of heavy fuel oil, and in 2018, it became the first to eliminate single-use plastics. Later, in 2019, HX Hurtigruten Expeditions launched the MS Roald Amundsen, the world's first hybrid battery-powered ship.
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