Sustainability Across Our Operations: Not Only The 'Right Thing To Do', It Is Our Commitment!

BC Ferries is one of the largest ferry operators in the world. As a ferry company providing essential services to our coastal communities, we embrace our role as environmental stewards and believe we are in a distinctive position to drive sustainability through our supply chain. In our industry, decarbonization is a top global challenge and priority.

As stated in our Clean Futures Plan [1], BC Ferries’ top three sustainable challenges are:

1. “Increasing our use of low carbon-intensive energy, 

2. Maximizing energy efficiencies and 

3. Reducing emissions from waste.” 

We’re working toward increasing our use of renewable energies and displacing a significant quantity of fossil fuel. Our focus on decarbonization is due to the fact that 98% of our emissions directly result from fuel combustion from our vessels. The transportation industry today is faced with global challenges, such as evolving environmental regulations and supply chain resiliency, that need to be addressed holistically. Supporting the organization in addressing these challenges is something we have been pursuing consistently over the past few years.

In July 2023, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) committed to accelerate greenhouse gas emissions reduction by setting bold targets for international shipping. Although the IMO targets do not bind BC Ferries, we have aligned our 2030 target to support the Province of BC’s transportation sector targets set out in its CleanBC plan while also aligning with the unflinching IMO targets.

In this article, I will share what we are doing to reduce our carbon footprint and promote sustainable practices in our supply chain, highlighting the importance of visibility and transparency and how our organization is working to achieve it.

Reducing Emissions

BC Ferries's aggressive goal is to decrease its 2008 emissions levels (baseline year) by 27% by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050. 

We are diligently working on five areas to reduce our emissions: 

o Using renewable and alternate fuels;  

o Electrification; 

o Operational efficiencies; 

o Advanced technologies; and

o Fleet modernization

Fleet replacement is one of our major goals. We have plans to replace up to six major vessels with up to seven new diesel-battery electric hybrid ones – the first of which is scheduled to enter service by 2029. Electrification can play a vital part in reducing GHG emissions in our operations. We have six battery electric hybrid vessels in service today and have just awarded a shipyard contract for four more – along with recharge-from-ashore systems—that will be in service by 2027. These ships run cleaner than traditional diesel ones. While four will be able to operate entirely on clean hydroelectric power, it is possible to convert all of them to full battery-electric operation in the future.

Figure 1 – From the internal presentation, a graph showing the reduction path from 2024 until we achieve net zero by 2050

Integrating Clean Technologies

Through several partnership opportunities, including with our suppliers and BC Hydro, we want to integrate clean technologies into our operations. For example, we are installing electric vehicle charging stations for our own vehicle fleet, our employees, and our customers. We’ll also build four shore-based hydroelectric energy in time for our new island-class vessel delivery.

Furthermore, BC Ferries and BC Hydro have been exploring mutually beneficial opportunities in energy management over the last ten years through the Power Smart Program. Previously focused on energy savings, the program has been redeveloped with an emphasis on energy efficiency, the development of clean technology, and, more recently, incorporating and exploring opportunities for electrification.

Promoting Sustainable Practices

Another way we are promoting sustainability in our supply chain is by encouraging our suppliers to adopt more sustainable practices, including the use of eco-friendly packaging, reducing waste through circularity, and using renewable energy sources. To showcase these benefits, we want to lead by example. 

Since 2015, we have implemented a robust solid waste management program focusing on diverting organic waste to composting facilities throughout the Province, where these facilities are available. BC Ferries’ food waste is sent to composting facilities, which turn the organic materials into clean energy and compost-based soil. BC Ferries is constantly looking at opportunities to reduce our waste. For example, last year (2023), we diverted 950,000 kg of organic and recyclable waste material away from the landfill, equivalent to the weight of over 25 humpback whales.

Supply Chain Visibility and Transparency

Visibility and transparency are critical components of a successful supply chain. By having visibility into our supply chain, we can identify potential issues before they become problems and make proactive and informed decisions about our operations. Here are some ways we have been actively exploring to increase visibility and transparency in our supply chain:

Collaborating with Suppliers: One of the most effective ways to achieve visibility and transparency in our supply chain is by collaborating with our suppliers. By sharing data and information, we can gain a better understanding of our supply chain and identify potential issues.

"By having visibility into our supply chain, we can identify potential issues before they become problems and make proactive and informed decisions about our operations."

Using Leading Technologies: Another way to achieve visibility and transparency in our supply chain is through the use of technology. This includes using sensors to track our cross-docking shipments, implementing blockchain technology to improve data sharing, and using analytics to identify trends and patterns. We are actively exploring these opportunities to modernize our operations, which will, in turn, support timely decisions.

Measuring and Monitoring: We can only improve what we can measure. To ensure an efficient, transparent, and visible supply chain, it is vital to measure and monitor our performance, which can be done by tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) and reporting on our progress.

In conclusion, sustainability and transparency go hand-in-hand and are critical issues for organizations in the transportation industry. At BC Ferries, we strongly believe that by promoting sustainable practices and achieving visibility and transparency in our supply chain, we will reduce our carbon footprint and positively impact the communities we serve and the environment.