Client Name
Victoria International Airport (YYJ)
Industry
Aviation
Location
Victoria, B.C.
Client Size
Medium
Website
Services Offered
- Strategic & Planning
- Decarbonization Modelling
Challenge
Businesses looking to decarbonize their operations typically begin by measuring their annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and setting targets to reduce emissions by a specified percentage within a few years. To reach these targets, companies must implement operational changes that reduce their emissions, such as lowering fuel use, switching to renewable energy, and more. However, implementing decarbonization actions can be more difficult than it looks, especially when you have a laundry list of actions to implement, and no way to visualize the best path that considers cost, potential impact, and timeline.
Victoria International Airport (YYJ) was experiencing the same issue while working through the ACA (Airport Carbon Accreditation) certification levels. They had established emissions-reduction goals with key actions to decarbonize; however, YYJ needed a way to prioritize decarbonization implementation that balanced financial feasibility, timeline constraints, and maximum emissions impact to help them reach their targets. Moreover, they needed a way to map out and visualize this path using real data and emissions projections.
The Core Challenges
YYJ needed to determine the most financially viable and time-efficient way to achieve meaningful emissions reductions. They wanted to determine the cost-to-impact ratio to identify which implementations would be most effective and in alignment with annual budgets.
Creating a tool that could adapt to changing circumstances and inform decision-making over time was essential. Static reports become outdated quickly, and YYJ needed something that could evolve with their operations and external factors.
Finally, they wanted to empower internal teams to explore scenarios independently and understand how different choices affect their decarbonization goals. The tool needed to be accessible so that staff without technical backgrounds could use it confidently to support planning and decision-making across the organization.
YYJ didn’t want a static report with a laundry list of recommended actions. They needed a dynamic tool that could:
- Help them create an implementation pathway to reach their decarbonization goals
- Cross-reference actions between cost, timeline, and emissions reduction potential
- Enable them to model different scenarios and deployment schedules
- Provide a practical way to prioritize initiatives and build a realistic pathway forward
- Be accessible to anyone in the organization – not just those with technical backgrounds
Synergy’s Solution
Synergy’s team of decarbonization and tool-building experts developed a comprehensive, dynamic decarbonization planning model that serves as a “living” tool for YYJ’s climate action efforts. The model accounts for both reductions in consumption activity and improvements in emissions intensity, recognizing that these actions can occur simultaneously at any given emission source.
Model Features
The inputs tab includes historical data on fuel consumption, electricity use, and other key emission sources, along with projections based on YYJ’s data and publicly available regional emissions factors projections based on YYJ’s data and publicly available regional emissions factor data. YYJ can update these inputs in real time as circumstances change and immediately see how these affect their emissions trajectory. For example, if fuel use is expected to increase due to operational changes, they can update the inputs tab to see how it will affect implementation.
The opportunities tab lists all recommended decarbonization initiatives, each with associated costs, implementation timelines, and emissions-reduction potential. YYJ can toggle initiatives on and off to instantly visualize their impact on both future emissions and financial requirements. The model allows for flexible deployment scheduling. For example, YYJ can test deploying EV chargers over four years versus implementing them all in one year, and immediately see how each scenario affects costs, timelines, and progress toward reduction goals.
The dashboard features intuitive graphs and visual elements that make complex data accessible to all stakeholders. The dashboard presents a holistic view of how cost, timeline, and emissions interact, enabling teams to plan based on budget constraints, urgency, or other strategic priorities.
Implementation Process
Synergy worked with YYJ to:
- Analyze historical emissions data across Scope 1 and Scope 2 sources
- Identify and quantify decarbonization opportunities across operations
- Build flexible modeling scenarios that account for multiple variables
- Develop user-friendly interfaces that enable non-technical staff to explore options
- Incorporate regional emission factor forecasts to improve accuracy
- Create visual reporting tools for stakeholder communication
The model was designed to evolve with YYJ’s needs, allowing continuous refinement as new data becomes available or circumstances change.
The Results
The dynamic decarbonization model gave YYJ clarity about their path forward. Rather than guessing which initiatives would deliver the best return on investment, they could now make informed, data-driven decisions about where to allocate resources.
Key Outcomes
- Clear Pathways: The model revealed viable routes to achieving emissions-reduction goals, each with distinct trade-offs among cost, timeline, and impact.
- Surprising Insights: The forecasting capabilities uncovered implementation insights that wouldn’t have been accounted for in a typical decarbonization plan. For example, the analysis revealed that regional grid emissions intensity is projected to increase around 2030, which is outside of YYJ’s control and could temporarily increase electricity-related emissions regardless of consumption reductions. This insight enabled YYJ to recognize that near-term targets might require greater focus than longer-term goals due to these external factors.
- Impact Prioritization: YYJ gained clarity on which initiatives deliver the greatest emissions reductions per dollar invested. The model showed that sometimes one major project can outperform five smaller actions, or vice versa, depending on the specific circumstances.
- Ongoing Adaptability: Rather than working from a static plan, YYJ now has a tool that evolves with them, accommodating real-time updates and enabling continuous optimization of their decarbonization strategy.
Key Takeaways
This project shows that testing outcomes before implementation improves the effectiveness of climate action. YYJ’s model revealed that some assumptions about which initiatives would have the greatest impact didn’t match reality when financial and temporal constraints were factored in. Having a tool to test these assumptions before committing resources saved both time and money while accelerating progress.
In addition, emissions forecasts indicate that external factors beyond YYJ’s control can significantly affect progress toward its goals. Understanding these dynamics enables more strategic planning and realistic target-setting. By creating a model that anyone in the organization can use and understand, Synergy ensured that decarbonization planning wouldn’t be siloed within a single department. This enables broader organizational buy-in and more collaborative decision-making.
Interested in developing a decarbonization model for your organization? Contact us to start building your pathway to emissions reduction.
