SUSTAINABILITY
PIONEER
Svalbard Wildlife Expeditions was founded in 1997 and was a pioneer in bringing guests to Svalbard on organized trips. Even back then, the vision was to bring guests into Svalbard’s magical and majestic nature while keeping the environmental footprint to a minimum.
Many decades later, Svalbard Wildlife still carries the same passion and vision – and we’re proud to be one of the most sustainable tour operators on Svalbard.
NON-MOTORIZED TRAVEL
Experiencing Svalbard’s untouched nature in a non-motorized way is at the core of most of what we do. Our guests explore by foot, paddle kayaks, or travel on skis. Using our own bodies to move through Svalbard’s landscape is the most gentle and respectful way to experience the Arctic. Moving slowly through the wilderness also allows time to truly sense nature, feel mastery, and create the most rewarding memories.
When transportation is needed to reach the wilderness, we use collective transport whenever practical. The few snowmobile trips we offer focus on small groups and overnight experiences. We have a limited number of our own snowmobiles and choose to rent locally if additional ones are required.
SMALL GROUPS
We travel in small groups – a maximum of eight guests per guide, and only six on kayaking, ski touring, or snowmobile trips, even though regulations allow more. Often, just one guide and their group are out at a time. Nature benefits from smaller groups, and your experience becomes more personal and meaningful. It’s easier to feel the Arctic silence, and your guide has time to share stories about nature, Svalbard, and the climate changes we see here.
Even on snowmobile trips, we keep our groups small – meaning less traffic, less noise, and lower emissions. For us, the experience should be exclusive, genuine, and sustainable. Very few people get to spend a night at our wilderness cabin during the season – and that’s exactly what makes it so special.
LOCAL GUIDES
We are a local company based in Longyearbyen, and our guides live here on Svalbard – many of them year-round. This builds local knowledge, experience, and confidence over time. By offering tours throughout the year, we can also provide stable and meaningful jobs within the local community.
You can read more about our guides’ responsibilities and qualifications under the Safety section. We take our social responsibility seriously – both as an employer and as part of the small Arctic community we belong to. For us, sustainability is also about people who know, understand, and respect the nature they work in.
SUSTAINABLE TOURISM - MORE THAN CO2-FOOTPRINT
The extended concept of sustainability (environmental, social and economic) is an integrated part of Svalbard Wildlife Expeditions daily routines. Our internal guidelines and procedures act on a number of conditions related to sustainability, as for instance procurement & purchasing, waste management, our leave-no-trace philosophy etc. Our aim is to be in line with the United Nations Sustainability goals of make optimal use of environmental resources that constitute a key element in tourism development, maintaining essential ecological processes and helping to conserve natural heritage and biodiversity.
Guidelines for the Eco-Lighthouse certification also set conditions to ensure that we operate was sustainable as possible. We have to go through annual reporting which is also presented to employees. We also try to let our employees, and especially the guides, take an active part in suggesting how we can improve ourselves, which further is input for annual goals we sets for the company. We have also just gone through an extensive recertification. On average, we have a very good score on the CO2 footprint and are far better than the industry average
PART OF A SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL DESTINATION
Svalbard Wildlife Expeditions is a member of the Visit Svalbard / Svalbard Tourism Council and is thereby obliged to follow a set of common environmental and safety guidelines for all members' activities.
We have chosen not to claim our rightful reimbursement from Svalbard's Environmental Fund for business-related trips to the mainland. The funds will initiate and stimulate projects and measures aimed at protecting Svalbard's natural environment.
In Svalbard Wildlife Expeditions, we have also adopted Visit Svalbard's sustainable travel destination. Furthermore, consideration of socially, economically and environmentally responsible activity is integrated into all our daily operations. You can read about them here.
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Svalbard Wildlife Expeditions AS is organised through the Norwegian Trade Organization (NHO) and several employees are organised in employee organisations; an important measure in relation to ensuring that we can offer our employees the right working conditions. We have chosen to offer employees a salary level in line with NHO standards.
For Svalbard Wildlife Expeditions AS, year-round operation is an important element in being able to offer employees permanent employment and stable and safe positions.
When hiring, Svalbard Wildlife Expeditions prioritises professional competence. Gender, sexual orientation, age or nationality are not among the criteria that are assessed, and we have, among other things, a significant mix of nationalities among our employees.
SUPPLIERS AND PARTNERS
Requirements for suppliers' and partners' positioning in terms of sustainability, diversity and equality have not been formalized as of today, but we are focusing on that via certification in the Environmental Lighthouse. We also buy local and eco-labelled products as far as possible.
Svalbard Wildlife Expeditions also chooses local suppliers when developing our tours, for example for transport services such as boat or snowmobile transport, and we work closely with other tour operators in Svalbard to be able to offer customers a comprehensive experience, while at the same time helping to increase the number days of stay.
All of the company's partners are members of the Svalbard Tourist Board and undertake through membership to follow common environmental and safety guidelines.
RESPECT FOR NATURE
On our tours, nature and wildlife are treated with respect. A good distance is kept both so as not to disturb the surroundings and to preserve the safety of the guests on tour. On the overnight trips, there are simple but comfortable facilities. We hope this will also help to give the guest perspective on how little one needs to feel good, and that we believe it gives a stronger closeness to nature. We also send out detailed packing lists so that guests do not have to buy more than they need, and that we rent out some equipment.
All rubbish and waste is taken back, including what we come across on our way that may have been left by others.
We believe that you, as a guest on Svalbard, want to be left with even more than good experiences.
Meeting Svalbard's nature and the special cultural history up here provides a fine framework for learning more about nature, history, outdoor life, interaction and sustainable experiences. Our goal is to give you the opportunity for both great experiences and useful lessons that can be taken on.