1. Iden%fying
poten%al
opportuni%es
for
avia%on
biofuels
based
on
Canadian
transoceanic
commercial
jet
travel
Joshua
Goodfield,
Warren
Mabee
j.goodfield@queensu.ca

warren.mabee@queensu.ca
BOG
BOGOTÁ,
COLOMBIA
(flights
from
YYZ)
165.90
METRIC
TONNES
OF
CO2e
(2015)
GRU
SÃO
PAULO,
BRAZIL
(flights
from
YYZ)
474.22
METRIC
TONNES
OF
CO2e
(2015)
LIM
LIMA,
PERU
(flights
from
YYZ)
141.57
METRIC
TONNES
OF
CO2e
(2015)
SCL
SANTIAGO,
CHILE
(flights
from
YYZ)
394.56
METRIC
TONNES
OF
CO2e
(2015)
CDG
PARIS,
FRANCE
(flights
from
YUL
and
YYZ)
752.24
METRIC
TONNES
OF
CO2e
(2015)
FCO
ROME,
ITALY
(flights
from
YYZ
and
YUL)
423.15
METRIC
TONNES
OF
CO2e
(2015)
FRA
FRANKFURT,
GERMANY
(flights
from
YOW,
YUL,
YYC,
and
YYZ)
1,691.45
METRIC
TONNES
OF
CO2e
(2015)
LHR
LONDON,
UNITED
KINGDOM
(fights
from
YEG,
YHZ,
YOW,
YUL,
YYC,
YYT,
and
YYZ)
2,812.92
METRIC
TONNES
OF
CO2e
(2015)
OTHER
EUROPE
(all
in
t
CO2e)
Munich
386.9;
Geneva
289.5;
Brussels
298.2;
Geneva
289.5;
Milan
226.8;
Dublin
214.2;
Athens
204.9;
Amsterdam
150.1;
Venice
185.4;
Zurich
144.2;
Barcelona
132.4;
Madrid
76.6;
Copenhagen
70.0;
Manchester
66.9;
Lisbon
13.7
HKG
HONG
KONG,
HONG
KONG
(flights
from
YVR
and
YYZ)
1,315.48
METRIC
TONNES
OF
CO2e
(2015)
ICN
SEOUL,
SOUTH
KOREA
(flights
from
YVR)
471.60
METRIC
TONNES
OF
CO2e
(2015)
NRT
TOKYO,
JAPAN
(flights
from
YVR,
YYC,
and
YYZ)
990.91
METRIC
TONNES
OF
CO2e
(2015)
PEK
BEIJING,
CHINA
(flights
from
YVR
and
YYZ)
1,089.42
METRIC
TONNES
OF
CO2e
(2015)
PVG
SHANGHAI,
CHINA
(flights
from
YVR
and
YYZ)
1,182.62
METRIC
TONNES
OF
CO2e
(2015)
SYD
SYDNEY,
AUSTRALIA
(flights
from
YVR)
726.35
METRIC
TONNES
OF
CO2e
(2015)
TLV
TEL
AVIV,
ISRAEL
(flights
from
YYZ)
438.08
METRIC
TONNES
OF
CO2e
(2015)
IST
ISTANBUL,
TURKEY
(flights
from
YYZ)
478.15
METRIC
TONNES
OF
CO2e
(2015)
Work
Cited:
[1]
Gegg,
P.,
Budd,
L.,
&
Ison,
S.
(2014).
The
market
development
of
aviaGon
biofuel:
Drivers
and
constraints.
Journal
of
Air
Transport
Management,
39,
34-­‐40.
[2]
IATA
2013
Report
on
AlternaGve
Fuels.
(2013):
InternaGonal
Air
Transport
AssociaGon.
[3]
Sims,
R.
E.
H.,
Mabee,
W.,
Saddler,
J.
N.,
&
Taylor,
M.
(2010).
An
overview
of
second
generaGon
biofuel
technologies.
Bioresource
technology,
101(6),
1570-­‐1580.
[4]
Gómez-­‐Campo,
C.,
&
Prakash,
S.
(1999).
Origin
and
domesGcaGon.
Developments
in
plant
geneGcs
and
breeding,
4,
33-­‐58.
[5]
Fröhlich,
A.,
&
Rice,
B.
(2005).
EvaluaGon
of
Camelina
saGva
oil
as
a
feedstock
for
biodiesel
producGon.
Industrial
Crops
and
Products,
21(1),
25-­‐31.
[6]
Wood,
S.
M.,
&
Layzell,
D.
B.
(2003).
A
Canadian
biomass
inventory:
feedstocks
for
a
bio-­‐based
economy.
BIOCAP
Canada
FoundaGon,
18-­‐24.
[7]
Sarkar,
A.
N.
(2012).
