Edmonton International Airport (YEG) became the first airport participant in the expanded IATA Environmental Assessment for Airports and Ground Service Providers (IEnvA for Airports and GSPs) by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
YEG said aside from being the first participant in the expanded IEnvA, the fifth-busiest Canadian gateway will also play a leadership role as the value chain aligns to ensure a sustainable future for air transport.
IEnvA for Airports and GSPs is an expansion of the successful IEnvA for Airlines. IEnvA programs enable participants to build robust environmental management plans with continual performance improvements.
Some 50 airlines are part of the IEnvA program, with 34 of them fully certified while the others are in the process.
"IEnvA has a solid track record of improving the environmental performance of airlines. As the aviation industry is committed to improving sustainability, including achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, the expansion of IEnvA to airports and GSPs is critical," said Sebastian Mikosz, IATA’s senior vice president for environment and sustainability.
"With Edmonton International Airport's pioneering participation in the expanded program, we have a clear signal that the industry's sustainability commitments are being actioned in a systematic results-oriented approach across the value chain," Mikosz added.
Myron Keehn, VP, of air service, business development, ESG and stakeholder relations, at Edmonton International Airport noted the step as a "significant milestone" for airports around the world — saying that YEG is proud to be a part of the movement towards a sustainable future for aviation.
"IATA's Environmental Assessment Program has supported the sustainability narrative across the aviation industry, and we are excited to be the first airport involved in expanding this program," Keehn said.
IEnvA is an Environmental Management System based on standards and best practices that were built in collaboration with airlines, airports, ground service providers, IATA and sustainability experts.
It complies with ISO14001 (Environmental Management) requirements and uses IATA's decades-long expertise with safety auditing (IOSA) for oversight, governance and quality control.
IEnvA for Airports and GSPs will make use of tried-and-tested IEnvA oversight, governance, and quality control processes and will include the provision of standards and recommended practices, training access, readiness workshops and external assessment.
In the statement, YEG noted that as the pioneering airport in the IEnvA for Airports and GSPs, the gateway will work with IATA to establish the IEnvA Standards for Airports and guidance material to broadly improve performance in areas such as emissions, waste, water, noise, energy, and biodiversity.
As with IEnvA for Airlines, upon a successful independent assessment, YEG and other successful entities will be included in the IEnvA Certification Registry.
