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Toronto’s Pearson Airport Recognized for Sustainability Efforts
Pearson is one of five airports recognized by Airports Council International – North America.
August 19, 2020 By Energy Manager Canada
The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) is being recognized for its efforts to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. The manager and operator of Toronto Pearson International Airport has been awarded a 2020 Environmental Achievement Award in the Environmental Management Category from Airport Council International-North America (ACI-NA) for its “20/2020” Sustainability Strategy, which was developed in 2009 with the goal of reducing GHG emissions by 20% (from 2006 levels) by 2020.
As of the end of 2019, the GTAA had actually reduced Scope 1 & 2 emissions by almost 60% versus a 2006 baseline, with approximately 30% of these reductions coming from operational changes and innovations and the other 30% attributed to the cleaning of the provincial power supply.
“We’re extremely proud of the results we’ve seen from our Sustainability Strategy,” says Todd Ernst, director of aviation infrastructure, energy and environment at the GTAA in a media release. “We moved proactively to find ways of reducing energy consumption and associated GHG emissions.”
Initiatives undertaken by the GTAA include:
- replacing metal halide lights with LEDs and installing energy-efficient variable-speed drives for its baggage systems;
- installing 32 Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations in the parking garages of both terminals and in a cellphone lot for people waiting to pick up arriving passengers;
- installing 80 chargers airside for use by electric baggage tugs and other service vehicles;
- introducing two electric shuttle buses for passengers in 2019, with plans to add three more as existing gas vehicles are retired.
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