Climate Change Data

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Environmental Stewardship
• Community Engagement
• Economic Performance

Environmental Achievements

• Powered all operations with renewable energy through Bullfrog Power
• Dredging the Keating Channel, cleaning Toronto’s harbour, and building fish and wildlife habitats
• Outer Harbour Marina earned a 5 Green Anchor Gold rating from the Ontario Marine Operators Association Clean Marine program
• Developed a 700-square-foot butterfly garden at the Outer Harbour Marina featuring native plants

Social Achievements

• Invested more than $8 million since 2009 in charitable initiatives and environmental programs
• Opened a new pedestrian tunnel to Billy Bishop Airport at no cost to taxpayers
• Improved airport facilities addressing community concerns and enhancing passenger experience
• Held the Sail-In Cinema™ film festival, attracting a record-breaking 11,000 people

Governance Achievements

• Formalized a sustainability framework to guide efforts and ensure transparency, measurement, and mapping
• Published board and CEO expenses and correspondence
• Reported eighth year of profitability in 2015

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Noise generated by airport operations
• Traffic congestion stemming from airport travellers
• Porter Proposal to introduce jet aircraft and extend the runway (ultimately not pursued)

Mitigation Strategies

• Implemented noise mitigation measures, including a curfew and noise monitoring
• Opened a pedestrian tunnel to reduce traffic congestion
• Relocated parking lot, utilized Canada Malting Site, and reconfigured Eireann Quay to improve traffic flow
• Enhanced shuttle service with new buses and free WiFi
• Conducted studies (EA, Master Planning Exercise, Preliminary Runway Design) to assess the Porter Proposal (studies ultimately not completed due to federal government decision)

Supply Chain Management

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) principles

Awards & Recognition

• International Tunneling & Underground Space Association’s 2014 Specialist Tunneling Project of the Year Award
• Tunneling Association of Canada’s 2014 Canadian Project of the Year Award
• Ontario Concrete Structural Design Innovation Award

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Environmental Stewardship
• Community
• People and Culture
• Economic Performance

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 9% through the use of Bullfrog Power's clean energy.
• Implemented phase one and two of the PortsToronto Seabin Project to reduce harmful materials such as single-use plastics and microplastics from Toronto’s harbour.
• First airport in Canada to implement use of PFAS/AFFF-free firefighting foam.
• Launched partnership with Green Bins Growing program to recycle organic waste, saving more than 1,429 pounds of organic waste from landfill.
• Converted the airport’s Marilyn Bell I passenger/vehicle ferry to electric-power (project continued in 2020).

Social Achievements

• Invested more than $12 million in community and environmental initiatives since 2009.
• Released updated Airport Master Plan following comprehensive 18-month community consultation process.
• Collaborated with partners on initiatives to keep the harbour and city clean, collecting and removing four tonnes of debris and planting 38 trees.
• Partnered with the University of Toronto Trash Team on the PortsToronto Seabin Project and Urban Litter Challenge.
• No incidents of significant health and safety non-compliance in 2019.

Governance Achievements

• PortsToronto’s 2019 audited financial statements were prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards and were audited by Deloitte LLP.
• Implemented sustainable procurement policy applicable to new and existing suppliers.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Increase in noise complaints (542 in 2019 vs 228 in 2018), mostly due to flight training, general aviation and non-terminal scheduled operator flights.
• Supply chain disruptions due to economic lockdown in the spring of 2020.
• Material impact on PortsToronto’s finances due to Billy Bishop Airport’s temporary suspension of operations in March 2020.
• Lowest waste diversion rate at the Outer Harbour Marina due to contaminated recycling and high water levels.

Mitigation Strategies

• Ground Noise Study to identify sources of ground noise and assess opportunities for reduction.
• Deferral of some capital expenditures until Billy Bishop Airport recovers.
• Continued work on converting the Marilyn Bell I ferry to electric power despite delays.
• Improved signage and guidelines for waste diversion at the Outer Harbour Marina.

Supply Chain Management

Responsible Procurement

• Sustainable procurement policy

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Flooding

Opportunities

• Development of energy-efficient products and services

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI (previously), UN Sustainable Development Goals

Certifications: Green Marine

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
• Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• Goal 13: Climate Action
• Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals

PortsToronto's initiatives contribute to these goals through renewable energy use, community investment, carbon reduction efforts, job creation, and collaboration with various stakeholders.

