Reducing Our Footprint (tapuwae)

Why We Act

At Wilderness, our mission is simple: help our guests disconnect from the busyness of life and reconnect with themselves, their loved ones, and nature. The nature we cherish in New Zealand is the very reason we exist — and it’s our responsibility to protect it.

Our core value, Make the planet a better place, guides our decisions. New Zealand is our backyard, and it’s in our best interest to protect it and give back to Papatūānuku — the guardian of the land.

Acknowledging Our Impact

We operate in an industry where fuel consumption and combustion engines are a significant environmental challenge. We acknowledge this openly. While transitioning away from these technologies will take time, we are already working with our suppliers and the wider industry to accelerate this change.

In the meantime, we are taking every step we can to reduce our environmental footprint across all areas of our business.

Our Approach

We measure our environmental impact in key areas with the help of independent consultants, reviewing our performance annually and throughout the year. This helps us identify the main drivers of our impact and focus our efforts where they matter most.

Our reduction goals are aligned with the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and aim for meaningful progress by 2030 and beyond.

Our Responsibility

We see ourselves as temporary guardians of the land. We have inherited it from those who came before us and have a duty to protect and improve it for those who will follow. Every action we take today is part of that responsibility.

Our Commitment

At Wilderness, we believe that exploring Aotearoa comes with a responsibility — to protect te taiao (the natural world) for future generations. Our commitment to climate action is not just an aspiration but a pledge that reflects our values of kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and he tangata, he tangata, he tangata (it is the people). We recognise that the choices we make today will shape the experiences of tomorrow's travellers.

Our Targets

We align our business with the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C pathway. We have set clear and ambitious targets: to reduce our Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 42% by 2030 and to achieve net zero across our entire value chain by 2050 at the latest. Our biggest challenge lies in Scope 3 emissions — especially customer travel, which makes up most of our footprint. But we are committed to tackling even these hard-to-abate areas, and we are confident that with innovation and global progress, these too will be reduced to zero by 2050.

As of today, we have already fully offset our Scope 1 and 2 emissions, ensuring that our direct operations are carbon neutral while we work to reduce them at the source. We partner with Forever Forests to offset emissions we can't yet mitigate. This is just the beginning. Our journey is one of continuous improvement and action while staying true to our purpose: to provide unforgettable journeys while making the planet a better place.

Non-Rental Vehicles

Our shuttles and company cars contribute to our operational emissions. We are actively transitioning these to battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Some EVs are already in use, and we are expanding our charging infrastructure to support a complete fleet transition.

We also plan to offer workplace charging and incentives to encourage our team members to switch to EVs for their personal transport.

Rental Vehicles

The largest share of our fuel emissions comes from our rental motorhomes. While we rely on manufacturers to produce suitable low- or zero-emission models — a transition that is still some years away — we are taking steps to reduce the emissions from our current fleet:

• Modern diesel technology – All motorhomes meet the latest emissions standards and use AdBlue to reduce harmful exhaust particles.

• Rigorous maintenance – Every vehicle is maintained and inspected frequently, with a full checklist completed after each hire to ensure performance and emissions remain within standard.

• Smart fleet planning – We minimise unnecessary vehicle transfers between locations, reducing relocation mileage and associated emissions.

• Guest travel tools – We are developing smarter itinerary tools to help guests “travel less, experience more,” encouraging slower travel that reduces fuel use while improving the holiday experience.

LPG is used mainly when guests are freedom camping, providing power for cooking, refrigeration, and heating. To minimise LPG use:

• All motorhomes are fitted with three-way fridges that run on the battery while driving and switch to electricity when plugged in at a campsite.

• Heaters operate on LPG only when off-grid; at powered sites, they run on electricity.

• With around 80% of New Zealand’s electricity coming from renewable sources, this switch significantly reduces environmental impact.

Looking Ahead

While we wait for more advanced low-emission motorhome technologies, we will continue to reduce our fuel impact through fleet upgrades, operational efficiencies, and guest education. Our goal is steady, measurable improvement in line with our broader environmental commitments.

Recycling On-Site

We operate extensive recycling systems at our sites for office and operational waste. This includes dedicated streams for:

• Food scraps

• Soft plastics

• Metals

• Liquids and oils

• Other specialist materials

We partner with providers such as TyreWise to give tyres a Second Life, and with Future Post and other specialist recycling schemes for items unique to motorhome operations. Year on year, the proportion of our waste sent to landfill is decreasing.

