Thank you, Chair.
Thank you for this opportunity to appear before the committee.
YVR exists to serve our community and the economy that supports it. As Canada's gateway to the Indo-Pacific, we are also a critical economic engine. By connecting people with places and cargo with markets, we open Canada to the world and the world to Canada. We also, though, have a responsibility to lead and help develop a globally connected country that is resilient, thriving and sustainable.
Our operations and our long-term strategy reflect the values of Canadians—innovation, climate action and indigenous reconciliation. We are investing in the 26,000 people who come to work on Sea Island every day, in our processes and in our technology to advance and sustain YVR's competitiveness as a global economic hub. In turn, those investments are enhancing our contribution to Canada's economy and the prosperity of Canadians.
I'd like to bring your attention to two important recommendations we have for budget 2024. First, invest in government modernization initiatives and services that will improve the passenger experience through Canadian airports. Second, join us in investing to accelerate the adoption of clean aviation fuel and decarbonize air travel.
On our first recommendation, there is an opportunity for the Government of Canada to invest in enhancing the passenger journey while maintaining the security of our air transportation sector. Every effort must be made to ensure that Canadians can move through our airports and move through processes in a modern and efficient manner. I think the committee members understand that very deeply.
While there have been notable steps across government agencies and within government accountabilities, more needs to be done. First, government should expand the current verified traveller program to be a true domestic trusted traveller program. This program would be similar to what the U.S. has in the TSA PreCheck program. It would allow travellers to become verified without the added cost of being part of the NEXUS program.
This will enable a more risk-based approach to passenger screening. It will reduce processing times. It will improve the operational efficiency, which is good for the frontline worker, and deliver a streamlined experience. That extension of the verified travel program should be supported with appropriate funding in the early days and guided by clear public policy direction. Importantly, though, this type of program will be self-funding over the long term with membership fees.
There is also a need for Canada to catch up with foreign jurisdictions that are investing in digitization, most notably the U.S. To maintain Canadian airports' competitiveness vis-à-vis these U.S. airports, we believe Canada must accelerate the adoption of digital technologies. It's critical that Transport Canada, Immigration, CBSA and CATSA accelerate their efforts. Specifically, we are asking for the federal government to expedite the implementation of an end-to-end digital traveller journey for all people who wish to utilize digital processes.
Our second recommendation is to accelerate clean aviation fuel in British Columbia. YVR is a leader in clean transportation. Hopefully, committee members know that we have made the commitment to be Canada's first net-zero airport by 2030. We accelerated that commitment by 20 years two years ago. We've invested $135 million in that journey. We are well on our way to achieving that by 2030, and hopefully before.
We do that while knowing that 95% of greenhouse gas emissions from air travel come from the tailpipe of an aircraft. We are super-sizing our influence, to the best of our ability, in helping to reduce that through our work in championing sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, in Canada. Right now the demand for SAF is high, but the availability of SAF is very low.
There is an opportunity for the federal government to do more to accelerate that domestic supply. Canada is uniquely positioned with our abundance of renewable feedstocks. Right here in the Lower Mainland, there is a company called West Coast Reduction: 95% of their raw product is purchased by foreign SAF producers. It's shipped overseas to Singapore, refined into sustainable aviation fuel and then sold back to North America at a premium. We don't think that's correct. That's not right. Canada is missing out on valuable economic opportunities.
Canadian-made SAF will be essential to decarbonizing Canada's air sector. The Canadian Council for Sustainable Aviation Fuels, of which YVR is a proud founding member, has presented a realistic and clear road map to how Canada can build that feedstock-to-fuels SAF supply chain.
The road map relies on three key objectives. First, maximize SAF now from commercial-ready pathways. Second, establish commercial research and development pathways for new Canadian feedstocks. Finally, invest in innovation to support emerging homegrown technologies.
We believe that the Government of Canada should create the necessary financial and public policy supports to follow the C-SAF road map as presented. Now is the time for government to join our industry and invest in decarbonization efforts.
Thank you very much on behalf of the 26,000 people who work at YVR.