First agreement in Canada to reduce the carbon impact of air travel
EDMONTON, AB, May 18, 2021 /CNW/ - Edmonton International Airport (EIA) and Air Canada are signing a new partnership to reduce carbon emissions and advance a green and sustainable aviation sector.
The EIA-Air Canada Sustainability Partnership aims to reduce the carbon impact of air travel with both organizations working together to test emerging green technologies at EIA's Airport City Sustainability Campus, an ecosystem that EIA created to foster environmental innovation. The partnership reflects both corporations' pledges to sustainability and reducing carbon emissions to a net-zero future.
The EIA-Air Canada Sustainability Partnership will focus on initiatives that will promote a cleaner environment and include the following:
- Electrification of aviation equipment
- Hydrogen fuel cell technologies
- Green power generation using Airport City Solar, the world's largest airport-based solar farm
- Development and usage of sustainable aviation fuels, biofuels and hydrogen
- Replacement of single-use plastics with plant-fibre materials
- Drones for e-commerce and cargo delivery
- Other initiatives in industries such as agriculture and forestry to offset carbon emissions
"Finding good partners who share our core values is critical. Air Canada is passionate about reducing its environmental impact and our partnership shows how airlines and airports can work together to promote a sustainable future. This is only the beginning as we know that there are tremendous opportunities to lead in both an environmentally and economically sustainable way."
- Myron Keehn, Vice President, Air Service and Business Development, Edmonton International Airport
"This partnership with Edmonton Airports is an important step towards our midterm 2030 objectives that roll up into our overall net zero by 2050 emissions goal. We look forward to working together in developing innovative, long term, sustainable airport and ground operations emission reductions that could potentially be scaled at other airports in Canada and internationally."
- Samuel Elfassy, Vice President, Safety at Air Canada
These commitments will create highly skilled jobs, stimulate economic development, and help attract more investment to the Edmonton Metropolitan Region as it transitions to a greener economy.
EIA and Air Canada partnered on a 2018 Edmonton to San Francisco flight that used sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), reducing the net emissions from this flight by 20 per cent. Air Canada and EIA will continue to pursue and advocate for the development of sustainable aviation fuels as a critical step to reduce carbon emissions.
As part of its commitment to net zero emissions from all global operations by 2050, Air Canada has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions from flights by 20 per cent by 2030 and from ground operations by 30 per cent compared to a 2019 baseline. EIA is the first and only airport in the world to sign The Climate Pledge, cofounded by Amazon committing to be carbon neutral by 2040.
To learn more about EIA's environmental sustainability visit flyeia.com/environment. Air Canada's ESG activities is detailed in the airline's Corporate Sustainability Report, Citizens of the World.
About Edmonton International Airport
Edmonton International Airport (EIA) is a self-funded, not-for-profit corporation whose mandate is to drive economic prosperity for the Edmonton Metropolitan Region. EIA is Canada's fifth-busiest airport by passenger traffic and the largest major Canadian airport by land area. EIA's Airport City Sustainability Campus is a living lab for accelerating the development, testing, implementation, and commercialization of technology. EIA offers non-stop connections to destinations across Canada, the U.S., Mexico, the Caribbean, and Europe. EIA is a major economic driver, with an economic output of over C$3.2 billion, supporting over 26,000 jobs. For more information, please visit: flyeia.com, follow @flyeia on Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin or Facebook.
About Air Canada
Air Canada is Canada's largest domestic and international airline and, in 2020, was among the top 20 largest airlines in the world. It is Canada's flag carrier and a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network. 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. In 2020, Air Canada was named Global Traveler's Best Airline in North America for the second straight year. In January 2021, Air Canada received APEX's Diamond Status Certification for the Air Canada CleanCare+ biosafety program for managing COVID-19, the only airline in Canada to attain the highest APEX ranking. Air Canada has also committed to a net zero emissions goal from all global operations by 2050. For more information, please visit: aircanada.com/media, follow Air Canada on Twitter and LinkedIn, and join Air Canada on Facebook.
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SOURCE Air Canada
