YVR is well on our way to reaching net zero in our operations by 2030. The feasibility study we are now part of will advance thinking and action on how we can best support extended areas of our industry to reach net zero by 2050. We believe hydrogen is a key enabler of the aviation sector’s ambition to achieve that important goal. 

Reasons for YVR’s participation in this important initiative include:
 

• B.C. is home to the largest hydrogen fuel sector in Canada with 51 per cent of Canadian hydrogen companies located here.
• With an expected ramp-up in demand for hydrogen fuels, we’re working to provide market certainty to the B.C. hydrogen ecosystem, establishing a potential supply chain and future cleantech jobs across the province.
• Helping us achieve our Clean BC commitments.
• As a leading North American airport and a testbed for innovation, YVR is uniquely placed to play a leadership role in the creation of  a hydrogen aviation ecosystem across the country.

Learn more about our MoU and future hydrogen hubs at Canadian airports here. 

Waste Wars

Waste Wars is a friendly competition designed to engage terminal food & beverage tenants in proper waste management and recycling at YVR. The competition’s main objective is to increase outreach and education on proper sorting to maximize the diversion of waste from the landfill. We encourage tenants to work together to support and reach our target of 60 per cent waste diversion by 2024. For the first time, passenger lounges were added to the competition this year.

YVR’s waste warriors battled the bins, and after seven weeks of intense binning, digging, and sorting, YVR’s best bins were declared!

Full-Service Restaurants:

• 1^st Place: Vino Volo (B Pier)
• 2^nd Place: Vino Volo (E Pier)
• 3^rd Place: Globe @ YVR

Quick Service Restaurants:

• 1^st Place: Pacific Coast News
• 2^nd Place: Starbucks (D Pier)
• 3^rd Place: Salmon N’ Bannock

Passenger Lounges:

• 1^st Place: Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge (C Pier)
• 2^nd Place: Cathay Pacific Lounge
• 3^rd Place: SkyTeam Lounge

Our 2023 winners displayed exceptional sorting skills and true dedication to YVR’s waste management practices. We were truly impressed by their consistent efforts, enthusiasm, passion, and remarkable progress over the course of the competition. As a result of their hard work, less waste is going to the landfill, and more is being composted and recycled.

YVR Green Excellence Award

Since 2011, Vancouver Airport Authority has been recognizing exceptional Sea Island businesses for their commitment, enthusiasm, and innovation in minimizing the environmental impact of their operations with our annual YVR Green Excellence Award Program. This year, we had three distinct award categories for Sea Island businesses to submit nominations based on their environmental projects, initiatives or programs: environmental innovation, environmental stewardship, and community engagement.

Environmental Innovation Award:

Purolator Inc. was awarded the environmental innovation award for the implementation and expanded use of re-usable pallet skid wrap in their operations, which has drastically reduced their usage of plastic shrink wrap. Purolator’s introduction of a sustainable alternative has vastly reduced the amount of plastic waste headed to landfill.

Environmental Stewardship Award:

Air Canada was awarded the environmental stewardship award for major steps in electrifying their ground support equipment by replacing several diesel tractors with electric counterparts. Once Air Canada has fully completed their phased electrification of their entire ground support equipment fleet, hundreds of gas-powered vehicles will be replaced by clean equivalents.

Community Eco-Champion Award:

Fairmont was awarded the community eco-champion award for their work at several clean-ups at both McDonald Beach and YVR’s East Loading Dock collecting 90 pounds of waste.  Fairmont’s sustainability team continues to do remarkable work around environmental engagement & awareness on Sea Island.

Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to all businesses who submitted nominations for the 2023 YVR Green Excellence Award Program. We look forward to continuing to work together with the Sea Island business community to reduce our collective impact on the environment.

As part of its Roadmap to Net Zero, YVR is replacing three, large tap water heating systems in the main terminal building to reduce carbon emissions and retrofit the terminal to be more energy efficient. On top of YVR’s investment of $1.8 million, the federal and provincial governments will provide a combined $3.57 million, enabling the replacement of the natural gas hot water heaters with air source heat pumps. This project will reduce the airport’s carbon emissions by eight per cent annually (855 tonnes of CO2) once complete.

As B.C.’s largest building and one of the first organizations in B.C. to implement this specialized air source heat pump technology, YVR will maintain carbon neutral status while continuing to reduce emissions, build strong partnerships, and take measurable steps to reach its target of net zero by 2030 and accelerate ambitions to become the world’s greenest airport.

YVR is working with BC Hydro to deliver this project alongside a number of additional electrification initiatives. The airport appreciates BC Hydro for its vital partnership and continuous support of the airport’s strategic energy management program for over two decades. This support has included funding for the energy efficiency and feasibility studies that led to the selection of this decarbonization technology.

The replacement of YVR’s water heating systems follows the upgrade of more than 20,000 lights throughout the terminal and the optimization of HVAC systems, saving an estimated 241 tonnes of CO2 per year, demonstrating continued efforts to advance electrification of the airport and shape a greener, resilient net zero future. 

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In 2023, we are encouraging businesses on Sea Island to submit nominations for environmental projects, programs or initiatives that fall into the following award categories:

• The Environmental Innovation Award
• The Environmental Stewardship Award
• The Community Eco-Champion Award

To learn more and submit a nomination for your organization’s project, program, or initiative, please review and complete the online nomination form by Friday, November 3^rd at 5:00 PM (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!

2023 Project Green YVR Annual Summit

The 2023 Project Green YVR Annual Summit is coming up!

If you are a business on Sea Island, please join us for this 3-hour in-person event where you will hear from the Vancouver Airport Authority’s Climate & Environment Team and other businesses to learn more about environmental initiatives underway and to get the opportunity to network. This year’s Annual Summit will also comprise of the 2023 Waste Wars and YVR Green Excellence Award Ceremony – you don’t want to miss out!

To learn more about this event and register, please visit complete and submit the 2023 Project Green YVR Annual Summit Registration Form.

For any questions about the 2023 YVR Green Excellence Award or the Project Green YVR Annual Summit, contact the YVR Climate & Environment Department at environment@yvr.ca or at 604-276-6656.