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Charlottetown Airport Authority releases first airport sustainability plan
“A lot of the stuff that’s in the sustainability plan we’ve been doing for years, but we thought it was important to put it down on paper and share it with our stakeholders and the public and have some more measurable targets and a strategy in place.” – Doug Newson, Charlottetown Airport Authority CEO
March 4, 2024 By Caitlin Coombes, Local Journalism Initiative reporter, The Guardian
Charlottetown Airport CEO Doug Newman told SaltWire that with construction on the airport's new wing set to begin in 2024, the Charlottetown Airport Authority is working to improve the sustainability of the entire airport through both small and major changes. (Caitlin Coombes, Local Journalism Initiative reporter, The Guardian) CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — The Charlottetown Airport Authority unveiled the first sustainability plan in the airport’s history, detailing environmental improvements planned for the airport over the next four years.
Doug Newson, the CEO of the airport authority, explained some of the improvements planned in the plan to SaltWire in an interview on Feb. 22.
“A lot of the stuff that’s in the sustainability plan we’ve been doing for years, but we thought it was important to put it down on paper and share it with our stakeholders and the public and have some more measurable targets and a strategy in place,” he said.
The plan will see airport sustainability and resource efficiency increase over the next four years without the need for a substantial shut-down in operations at the Charlottetown airport.
Some of the primary goals of the plan include reducing emissions from buildings and vehicles and purchasing electricity at the airport at a rate of 15 per cent per passenger by 2028.
The airport authority intends for these emissions to be net zero by 2050.
The airport authority will also be assessing the opportunities to convert airport vehicles to electric, rather than internal combustion engines.
The airport purchased its first electric truck in 2024 and intends to continue to expand electric vehicle charging capabilities for third-party equipment with new constructions.
“We are starting the next phase of our terminal expansion later this year, and we will be looking at electric vehicle charging capacity for third-party companies that operate at the airport,” Newson said.
The sustainability plan also outlined specific community relations and diversity targets, including Canadian Airport Accessibility Training for airport staff.
The plan intends for the airport authority to continue to progress through the Airport Carbon Accreditation levels in future years.
These levels represent an airport’s efforts to increase sustainability and reduce carbon output. In 2023, the airport achieved Level 3 optimization.
The Airport Carbon Accreditation records 557 airports accredited, ranging from level one to five. There are currently 106 airports around the world which have reached Level 3.
In Canada, Level 3 airports include Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport, Quebec City Jean Lesage International Airport and Halifax Stanfield International Airport. In 2024 there are only four airports listed above Level 3.
