Vancouver International Airport has received Level 4+ Airport Carbon Accreditation by Airports Council International (ACI), making it the first airport in Canada and only one of three in North America to achieve this status. The Level 4+ accreditation recognizes YVR’s role in setting a course for its own carbon reduction while actively working with aviation partners to drive broader emissions reductions.

“At YVR, we have a long history of innovation and sustainability and are proud to be at the forefront of creating a greener, more resilient future for our airport and aviation as well as our community and the economy that supports it,” said Tamara Vrooman, President & CEO at Vancouver Airport Authority. “Achieving this new level of certification is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and innovative mindset of our YVR team and business partners. I look forward to continued progress toward our ambitious climate goals as we collaborate with industry and government to decarbonize our sector.”

YVR is advancing work under its Roadmap to ‘New Zero Carbon’ and remains on track to become net zero by 2030 and one of the greenest airports in the world. Work includes following four decarbonization pathways that outline actions necessary for the airport to reduce emissions from its direct operations, referred to as Scope 1 and 2 emissions. The pathways are green fleets, energy conservation and electrification, replacing fossil fuels with renewable alternatives, and strategically purchasing carbon removals to close the gap.

YVR is also focused on supporting the decarbonization of aviation overall in conjunction with the ongoing efforts of the federal government’s Aviation Climate Action Plan and is working with partners to support them in reducing their emissions. This includes providing ground power units for airlines to plug into electric power at the gate and shut off engines, and using technology through YVR’s digital twin to monitor aircraft movements and map more efficient routing on its airfield to reduce carbon emissions.

In addition, the airport recently aligned with the two largest commercial airports in the Cascadia Corridor: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Portland International Airport (PDX), to leverage resources that will lead to tangible results in four categories including the development and use of sustainable aviation fuels.

YVR’s leadership in carbon reduction was given further recognition by Airports Council International through an Honourable Mention at the 2022 Environmental Achievement Awards for the airport’s Roadmap to Net Zero Carbon.

The Airport Carbon Accreditation provides a common framework and tool for active carbon management at airports with measurable results. YVR has been recognized by Airports Council International for its efforts in sustainability with progressive levels of accreditation since 2016.

Toronto Pearson

Meanwhile, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), operator of Toronto Pearson, also announced a major milestone in its environmental sustainability goals. The airport has received Level 4 – Transformation through ACI’s Airport Carbon Accreditation program, making it one of the first Canadian airports to receive Level 4 certification.

The GTAA has long been a leader in environmental sustainability, proactively putting in place a program to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2009. That strategy resulted in significant GHG reductions by 2020, earning it an Environmental Award in the Environmental Management System category from ACI.

In 2021, the GTAA released an Environmental Policy that includes a commitment to achieve net zero Scope 1 & 2 emissions (GHGs from assets owned and operated by the GTAA) by 2050. To do this, the airport is incorporating environmental considerations into all airport operations and capital projects.

“This designation from ACA reinforces that we’re on the right path towards reducing GHG emissions,” says Pat Neville, VP, Airport Development and Technical Services, GTAA. “We’re very proud of the hard work our teams are doing to find innovative ways to cut down on carbon emissions, but we know there is more that can be done. We’ll continue to find ways to decrease emissions and will work towards achieving the next designation from ACA.”