Evolving
green
aviaGon
transport
system:
a
holisGc
approach
to
sustainable
green
market
development.
American
Journal
of
Climate
Change,
1,
169.
DISCLAIMER:
All
data
collected
is
from
Air
Canada’s
official
website.
Any
flight
data
is
subject
to
change.
This
project
assumes
that
Air
Canada’s
aircraAs
will
return
to
whichever
Canadian
ciCes
they
departed
from,
making
each
flight
round-­‐trip.
Map
not
to
scale
YYZ
is
Canada’s
busiest
airport
flying
to
26
transoceanic
ciCes
and
accounCng
for
55%
of
Canada’s
emissions
outside
of
North
America.
YVR
has
the
longest
distance
flights
with
an
average
yearly
emission
rate
of
526.45
metric
tonnes
of
CO2e.
In
June
of
2012,
Air
Canada
made
biofuel
history
by
successfully
opera%ng
an
Airbus
A319
from
Toronto
to
Mexico
City
using
biofuel
from
recycled
cooking
oil[2].
YHZ
(Halifax)
1%
YYT
(St
John’s)
1%
YUL
(Montreal)
12%
YOW
(O]awa)
3%
YYZ
(Toronto)
55%
YYC
(Calgary)
7%
YEG
(Edmonton)
1%
Transoceanic
emissions
by
point
of
origin
in
Canada
(approximately
16,000
t/year)
YVR
(Vancouver)
20%
Air
Canada,
Canada’s
only
carrier
with
regular
transoceanic
flights,
has
expressed
interest
in
reducing
greenhouse
gas
(GHG)
emissions
with
biofuels,
an
emerging
renewable
fuel
opCon[1].
Several
Canadian
test
flights
have
been
completed
using
various
feedstocks
and
blend
levels
demonstraCng
that
this
prospect
is
viable[2].
BIOFUELS
Second-­‐generaCon
biofuels
are
fuels
from
agricultural
residues
and
by-­‐products,
organic
wastes
and
material
derived
from
purposely
grown
plantaCons[3].
Due
to
the
fact
that
these
feedstocks
are
not
edible
or
compete
with
arable
land,
they
are
more
desired.
Brassica
carinata
L.
is
an
Ethiopian
mustard
that
is
an
annual
crop
able
to
grow
in
the
southern
Prairies[4].
Camelina
sa3va
is
an
annual
oilseed
plant
that
can
grow
in
temperate
climates
in
the
Prairies
and
the
MariCmes[5].
The
issue
becomes
that
these
crops
can
only
flourish
in
environments
that
are
not
parCcularly
close
to
large
airports.
Municipal
solid
waste
can
be
combusted
to
become
a
syntheCc
fuel
in
densely
populated
areas,
however,
more
research
would
need
to
be
completed
to
make
this
feasible[6].
ANALYSIS
Air
Canada’s
transoceanic
emissions
largely
originate
in
Toronto
(55%)
and
Vancouver
(20%).
However,
there
is
no
policy
in
Canada
or
the
provinces
that
governs
sustainable
aviaCon.
In
other
jurisdicCons,
however,
policies
are
being
considered.
Most
importantly,
the
European
Union,
through
the
Emissions
Trading
Scheme
(EU
ETS),
is
implemenCng
limits
on
carbon
emi]ed
through
aviaCon[7].
Air
Canada’s
transoceanic
flights
are
dominated
by
trips
to
Europe,
parCcularly
London
(18%),
Frankfurt
(11%),
and
Paris
(5%).
The
second
most
important
jurisdicCon
is
China;
about
22%
of
Air
Canada’s
overseas
emissions
are
associated
with
flights
to
three
Chinese
airports.
Japan
(6%)
and
Australia
(4.5%)
round
out
the
overseas
desCnaCons
with
the
greatest
emissions.
No
policy
is
currently
being
considered
in
these
countries.
TAKEAWAY
A
significant
porCon
(48%)
of
Canadian
air
travel
emissions
are
associated
with
flights
to
the
EU;
another
22%
of
emissions
are
associated
with
flights
to
China.
Current
policy
within
the
EU
will
add
costs
to
Canadian
flights;
these
costs
could
be
offset
through
the
use
of
biofuels.
Development
of
biofuels
could
also
offset
future
costs,
should
China,
Japan,
or
Australia
impose
a
carbon
tax
scheme
on
aviaCon.
Canada
should
focus
more
research
on
producing
and
refining
feedstocks
with
actors
and
stakeholders
in
mind.
In
addiCon,
there
should
be
governmental
incenCves
to
minimize
the
economic
risks
associated
with
biofuel
usage.
Biofuels
must
be
viewed
in
a
holisCc
model
to
deem
whether
in
each
case
they
are
truly
sustainable
or
not.