Harbour Air Seaplanes has added its name to a list of companies that have pledged to meet net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.
The Climate Pledge is a commitment, co-founded by Amazon and Global Optimism, to the goal of achieving net-zero emissions 10 years ahead of the 2050 target by set out in the Paris Agreement.
According to a press release, Harbour Air is among 31 companies that have pledged to regularly report greenhouse gas emissions; implement “decarbonization” strategies through efficiency improvements, use of renewable energy, materials reduction and other strategies; and to neutralize remaining emissions with “quantifiable, permanent and socially beneficial offsets.”
The release noted Harbour Air, which serves Nanaimo, Victoria and other coastal B.C. communities from its headquarters in Richmond, has been calculating and offsetting its carbon footprint for more than a decade. In 2019, Harbour Air successfully flew the world’s first fully electric commercial aircraft, which is currently going through Transport Canada’s and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s certifications and approvals process.
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“Being a sustainable and responsible corporate citizen is not only embedded into our organizational values, but, I believe, is vital to our success in the community,” said Greg McDougall, Harbour Air founder and CEO, in the press release. “As the world’s first and only carbon-neutral airline, we are proud of our industry leadership towards sustainability. We look forward to joining the Climate Pledge community and supporting other organizations and industry leaders … to reach net-zero carbon by 2040.”
Other companies that recently signed on to the Climate Pledge include Brooks, Coca-Cola European Partners, ITV, Microsoft and Unilever. There are now 31 companies that have made the pledge.
“Collectively we are sending an important signal to the market that there is significant and rapidly growing demand for technologies that can help us build a zero-carbon economy,” said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon, in the release.
To learn more, visit www.theclimatepledge.com.
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