Repair Programs

Wherever possible, we repair rather than replace. This includes:

• Exterior parts such as bumpers and windows

• Interior fittings and components

• Plastics and other materials using innovative repair methods like plastic welding

This approach ensures high quality while reducing waste. Our motorhomes are maintained to a high standard throughout their rental life, which means fewer parts fail. At the end of their rental life, each vehicle is refurbished and sold to a private owner, extending its usable life for many more years.

Waste Reduction Programs

We work with our guests to avoid waste before it’s created. Initiatives include:

• Providing reusable cups for coffee

• Refilling dishwashing liquid, soap, and cleaning chemicals rather than using single-use bottles

• Creating a guest pantry where travellers can leave items for the next guests to use

We continue to trial and implement new ideas to cut down waste across all parts of our business.

Looking Ahead

Our approach to waste is practical and continuous — identifying new ways to recycle, repair, and reduce, while improving existing systems. We will keep working with partners, customers, and our team to lower our landfill contribution each year.

Freight plays a role in our environmental impact, particularly when parts or products must be moved within New Zealand or sourced from overseas. Our approach prioritises local sourcing first, then minimises the frequency, distance, and emissions of shipments when freight is unavoidable.

Local Sourcing First

Whenever we cannot repair an item and a replacement is needed, we aim to source it locally. Around 80% of the parts we use in our rental operations are sourced within New Zealand, supporting local suppliers and avoiding the environmental impact of international shipping.

Smart Stock Management

When we do need to source from overseas, we use a smart stock management system to:

• Order well in advance

• Consolidate shipments to reduce volume and frequency

• Use sea freight as our preferred method over air freight wherever possible

This approach allows us to plan ahead and avoid urgent, high-impact shipping methods.

Domestic Freight

For freight within New Zealand, we:

• Choose the slowest practical shipping method to avoid air transport

• Use recyclable shipping materials wherever possible

By doing so, we reduce both the carbon footprint and the waste generated from our domestic logistics.

Looking Ahead

We will continue to strengthen local supplier relationships, further reduce the need for international freight, and optimise our ordering processes to minimise emissions and waste from shipping.

Caring for te taiao (the natural world) is at the heart of how we operate. Our Climate Action Plan sets out the steps we’re taking to cut our greenhouse gas emissions across Scope 1, 2, and 3 by 42% by 2030 and to reach net zero by 2050. As of today, we already fully offset our Scope 1 and 2 emissions, and we’re committed to going further by reducing our footprint at its source. Below, you’ll find how we are addressing each major source of emissions and the actions we’re taking to create lasting change.

Fuel (Scope 1)

Fleet Fuel

As part of our commitment to reducing direct emissions, we are transitioning our operational fleet to low- and zero-emission vehicles. This shift ensures that the vehicles supporting our guests and our team reflect the same values of sustainability that guide our wider business.

• Guest Shuttles
  Our guest shuttle fleet, used to transport travellers between airports, hotels, and our base, will be fully replaced with battery electric vehicles (BEVs) by October 2025. Charging infrastructure is being installed on-site to support this transition, ensuring these vehicles operate completely emissions-free.
  
  
• Workshop Vehicles
  The vehicles used by our mechanics to service and maintain our motorhomes will also move to BEVs by December 2025. This change eliminates fuel use in a critical part of our daily operations.
  
  
• Courtesy Cars
  Our courtesy cars, which are provided to customers and used by our team for various purposes, will be switched over to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) by April 2026. These vehicles provide flexibility while significantly reducing emissions compared to traditional fuel-powered cars.

Together, these measures will ensure that all operational vehicles outside of our motorhome fleet are low- or zero-emission by 2026, making Scope 1 emissions from fleet fuel a rapidly shrinking source of our carbon footprint.

Stationary Fuel (LPG)

LPG currently plays a role in two areas of our operations, and we have clear plans in place to significantly reduce and eventually phase down its use.

• Laundry Systems at Our Bases
  Our on-site laundry facilities, used to wash and dry all guest linen, are currently powered by LPG. This system was originally chosen due to high energy demands, but we are actively transitioning to a fully electric system. This upgrade will be complete by the end of 2026, eliminating LPG use in our base laundry operations.
  
  
• Motorhomes
  LPG is also used within our motorhome fleet, primarily for cooking, with some additional use for heating and appliances. While many of our vehicles already offer electric heating and appliance operation, LPG remains a supplementary fuel source. To further reduce reliance, we are introducing additional solar panels across our rental fleet from 2025, with full rollout by 2028. This will allow vehicles to operate more independently of LPG, particularly when off-grid, reducing overall stationary fuel use while enhancing guest experience.

