Environmental sustainability
Sustainability is a core value
Good neighbours care about the land and environment they operate in. YEG is Canada’s largest airport by land size with more than 7,700 acres under our care. We want to lead by example, continue to reduce our impact on the environment and showcase leadership for our region and our industry.
We’re acting to reduce our emissions and increase energy efficiency. As well we have a strong focus on water, energy use and supporting our friends and partners who are bringing new innovative technologies forward to help reduce environmental impacts.
We are on the road to net zero by 2040
The Climate Pledge is a global initiative and we were the first airport in the world to sign it. We will meet the goal of net zero by 2040 with a combination of direct actions from our comprehensive Energy Management Program and potential offsets related to our electricity usage. Some of the most recent actions we are taking include:
- We are the future home of Airport City Solar, the world’s largest solar farm at an airport
- We’ve built a $12 million natural gas cogeneration electricity plant on-site. It will reduce the carbon footprint of our main terminal by 20% and our electricity-related emissions by 20% overall
- We’ve replaced more than 18,000 light fixtures with energy-efficient LED units
- We support the testing of new aviation equipment and technologies that use less fuel and produce fewer emissions
- We’re sponsoring and supporting the development of biofuels for aircraft, with research being done at the University of Alberta.
Award winning leadership in sustainability
In 2022, YEG won two global awards for our leadership in sustainability, including the Corporate Sustainability Award from The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) and the Sustainability Award from Ground Handling International Magazine. Both awards were in recognition of our inspirational leadership in environmental initiatives at YEG’s Airport City Sustainability Campus and our impacts in transforming air cargo and ground handling operations.
A plan for environmental excellence
To ensure continued environmental management excellence, we are guided by our environmental management plan. The plan includes:
- A requirement for environmental impact assessments for all new projects
- Proper handling procedures for hazardous materials
- Water quality testing program
- Standard operating procedures for all environmental operations, such as management of storage and fuel tanks and usage, storage and disposal of ozone-depleting materials
Addressing environmental concerns
We’re committed to regular discussions of environmental issues and concerns with our surrounding communities and other stakeholders.
Environmental sustainability takes many forms, learn about some of our programs and actions here.