Respected publication Air Transport World recently had their 44th annual Airline Industry Achievement Awards. The winner? Air Canada has been named the 2018 Eco-Airline of the year.

ATW cited cited the carrier's commitment to emissions reduction as part of their environmental accomplishments. Air Canada achieved this through supporting the development of alternative fuels and numerous green programs and partnerships--including being the first airline in the world to voluntarily join the World Bank's IMF Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition.

"Air Canada has made sustainability central to its decision-making and business processes, and this includes acting responsibly with respect to the environment. We are very pleased that ATW has recognized the effectiveness of our environmental programs, including our participation in the development and support of alternative fuels in Canada, and our efforts to contribute to healthier communities. We have made great strides , improving fuel efficiency by 40 percent since 1990, and this award will further spur us on to the goals we have set for ourselves to continually improve our environmental performance," stated Calvin Rovinescu. He is the President and Chief Executive of Air Canada.

The award is given to airlines that practice and innovate in exceptional eco-operations. Judges looked for an industry-leading commitment to technologies and efforts that increased operational efficiency, and reduced emissions and dependence on oil when giving out this year's award.

"The panel of ATW editors who judged the 2018 awards were especially impressed with how Air Canada constantly maintains its leadership position as an eco-responsible airline in technological areas such as the development of biofuels, but also goes much further. Air Canada as a company is a committed leader in sustainability, becoming the world's first airline to  voluntarily join the World Bank's IMF Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition. And Air Canada things out of the box in its drive to be an eco-responsible company, donating old business class duvets to good causes where they can be re-used, and partnering with Diabetes Canada so that uniforms can be recycles. One editor noted it was remarkable how many organizations and companies Air Canada partners with in its sustainable initiatives, spreading its eco-efforts on a global scale far beyond aviation," said Karen Walker, Editor-in-Chief for Air Transport World.

This is Air Canada's second award this year with regards to its sustainability programs. The airline's corporate sustainability report, Citizens of the World, was named "Best Sustainability Report in the Transportation Category" by the Finance and Sustainability Initiative. FSI is a non-profit that brings together finance professionals dedicated to promoting sustainable finance and responsible investment to financial institutions, companies, and universities. This is the second year in a row the airline has earned this award.

Air Canada has a four-pillar approach to reducing emissions across multiple sectors of their airline. In cooperation with Canada Biojet Supply Chain Initiative (CBSCI) and the Civil Aviation Alternative Fuel Contrail and Emissions Research (CAAFCER), Air Canada is a partner in biofuel research. They also have one of the most modern fuel efficient fleets in the world thanks to a significant investment in a fleet renewal program. The airline maintains innovative recycling, scholarship, and community activity programs--many aimed at employees becoming involved in environmental activities.

The airline has also adopted ambitious International Air Transportation Association reduction targets for greenhouse gasses, including:

  1. Improving fuel efficiency by an average of 1.5 percent per year from 2009 to 2020;
  2. Capping aviation CO2 emissions from 2020, or carbon-neutral growth;
  3. Reducing CO2 emissions by 50 percent by 2050, relative to levels from 2005.

To book a flight, please visit the Air Canada website.