By replacing LPG in our base operations and reducing it in our motorhomes through electrification and solar generation, we are making significant strides in cutting Scope 1 stationary fuel emissions.

Electricity (Scope 2)

Electricity

Electricity is the backbone of our operations, powering our bases, equipment, and increasingly our vehicles. While Aotearoa New Zealand is fortunate to already generate around 85% of its electricity from renewable sources, we recognise that this is not enough to meet the urgency of the climate challenge.

As our energy needs grow — from charging electric shuttles and workshop vehicles, to running electric laundry systems, and eventually supporting a fully electric motorhome fleet — we are taking proactive steps to ensure our electricity use is truly sustainable. By July 2026, we will enter a sustainable power purchasing agreement with our provider that guarantees 100% renewable electricity. This agreement not only matches our consumption with renewable generation but also directly supports investment in new, sustainable energy projects across New Zealand.

Looking further ahead, our ambition is to generate electricity ourselves on site where possible — for example, through solar installations. However, we acknowledge that the scale of energy needed to operate our entire fleet will always exceed what we can produce alone. That is why we will continue to rely on strong partnerships with renewable energy providers, ensuring that every kilowatt-hour we use is part of Aotearoa’s clean energy future.

Shipping & Rental Motorhomes (Scope 3)

Shipping

Shipping is one of the most challenging areas of our carbon footprint, as our vehicles are built in Europe and must be transported to Aotearoa New Zealand. While the global shipping industry is advancing more slowly due to technological constraints, we are committed to taking every step available to reduce emissions from freight.

• Parts Shipments
  We are actively reducing air freight and moving towards sea freight as the standard. Currently, around 80% of our parts are shipped by sea, and we are working towards more than 95% by 2026. Sea freight is significantly more energy efficient than air transport, and this shift will meaningfully reduce our Scope 3 emissions.
  
  
• Vehicle Shipments
  Bringing our motorhomes to New Zealand is one of our most significant sources of emissions. We are continuously engaging with our freight forwarders to explore more sustainable options. While fully electric ships may not be commercially available until closer to 2050, we are already reviewing providers based on their use of sustainable fuels, wind- or sail-assisted propulsion, and other innovations.
  
  
• Harbour & Land Optimisation
  To further reduce emissions, we are optimising logistics to minimise land-based freight once vehicles arrive in New Zealand. Similarly, in Europe, we are working with freight partners to transition from diesel to electric trucks for inland transport, with adoption expected to accelerate between 2030 and 2035.

By prioritising sea freight, collaborating with forward-thinking shipping providers, and optimising land transport, we are addressing one of the hardest-to-abate areas of our footprint. While technological change in global shipping is gradual, we are committed to pushing for progress and ensuring that every vehicle we bring to New Zealand moves us closer to a low-carbon future.

Rental Motorhomes

The use of our rental motorhomes by guests represents by far the largest share of our carbon footprint. While we already operate the latest generation of diesel vehicles with highly efficient engines and maintain them to the highest standards, we are committed to going further and taking bold steps on the journey to a fully decarbonised fleet.

• Reducing Customer Travel
  As part of our broader commitment to guest experience and sustainability, we are introducing measures to encourage slower, more meaningful travel. This will reduce overall travel distances by around 10% by July 2026, with a further 10% reduction by mid-2027. These changes will both lower emissions and enhance the quality of our guests’ journeys.
  
  
• Future of BEV Motorhomes
  The transition to battery electric motorhomes (BEVs) is essential to reaching net zero. However, this shift depends on developments within Europe, where our vehicles are manufactured. Several factors — including the EU ban on internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, advancements in battery technology, and driver’s licence regulation changes to allow for heavier vehicle chassis — are paving the way for this transformation.
  • We expect the first BEV motorhomes to enter our fleet by 2028–2029.
  • A full phase-out of ICE motorhomes is anticipated within three to four years after that, subject to manufacturer rollouts and regulatory timelines.
  • We are fully committed to adopting these vehicles as soon as they become available, ensuring Wilderness leads the transition in New Zealand.
    
    

By reducing customer travel emissions now and preparing for the rapid adoption of BEV motorhomes, we are tackling the most significant contributor to our Scope 3 footprint. Our commitment is clear: the Wilderness fleet will be fully decarbonised by 2050 at the latest — and likely much sooner as technology and regulation accelerate change.