The 2019 Annual Report is the eighth report under Canada’s Action Plan to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Aviation (“the Action Plan”). This report describes the progress made towards the Action Plan’s fuel efficiency target and highlights activities aimed to address greenhouse gas emissions from domestic and international aviation.
Summary
Aviation is vital to moving people and goods across Canada and abroad. Since Canada’s aviation sector relies on fossil fuels and generates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the sector and the government have had a joint climate action plan since 2005. Under this Action Plan, parties continue to voluntarily address these emissions by adopting new green technologies, investing in infrastructure, and improving operations – these actions also contribute to 6 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Furthermore, industry also has a strong engagement presence with the government as Canada develops and implements effective climate change policies and market-based measures, such as the Clean Fuel Standard and the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation.
To date, we’ve made good progress on implementing the action plan. Between 2008 and 2019, Canadian air carriers improved their fuel efficiency at an annual average rate of 1.77%, which is more than the Action Plan’s target of 1.5%. Without these improvements, the sector would have emitted an extra 24.1 megatonnes (Mt) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) over this period.
In 2019, air carriers saw a 0.6% drop in fuel efficiency compared to 2018. This result is lower than those reported in recent years and is likely due to the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft being grounded and a drop in reported cargo revenue-tonne-kilometers.
The annual report describes steps the government and the aviation sector have taken to address greenhouse gas emissions, including:
- fleet renewals and upgrades;
- more efficient air operations;
- improved air traffic management capabilities;
- aviation environmental research and development;
- sustainable aviation fuels;
- airport ground operations and infrastructure use;
- regulatory measures; and
- international coordination.
Finally, this report also provides a preview of important initiatives achieved in 2020. Despite the significant impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the aviation sector, in 2020 parties to the Action Plan continued to show our commitment to reducing emissions. This includes the fleet renewal and upgrades of National Airlines Council of Canada and Air Transport Association of Canada carriers, advancements on NAV CANADA’s Performance-Based Navigation projects, airport efficiency improvements, and the release of Canada’s strengthened climate plan, A Healthy Environment and A Healthy Economy.
Read the 2019 Annual Report on Canada’s Action Plan to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Aviation (PDF, 9 MB)