The airline and travel industries have been working hard to improve their environmental credentials by building lighter, more fuel-efficient aircraft, aiming for full plane loads and detailing other measures in their corporate sustainability reports.
“Manufacturers are making progress in creating aircraft that have reduced impact on the environment,” says Nadia Bhuiyan, associate director of the Concordia Institute of Aerospace Design and Innovation. “Pratt & Whitney is pioneering low-emission engines. Bombardier Aerospace is reducing its environmental impact by reducing energy consumption, water and greenhouse gas emissions.”
A recent study conducted by the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute in Ann Arbor found that travelling by plane is more eco-friendly than driving a car. And flying is becoming increasingly energy-efficient, says U of M research professor Michael Sivak, who authored the study.
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His conclusion is based on a follow-up to his report last year – Energy Intensities of Flying and Driving – which spanned 40 years, starting in 1970, and found that in 2010 “the energy intensity of driving was 57 per cent greater than the energy intensity of flying.” Prof. Sivak’s updated figures show that in 2012, driving, compared with flying, consumes 71 per cent more energy in transporting a person a mile – a figure that more than doubles if the airplane data is corrected for cargo.
Air Canada has upgraded its fleet with the Dreamliner Boeing 787, featuring tweaked aerodynamics and lightweight composite material for fuel-efficiency and next-generation engine, which has made it the quietest plane on the market.
Airlines have addressed some of the concerns about the environmental costs of travel by putting fuel-management programs in place. To reduce fuel consumption and the resulting emissions, carriers can optimize flight plans, regulate air speeds, fly at set altitudes, reduce idling time for engines on runways and incorporate wingtip devices to fly more aerodynamically.
“The concept of responsible travel and creating a fully sustainable tourism industry has come a long way,” says Wendy McClung, executive vice-president of Toronto-based Baxter Travel Media.
To recognize these strides, Baxter runs a webinar series known as the Responsible Travel and Tourism (RTTF) Forum. Its annual awards are given to companies that are committed to socially, economically and environmentally responsible practices, which is sponsored by, among others, Air Canada and the Ted Rogers School of Management at Toronto-based Ryerson University.
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The winner in the innovation category of the 2015 RTTF Leadership Awards, announced in Toronto in May, was Green Key Global. A certification body set up by the Hotel Association of Canada, Green Key Global evaluates resorts in North America and beyond on the extent of their sustainable initiatives.
Its Green Key Eco-Rating Program gives ratings from 1 to 5 for 1,898 participating hotels according to how well they perform in sustainable practices, which range from energy and water conservation to hazardous waste management and indoor air quality.
Meanwhile, Zerofootprint, a clean-tech software and services company, allows airline passengers to do their part to battle climate change by calculating the CO2 emissions of their flights and purchasing corresponding offsets to become carbon-neutral. The offsets are used to fund projects ranging from reforestation programs in B.C. to tire-recycling initiatives in Quebec. Air Canada has partnered with Zerofootprint since 2007.
“A number of companies offer travellers the chance to reduce their carbon footprint by purchasing carbon offsets,” Ms. Bhuiyan says. “You can even redeem [travel points] for carbon offsets.”
This content was produced by The Globe and Mail's advertising department, in consultation with Air Canada. The Globe's editorial department was not involved in its creation.