MSP Airport achieves Level 3 carbon accreditation

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) has earned recognition by Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) for reaching Level 3 of its Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) program. MSP officially received the accreditation on Sept. 9, 2024, at the ACI-NA annual conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The ACI-NA Airport Carbon Accreditation program is part of a global carbon management program that independently assesses and recognizes airport efforts to reduce carbon emissions. According to Brian Ryks, CEO and executive director of the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC), which owns and operates MSP, achieving Level 3 accreditation in the program demonstrates the progress MSP has made and the momentum building toward larger sustainability goals the MAC set in 2020.

“We’re proud to achieve ACA Level 3, which elevates our progress toward reducing emissions,” Ryks said. “Our goal is to reduce emissions by 80% by 2030 and then to reach net-zero by 2050, and this will require teamwork. We’re thankful for the partnerships we have at MSP and in the broader region. Our stakeholder engagement brings these sustainability goals closer to reality every day.”

MSP previously held Level 2 accreditation, which includes accounting for the fuel and electricity usage in MAC-operated spaces and vehicles and reducing greenhouse gas emissions year over year. Level 3 accreditation expands the scope of accounting to include tenants’ fuel and electricity usage, as well as emissions associated with travel to and from the airport, aircraft landing and takeoff cycles, wastewater treatment, trash disposal, and MAC business travel. Engaging tenants and other airport users in actions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions is an important component of Level 3.

Achieving Level 3 accreditation is the product of a coordinated effort by the MAC sustainability program to widen the measured scope of the airport’s carbon footprint, working with stakeholders to assess a broader range of emissions, identifying baseline measurements, and engaging airport tenants to collaboratively identify and implement sustainability solutions.

Among other accomplishments, the MAC is supporting airlines in their efforts to reduce emissions by developing infrastructure for their electric ground support equipment. These investments will enable Delta Air Lines to reach its goal of electrifying 50% of its ground support equipment at MSP by 2025 and it is enabling other airlines at MSP to begin converting their equipment.

“The MAC has made great strides to reduce the airport’s carbon footprint, and we are now 43% of the way toward achieving an 80% reduction in emissions by 2030,” said Emmy Waldhart, who manages the MAC’s sustainability program.

The MAC’s carbon emission-reduction efforts are diverse and campus-wide, and include examples such as:

• Pursuing LEED Gold certification on three major building projects currently in design and construction
• Supporting the Minnesota Sustainable Aviation Fuel Hub, which launched in 2023
• Installing onsite renewable energy, including geothermal wells and one of the largest rooftop solar arrays in the state
• Reducing the emissions from MAC fleet vehicles by recently installing telematics devices and converting light-duty vehicles to hybrid and electric
• Creating a new energy and building performance manager position within the organization
• Investing in energy efficiency, including a campus-wide move to LED lighting and prioritizing replacement of inefficient equipment in capital programs
• Using optimized profile descents since 2017 to make aircraft descents to MSP more efficient

More information about ACA certification can be found online at www.airportcarbonaccreditation.org.