Musqueam Territory / Richmond, B.C. (August 19, 2026): As part of its commitment to sustainability and reducing carbon emissions, Vancouver International Airport (YVR) has launched a new tool for passengers to be part of the transition to a lower-carbon aviation industry. YVR’s online calculator allows travellers to estimate their flight’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and contribute to the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).

Contributions made through YVR’s new online calculator will be applied to environmental attributes associated with SAF and will enable airlines’ further use of SAF, starting with Air Canada. SAF’s environmental attributes are the quantified climate benefits or reductions associated with its use, such as the GHG emissions avoided by not extracting non-renewable resources used for fossil jet fuel. Contributing to these attributes supports SAF growth and is essential for scaling SAF globally, as it bolsters activity across the supply chain.

“Sustainable Aviation Fuel is one of the most effective options available today to make meaningful progress towards decarbonizing aviation. This new tool gives travellers the opportunity to help increase the use of SAF and support more sustainable air travel,” said Tamara Vrooman, President & CEO at Vancouver International Airport.

SAF is a lower-carbon alternative to fossil jet fuel. It is made from renewable and waste-derived materials and, depending on the feedstock, production pathway and lifecycle-assessment methodology, can have lower lifecycle GHG emissions than fossil jet fuel. Certain SAF may achieve lifecycle GHG reductions of up to 80 per cent when used in neat form compared with fossil jet fuel. As a “drop-in” fuel, it can be blended with fossil jet fuel and requires no changes to today’s aircraft or existing airport infrastructure.

While SAF is currently in use by some airlines, including those operating at YVR, as an emerging fuel source, limited production and higher prices are obstacles for wider uptake. As production increases and more supply becomes available, costs are likely to lower, increasing the proportion of SAF to be likely used in flights around the world.

This initiative is part of YVR’s broader efforts to raise awareness of SAF and support airline partners in increasing their SAF use to advance the aviation industry’s goal of net zero emissions by 2050. While voluntary contributions through YVR’s online calculator help support the broader adoption of SAF by Air Canada over time, the tool is available to all passengers regardless of which airline they travel on.

Every flight is a chance to make a difference. Calculate the GHG emissions for your next flight and contribute to supporting SAF: Support sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on your next flight.

We are working with the Province of British Columbia and the Canadian Council for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (C-SAF) to raise awareness about the role of SAF in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from aircraft. Our goals are to help travellers understand what SAF is and how it works, and to encourage broader adoption across the aviation sector, including with airlines operating out of YVR.

What is Sustainable Aviation Fuel?

SAF is a lower-carbon alternative to traditional fossil jet fuel. It is made from renewable and waste-derived material, such as municipal solid waste, waste fats and oils, and agricultural and forestry residue, and can reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80 per cent compared to fossil jet fuel.

SAF is a “drop-in” fuel. That means it can be safely blended with fossil jet fuel and used to power existing aircraft with existing airport infrastructure—no modifications required. In other words, airlines can easily pivot to using sustainable aviation fuel on their aircraft today. As a result, it’s a practical option that allows airlines to reduce their aircraft emissions right away.

Since 2024, the B.C. Low Carbon Jet Fuel Incentive Program has supported over 28.1 million litres of SAF used for flights in B.C., and interest in the program continues to grow. That’s an estimated savings of 61,000 tonnes of carbon, more than the annual emissions of about 12,000 homes in the province.

Helping reduce carbon emissions from aviation

YVR has been carbon neutral since 2020, and we’re on track to become net zero by 2030. While we don’t have direct control over the emissions generated at the airport that aren’t from our own operations, we’re committed to helping our partners achieve the aviation industry’s broader goal of net zero emissions by 2050.

Our partnership with the Province and C-SAF aims to raise public awareness and understanding of SAF through engagement and communications efforts that highlight its important role in decarbonizing aviation and supporting a more sustainable air travel system.

YVR is proud to be a leader when it comes to sustainability, helping to advance lower-carbon aviation and supporting practical solutions that can be used today to significantly reduce emissions from aviation.