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Seabins
• Electric ferry

Awards & Recognition

• ACI-NA Environmental Achievement Award (Best Innovative Project for Airfield Rehabilitation Program)
• ACI-NA Environmental Achievement Award (Noise Mitigation Program)
• ACI-NA Environmental Award (Environmental Improvement with Limited Resources for Airport Master Plan)
• Robert Eaton Environmental Award for Seabins Pilot Project
• Living City Impact Award for efforts to keep Toronto’s harbour and waterfront clean
• Gold Award of Excellence for 2018 Sustainability Report

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Climate Action
• Sustainable Cities and Communities
• Life on Land
• Partnerships for the Goals
• Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
• Decent Work and Economic Growth

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by approximately 8% by using Bullfrog Power’s clean energy.
• Diverted 84,854 pieces of anthropogenic debris from Lake Ontario through the PortsToronto Seabin Program.
• Converted Billy Bishop Airport’s Marilyn Bell I passenger/vehicle ferry to bio-fuel blend, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 20 tonnes per year (conversion to 100% electric power expected in 2021).
• Implemented permeable paving to reduce stormwater runoff and urban heat island effect.
• Achieved Green Anchors Gold rating in the Clean Marine Eco-Rating Program for 10 consecutive years.
• Dredged approximately 30,000 cubic metres of sediment material from the mouth of the Don River to mitigate flooding and create new wildlife habitat.
• Implemented all-electric litter vacuum and maintenance tools at Billy Bishop Airport.
• Replaced end-of-life, gas-powered equipment with battery-operated technology.
• Replaced gas-powered forklift with a propane-powered one.
• Banned single-use plastic straws and water bottles in all PortsToronto business units.
• Water refilling stations in Billy Bishop Airport saved more than 360,000 plastic water bottles from landfills since 2016.

Social Achievements

• Invested more than $12 million in community and environmental initiatives since 2009.
• Supported the University of Toronto Trash Team’s research on plastic pollution.
• Created a new student pick-up/drop-off area at the TDSB Waterfront School.
• Supported Room 13 and Community Connect Garden programs at the Waterfront Neighbourhood Centre.
• Supported Hope Air, providing free flights for Canadians needing healthcare.
• Supported ALS Canada’s virtual Plane Pull fundraising event.
• Sponsored Free Skate Thursdays at the Bentway Skate Trail.

Governance Achievements

• PortsToronto’s 10-member Sustainability Committee meets regularly to share ideas and identify strategies for employing environmental best practices.
• Zero incidents of significant health and safety non-compliance in 2020.
• No incidents of significant environmental non-compliance and no fines levied over the past ten years.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Economic challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in delays to some sustainability projects.
• Three exceedances of Environmental Compliance Approval at the wastewater treatment facility (though posing no environmental impact).

Mitigation Strategies

• Implemented additional proactive measures to reduce possibilities of non-compliance from the wastewater treatment plant.
• Leveraged reduced traffic during the pandemic to complete the second phase of the Billy Bishop Airport City Side Modernization project ahead of schedule.

Supply Chain Management

Responsible Procurement

• Sustainable procurement policy focusing on avoiding non-natural substances, limiting demand on raw resources, ensuring health and safety, and limiting environmental degradation.

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Flooding
• High water levels

Opportunities

• Development of energy-efficient products and services.

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs), Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) (previously used)

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• UNSDG 13: Climate Action
• UNSDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• UNSDG 15: Life on Land
• UNSDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
• UNSDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
• UNSDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

PortsToronto's initiatives are aligned with these SDGs to maximize positive impact.

Awards & Recognition

• ACI-NA Environmental Achievement Award (2017, 2019, 2020)
• Robert Eaton Environmental Award (2019)

Environmental Metrics

ESG Focus Areas

• Climate Action
• Environmental Stewardship
• Sustainable Communities
• Economic Performance

Environmental Achievements

• Reduced Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by approximately 23.6% through the use of 100% renewable electricity from Bullfrog Power.
• Converted the Marilyn Bell I ferry to 100% electric power, reducing the airport's Scope 1 emissions by an estimated 530 tonnes per year.
• Seabins removed tens of thousands of small pieces of plastic debris from the Toronto Harbour.
• Planted 600 native plants at the Outer Harbour Marina.

Social Achievements

• Invested more than $12 million since 2009 in charitable initiatives and environmental programs.
• Supported eight film productions.
• Achieved Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Health Accreditation under the Safe Travels Program.

Governance Achievements

• Maintained zero incidents of significant health and safety non-compliance.
• Maintained zero incidents of significant environmental non-compliance for 11 years.
• Held 21 board meetings and 22 committee meetings in 2021.

Climate Goals & Targets

Environmental Challenges

• Outdated carbon reduction target of 35% below 2015 levels by 2030.
• Limited visibility into Scope 3 emissions.
• Need to improve understanding of tenant-related energy consumption and associated emissions.

Mitigation Strategies

• Working on a pathway toward achieving a strengthened emissions reduction target.
• Working with partners to gain better visibility into Scope 3 emissions.
• Working to improve understanding of tenant-related energy consumption and associated emissions.

Supply Chain Management

Responsible Procurement

• Sustainable procurement practices for Marilyn Bell I ferry conversion; Use of sustainable materials in airport lounge food and beverage service.

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks

• Flooding

Opportunities

• Development of energy-efficient products

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: GRI

Certifications: Green Marine (11 years)

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• SDG 5
• SDG 6
• SDG 7
• SDG 8
• SDG 9
• SDG 11
• SDG 12
• SDG 13
• SDG 14
• SDG 15
• SDG 17

See Appendix A for details on how initiatives contribute to these goals.

Sustainable Products & Innovation

• Marilyn Bell I electric ferry

Awards & Recognition

• ACI-NA Environmental Achievement Award (2017, 2019, 2020)
• Canadian Public Relations Society Gold Award of Excellence (2018)