The Dallas Fort Worth airport has become the largest airport in the world and the first in North America to become a carbon neutral airport.
“Our initial goal was to reduce our CO2 emissions per passenger by 15 percent by 2020. We were able to achieve this goal two years ahead of schedule, and as such we’ve been able to drive more efficient operations, offset the impact of our growth and reduce our emissions per passenger,” explained Robert Horton, vice president of Environmental Affairs for DFW.
DFW achieved the three-year Airport Carbon Accreditation through 2021, becoming the largest in the world to get it.
The Airport achieved a 5.4 percent reduction in carbon emissions per passenger in the fiscal year 2018, thereby reaching a 2020 strategic plan goal two years early.
DFW has been able to achieve an 83 percent reduction in carbon emissions per passenger since 2010. It also reached a 27 percent reduction in electricity costs even as passenger totals grew 22 percent during the same period.
The Airport indicated it also diverted 180,000 tons from landfills by recycling in 2018. DFW now buys 100 percent of its electricity from Texas wind farms.
The airport is using other methods to achieve some of its environmental goals including the installation of highly efficient plumbing fixtures in the terminals and office buildings. As a result, the airport lowered customer water usage, saving millions of gallons a month. The airport also partnered with neighboring cities to create a reclaimed water-delivery system that provides water irrigation.