MONTREAL, Feb. 1, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada's corporate sustainability report, Citizens of the World, has been named the Best Sustainability Report in the Transportation Category by The Finance and Sustainability Initiative (FSI). It is the second year in a row Air Canada's report has been named best in the sector by the FSI, a non-profit organization that brings together finance professionals dedicated to promoting sustainable finance and responsible investment to financial institutions, companies and universities.

"Air Canada is proud to receive this recognition because accountability is an important aspect of sustainability programs. We know that promoting sustainability is the right thing to do but also essential, because it is only when communities and their members are flourishing that we ourselves can succeed. We therefore incorporate considerations of sustainability into everything we do and our sustainability report, Citizens of the World, is a means of tracking our progress and contributions in the areas of safety, the environment, our employees and local communities," said Calin Rovinescu, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada.

Highlights of Air Canada's 2016 CSR activities described in Citizens of the World, Air Canada's 2016 include:

• A reduced incidence of Lost Time Injuries (LTIs) by 5.7 per cent, measured by LTIs per 100 full time equivalent employees for Air Canada mainline.
  
  
• A fuel efficiency improvement of 4.3 per cent compared to 2015, with fuel efficiency projects combined saving over 13,800 tonnes of fuel or approximately 44,400 tonnes of CO2e (equivalent). Between 1990 and 2016, Air Canada improved fleet fuel efficiency by 40 per cent.
  
  
• Completed negotiations with the last of the company's main Canadian union groups, resulting in labour stability unprecedented for Air Canada and almost unheard of in the airline industry. Air Canada now has ratified, long-term contracts with union groups representing the majority of its 25,000 Canadian-based unionized employees.
  
  
• The Air Canada Foundation donated money and in-kind goods and services, including aircraft for Dreams Take Flight, totaling approximately $4.5 million.‎

Air Canada's 2016 corporate sustainability report is available at www.aircanada.com/csr. It was prepared in accordance with principles of the Global Reporting Initiative, an internationally recognized standard for sustainability reporting. To further validate the report, Air Canada has taken the extra step of retaining a third-party auditor to assure select indicators and independently verify the company's disclosure. The report is framed around the findings of an extensive stakeholder survey to identify areas of most concern with respect to sustainability. It also contains a discussion of governance practices at Air Canada and tables of data quantifying the results of our sustainability activities.

About the FSI Competition for Best Sustainability Report

Now in its fifth year, this competition aims to promote excellence in sustainability reporting among Canadian public companies. All companies that are part of the S&P/TSX Composite Index are automatically eligible for this competition. Juries are composed of university students from several universities, including Concordia, HEC Montréal, McGill, Polytechnique Montréal, Université de Sherbrooke, UQAM, and Waterloo.

About Air Canada

Air Canada is Canada's largest domestic and international airline serving more than 200 airports on six continents. Canada's flag carrier is among the 20 largest airlines in the world and in 2017 served approximately 48 million customers. Air Canada provides scheduled passenger service directly to 64 airports in Canada, 60 in the United States and 98 in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and South America. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network serving 1,300 airports in 191 countries. Air Canada is the only international network carrier in North America to receive a Four-Star ranking according to independent U.K. research firm Skytrax, which also named Air Canada the 2017 Best Airline in North America. For more information, please visit: www.aircanada.com/media, follow @AirCanada on Twitter and join Air Canada on Facebook.

About the FSI

The Finance and Sustainability Initiative (FSI) is a non-profit organization based in Montreal, Quebec, whose mission is to facilitate the evolution of investment practices by integrating ESG criteria into investment analysis, selection, and management, all with a view to sustainable development. It brings together finance professionals dedicated to promoting sustainable finance and, more specifically, responsible investment to financial institutions, companies, and universities. It adopts a collaborative approach, centered on education, professional development, university research, and partnerships.

SOURCE Air Canada