Harbour Air Seaplanes, North America’s First Carbon Neutral Airline, Commences Tenth Year of Measuring, Reducing and Offsetting GHG Emissions
Airline’s 2014 offsets are equivalent to taking 2,321 cars off the road
February 24, 2016, Vancouver, BC – Offsetters Climate Solutions, a division of NatureBank Asset Management, and Harbour Air Seaplanes have released the 2014 results from the airline’s carbon reduction and offsetting programs. Harbour Air, North America’s first carbon neutral airline, has worked to manage its greenhouse gas emissions (GHG)with Offsetters Climate Solutions since 2007. As Harbour Air and Offsetters work to calculate the 2015 GHG emissions and reducing those in the future, Harbour Air moves into the tenth year of collaborating with Offsetters.
Harbour Air Seaplanes carried more than 350,000 passengers on its routes in 2014, with the airline offsetting 100 percent of their emissions associated with seaplane fuel use and corporate operations. Combined, this resulted in the airline offsetting over 10,000 tCO2e, which is an equivalent to taking approximately 2,300 cars off the road. Of this footprint, 94 percent comes from seaplane fuel use. For example, flying from Vancouver to Victoria – Harbour Air Seaplanes’ busiest route – each passenger emits approximately 8 kg of CO2e per passenger per flight.
“Over the past ten years Offsetters Climate Solutions has worked with Harbour Air Seaplanes to find ways to develop, improve, and implement carbon management and carbon offsetting programs. This relationship has allowed both companies to showcase to consumers how a small investment can result in huge dividends for the environment,” says James Tansey, CEO of NatureBank Asset Management. “The investment made by Harbour Air Seaplanes has allowed them to improve their efficiency, while supporting carbon offset projects in our province and around the world.”
While the 2014 results alone are substantial, when viewed as a combined total over the past eight years, Harbour Air Seaplanes stands as a leader in business and sustainability in British Columbia, developing and enhancing their #FlyCarbonNeutral program. Since 2007, the airline has offset over 73,000 tonnes and has flown over 2.8 million passengers. Harbour Air Seaplanes’ have seen emissions, per revenue dollar, decrease by 15 per cent over the past two years.
“Harbour Air is proud to be North America’s first carbon neutral airline offsetting all GHG emissions from flight and corporate operations since 2007, with the help of Offsetters,” says Meredith Moll, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Harbour Air. “We thank our passengers and our staff for their commitment to our carbon neutral program, which has been an important part of Harbour Air’s commitment to environmental sustainability.”
Harbour Air’s offsets have contributed to the protection of the Great Bear Rainforest and HaidaGwaii through the Great Bear Forest Carbon Project. This project covers over 7 million hectares and is an Improved Forest Management project along the North and Central-Mid Coast of British Columbia. The airline has also invested in Offsetters Climate Solutions’ Ugandan Wood Cookstoves program, which replaces conventional cookstoves with a more efficient stove. Over the past two years, offsets from Harbour Air passengers have subsidized over 7,000cookstoves.
#FlyCarbonNeutral by the numbers:
- Canada’s Best Managed Company Award 2009-2015
- The Mail Run Tour is one of Destination Canada’s Signature Experience since 2011
- YVR Port Authority 2015 Clear Skies Award
- Calculating Carbon Emissions since 2007
- 2.8 million passengers from May 2007 to February 2015
- 0.496kg of Co2e Emissions per passenger kilometre
- 94 percent of these emissions came from seaplane fuel use in 2014
- Over 73,000 tonnes in carbon offsets since October 2007
- Vancouver owned
- Employs more than 400 local staff during high season
- 913 Flight vouchers donated to charities and sponsorships during 2014
- Use Hemlock Printers to print more than 170,000 carbon neutral brochures
- In 2014, Harbour Air offset 10775.1 TCO2e. This is equivalent to getting 2,321 cars off the road
- Harbour Air offsets 100 percent of their emissions
- North America’s first fully carbon neutral airline
- Flying return from Vancouver to Victoria emits 8kg of CO2e per passenger per flight
- Founding participants of the Earth Day clean up in Victoria. In 2015 more than 60,000 pieces of garbage were picked up
- Harbour Air’s offsets have contributed to the protection of the Great Bear Rainforest and HaidaGwaii. These carbon projects cover more than 7 million hectares
- Offsets from travel for the past two years have subsidized more than 7,375Ugandan cookstoves
- Over the past two years emissions per revenue dollar have decreased 15 percent
- Since 2007 total emission per revenue dollar have decrease 18 percent
About Offsetters Climate Solutions, a division of NatureBank Asset Management
Offsetters Climate Solutions, a division of NatureBank Asset Management, is Canada’s largest and most diversified carbon management solutions provider. Its team of industry leaders specializes in a comprehensive offering of sustainability consultancy services to help organizations understand, reduce, and offset their climate impact.
NatureBank Asset Management specializes in advisory, technology and impact project investment services that create value and enhance sustainable commodities and ecological assets while managing climate change risk and maximizing long-term investment in nature. NatureBank provides their customers with a multidisciplinary approach to manage risk, enhance asset performance and secure commercial returns while improving livelihoods and sustainability. For more information, visit www.naturebank.com.
About Harbour Air Seaplanes
Harbour Air was founded in BC in 1982 and today has more than 50 aircrafts, servicing 400,000 passengers throughout coastal British Columbia. The Harbour Air Group, consisting of Harbour Air Seaplanes, Whistler Air, Saltspring Air Tantalus Air and Aeroflite International Services is one of the largest seaplane company in the world. For more information, please visit harbourair.com.
Media contacts:
For Offsetters Climate Solutions, a division of NatureBank Asset Management:
Brian Cant, Tartan Group: 250-592-3838 or brian@tartangroup.ca
Natalie Farrell, Offsetters Climate Solutions: 778-887-6049 or natalie.farrell@offsetters.ca
For Harbour Air Seaplanes:
Samantha Kent, Harbour Air Seaplanes: 604-233-3526 or skent@harbourair.com