How travellers can drive adoption of SAF

By raising awareness about the benefits of SAF, we can help drive investment and demand, accelerating its expansion and broader adoption across the aviation industry.

Every flight is a chance to make a difference.

Look for options to support SAF when booking your next flight with your airline.

To learn more about SAF, visit www.yvr.ca/SAF.

The new boilers that have replaced our existing ones will provide heating for both the Domestic and International terminals—while using less gas. Our previous boilers had to operate at very high temperatures, which meant a significant amount of heat was lost through the exhaust system. The new boilers will operate at lower temperatures, enabling them to capture and reuse heat that older systems would have wasted. This makes them far more efficient. As a result, we can lower the temperature of the water circulating through the system, reduce energy loss, and still maintain reliable heating throughout the terminal. Altogether, replacing our boiler equipment is expected to lower YVR’s gas use by more than 13,000 gigajoules every year. That’s enough energy to heat more than 430 B.C. homes annually! The new boilers will also reduce emissions by roughly 700 tonnes of CO₂e and save about $175,000 in operating costs each year.

Boilers are a key element of our heating, ventilation, and air‑conditioning (HVAC) systems.  Upgrading and improving the efficiency of this system continues to be a major focus of our Journey to Net Zero. We continue to advance projects that lower our carbon emissions from our operations across the airport. This includes recently replacing one of our hot water heating systems with a fully electric setup and ongoing investments in HVAC energy efficiency and modernized controls throughout our buildings.

To learn more about Journey to Net Zero, please visit our website.

Under its Roadmap to Net Zero YVR continues to decarbonize its operations by 2030, while taking steps to enable the overall aviation sector to achieve net zero carbon by 2050. As aviation and other industries move towards electrification, YVR is planning for future energy needs in a financially sustainable way that also benefits the community and economy that supports it.

As part of its planning process, YVR today announced it has formed an Energy Advisory Council, a group of six experts who will provide the Airport Authority with advice and guidance on actions needed to build future energy solutions concerning aviation and infrastructure development on Sea Island.

“We have a unique opportunity to chart a sustainable path forward not only for our airport, but also for our industry and region through our work with YVR’s Energy Advisory Council,” said Tamara Vrooman, President and CEO at Vancouver International Airport. “As we explore climate solutions, the Council will provide us with expert advice, and identify partnerships to advance our energy transition. I’m confident the Council will expand our thinking and support YVR’s vision to meet energy needs sustainably for the next four to five decades – and beyond.”

YVR selected Council members based on their diverse experience and expertise.  In addition to providing ongoing advice, the Council will produce a report that outlines the actions and considerations that are necessary to deliver new energy solutions, in support of the Airport Authority’s goals.

Council members and short bios are listed below.

For this year’s YVR Green Excellence Award, we are encouraging businesses on Sea Island to submit nominations for environmental initiatives that fall into the following three categories:

1.  Environmental Innovation Award – Demonstration of creativity and ingenuity in the development and implementation of an environmental initiative.
2. Environmental Stewardship Award – An environmental initiative with the greatest positive environmental impact, encompassing carbon, energy, waste, water and broader ecosystem health.
3. The Community Eco-Champion Award – Initiatives that involve actively engaging local communities to promote environmental awareness and action.

Although the three award categories are broad, here are specific examples from last year’s winners:

• Environmental Innovation Award Winner – Purolator Inc. implemented and expanded their use of reusable pallet skid wrap in their operations, reducing their usage of plastic shrink wrap.
• Environmental Stewardship Award Winner – Air Canada electrified their ground support equipment by replacing several diesel tractors with electric counterparts.
• Community Eco-Champion Award Winner – Fairmont Vancouver Airport hosted several clean-ups at both McDonald Beach and YVR’s East Loading Dock, collecting 90 pounds of waste.

To learn more and submit a nomination for your organization’s project, program, or initiative, please review and complete the online nomination form by Monday, September 30, 2024, at 5:00PM (PST). If you know of another organization who has done great work in the above categories, nominate them as well through the form. 

Good luck to all nominees!