Nanaimo Airport receives Level 2 accreditation for carbon reduction

The Nanaimo Airport is pictured: Jan. 7, 2021: (CTV News)

An international organization has awarded Nanaimo Airport (YCD) with Level 2 status in its carbon accreditation program.

Level 2 accreditation means that YCD is making reductions in its carbon footprint, Airports International Council explains.

Some of the ways the airport has reduced emissions include installing six electric vehicle charging stations and replacing their fossil fuel vehicles with electric ones.

In 2019, Nanaimo Airport started to count its carbon and in 2021 received Level 1 accreditation.

There are only eight airports in all of Canada that have a higher level of certification than Nanaimo.

"For airports our size, we are the second-best in the country at Level 2 and we expect to be at Level 3 by 2025," says Dave Devana, president and CEO of the Nanaimo Airport.

Charlottetown, PEI's airport (YYG) is the only airport of Nanaimo's size that has a Level 3 certification.

YCD's goal is to be completely carbon-neutral by 2030 which is a Level 5 and is the highest level airport's can receivce.

Vancouver International Airport (YVR) has the highest certification in the country at a Level 4.

Five accreditation levels breakdown: