As Canada’s largest airport we have a responsibility to manage the environmental impact of our operations and shape an environmentally responsible future.
Our new Environmental Policy will guide every aspect of our operations. It includes targets to achieve net zero GHG emissions (from assets owned and controlled by the GTAA — also known as scope 1 & 2 GHGs) and net zero waste from our terminals by the year 2050.
The Policy will build on the successes of our previous plans and is focused on seven key areas:
- Climate change resiliency: Taking the appropriate steps to be resilient to the risks of climate change, by assessing how climate change will create new, or alter current, climate-related risks; and mitigating those risks.
- Carbon neutrality and emissions: reducing our emissions footprint, by improvement in operational efficiency and investment in projects for the direct reduction and/or offset of energy consumption and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions to achieve Net Zero GHG by 2050.
- Strategic energy use: ensuring the responsible use of energy throughout our business via energy conservation, improving energy efficiency, and giving preference to renewable over non-renewable energy sources.
- Water management: managing our water resources through water conservation efforts, water quality management, and addressing flood risk issues thereby protecting the region’s water supplies.
- Natural environment: minimizing our impact on the natural resources around us by balancing the protection of plants and wildlife with aviation safety, and supporting partnerships with the community to restore greenspaces.
- Waste management: by reducing or eliminating the use and generation of non-recyclable or non-compostable materials that are generated across operations and construction by implementing programs to achieve a Zero Waste certification by 2050.
- Noise management: reducing operational impacts on surrounding communities through a best in class Noise Management Program; focusing on the reduction of noise at source, land use planning and management, noise abatement operational procedures and operating restrictions.
This policy will align the GTAA with leading scientific thought and industry best practices and will position us as a steward of the environment. The full recovery of the aviation industry from the COVID-19 pandemic will hinge on “greening” of the industry, and our long-term environmental strategy will allow us to plan for that recovery accordingly.