Nosso Compromiso

Our environmental pillar considers two main focal points: The sustainable operation and the conservation of our territories.

In the first, we established an environmental management system that considers the voice of the different stakeholders and defines the material aspects of our corporation. We established committees to manage our impact at each destination and consolidated an environmental footprint monitoring system. We have now set further ambitious goals to make our operations more sustainable regarding energy efficiency, carbon emissions, water consumption, and waste generation. We also established an ambitious target with regards to our carbon footprint and started our carbon neutrality journey, being 2019 our first certified neutral year.

In relation to this, we aspire for more: on the one hand, to compensate for our historical footprint since the beginning of Explora's operation (in 1993), and on the other, to work progressively towards the decarbonization of our energy matrix, in line with the objectives set by science.

The second focal point is Conservation. We recently evolved our purpose as a company, our reason for being and why we do things; incorporating conservation as a central element of what we do is at the core of this evolution. We are a company dedicated to exploration in remote locations. We are experts and know the territories we inhabit. But exploration is not enough. We need to preserve and protect these places.
Exploration and knowledge are the essence of what we propose. We connect and forge bonds with the territories through exploration and knowledge, making us want to protect and conserve them.

In addition, to address the matter with the required depth, we have sealed an important partnership with TNC to address these global challenges, a global environmental organization with an extensive conservation track record and experience in over 70 countries.

This global alliance responds to the conviction that cooperation between the private sector, the state, NGOs and the science and research community is the way to make progress in the major challenges to address conservation in a way that is sustainable over time, with the management and financing required. With them, we will implement a collaborative work model with communities and the world of science. To undertake this work, we will implement an innovative model of financing with private sector participation and focused on conservation and the management required.

Carbon Neutrality

By a combination of internal reductions and carbon offset projects in Chile, we have compensated our emissions to net zero, in accordance with the CarbonNeutral Protocol. As a result of this, Explora has been certified as a CarbonNeutralCompany®. To achieve this certification, we worked with Natural Capital Partners, experts in delivering solutions for a positive carbon and renewable energy impact. This implied an independent evaluation of the CO2eq emissions, followed by the purchase of environmental instruments that contribute to the regeneration of Chile’s native forest and to projects of renewable energy in the country. All projects are independently verified to ensure the quality of emissions capture or the generation of renewable energy.

Our efforts and commitment to people comprise different areas: our travelers, our employees and the communities in the territories where we operate.

Concerning our travelers, this means going beyond, not only providing them with excellent service through everything we do but also adding and taking them through an in-depth exploration along the path of preserving these remote territories.

To evaluate and manage our impact on our collaborators and the communities, we have implemented a Social Management System that allows us to identify the key aspects and manage them through committees in each destination.

Our commitment towards our collaborators is to ensure that they can permanently receive training of excellence, both concerning their work environment, as well as in other topics that allow them further professional development. We have also created an ongoing support plan for their economic and social situation, thus establishing an Explora Minimum Ethical Income and generating support opportunities in areas such as education, housing, and health. Finally, and true to our essence, we make sure that all Explora collaborators can explore in-depth the different destinations where we are located.

Towards the local communities, our commitment is permanent. As of our Social Management Committees, we work locally with organizations in each destination to promote youth education, environmental care, and the strengthening of local culture and heritage. In this context, we point out long-standing projects such as our support to the Internado Andino (Andean Boarding School) in Atacama and the Terevaka Archaeological Outreach in Rapa Nui.

Regarding the economic impact, we would like to highlight our commitment to underpinning local economies in the places where we operate. For this reason, we encourage the hiring of local labor and purchasing to local suppliers and producers. We are also permanently examining and managing these aspects. Most noteworthy are initiatives such as the supplier development program that we are implementing in Rapa Nui - Easter Island, and that we will carry out in other destinations to improve the quality and diversity of local farmers' production.

At Explora, we work to provide our travelers with memorable experiences. In doing so, we are aware that we can also make a significant contribution to local economies. This is particularly important as our operations are carried out in remote territories, where economic activity and opportunities are often scarce. We firmly believe we can watch over the salaries of local people and collaborators, and also buy products from their respective areas. We are also aware of the importance of contributing to the protection of these territories, which is why we support various conservation projects.

Finally, we also understand the importance of our own growth to continue supporting the communities and their surroundings. We are pleased to inform you that our incomes have constantly grown in the last years, thus allowing us to dream with new destinations and encouraging us to continue our sustainable work.

As of 2021, Explora has become a B Corporation.

This certification acknowledges companies that have committed to continuous improvement to provide concrete solutions to social and environmental problems. It also values, among other things, the promotion of policies and initiatives to address climate change; the development of support plans for their workforce; the conveyance of benefits to local communities; and the high standards of management and transparency. Concerning the environmental issues of our operation, we have also made important commitments: reducing, by 2030, 46% of our carbon footprint and, historically, compensate retroactively Explora's emissions to date. In line with the development of our working forces, we aspire to imprint a seal of excellence and high-quality in all those professionals that have belonged to our teams. Being part of a B Corporation is not a goal but a permanent challenge to continue working collaboratively in all the proposed aspects.