SUSTAINABILITY | 2025 IMPACT REPORT 16
METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON AIRPORTS AUTHORITY
Airport Carbon Accreditation
The Airports Authority was recognized on the global stage for obtaining Level 1 Airport Carbon Accreditation at Reagan National and Dulles International Airports on October 27 during the 2025 Airports Council International World Conference in Toronto. This milestone refl ects the Authority’ s commitment to promoting sustainability and operational effi ciency, and it was made possible through coordination with over 15 internal organizations. The Level 1 process involved developing emissions inventories for fuel and electricity consumption that provided a unifi ed picture of how energy is used across both airports. The Authority can apply these insights to identify effi ciency improvements to reduce existing energy use, reduce future energy demand and limit the need for additional grid capacity.
Achieving Level 1 required a signifi cant organizational effort, including stakeholder interviews, facility tours, extensive records reviews and comprehensive data integration. Level 1 accreditation requires airports to identify all emissions sources within their operational boundaries, calculate annual carbon emissions and make a public policy commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions or energy use. The inventories developed for both airports capture all Scope 1 and 2 emissions from operations and facilities under the Authority’ s direct control, encompassing the central utility plants, terminal buildings, maintenance and administrative facilities, parking structures, airfi eld lighting systems, emergency generators and the Authority’ s vehicle fl eet.
As the Airports Authority prepares for major growth and signifi cant infrastructure improvements at Reagan National and Dulles International, a critical challenge is ensuring the airports can meet rising future energy needs in a region where electrical capacity is increasingly constrained by the demand pressures of data center development in Northern Virginia and the utility substation and transmission limitations across D. C. and Maryland. Developing comprehensive emissions inventories provides a purposeful planning tool that complements the airports’ electrical master plans and aids the Authority in proactively planning for future growth, strengthening resilience and limiting the scale and cost of required utility upgrades. These inventories also facilitate stronger benchmarking that helps track progress toward sustainability targets and identify strategic opportunities for future investments in lower-emission technologies.
Greenhouse Gas Carbon Footprints
The Airports Authority continued to develop and maintain carbon inventories at Dulles International and Reagan National to measure emissions from operations under its control, monitor progress toward sustainability goals and identify opportunities for further reduction.
These efforts support ongoing implementation of the Airports Authority’ s 2020 Sustainability Plan by enabling benchmarking, strengthening transparency and informing strategic actions to advance lower-emission operations. The inventories include Scope 1 emissions( direct emissions from sources such as boilers, generators, Airports Authority – owned vehicles and airport-controlled processes like fi re suppression and deicing) and Scope 2 emissions
associated with purchased electricity.
Key Performance Indicators for DCA GHG Emissions Inventory1
Airport Carbon Intensity Per Passenger Total Airport Carbon Emissions( Scope 1 & 2)
Airport Carbon Intensity Per Passenger Total Airport Carbon Emissions( Scope 1 and 2)
2022 2023 2024 1.34 kg CO2e / pax 32,068.8 MT CO2e
Key Performance Indicators for IAD GHG Emissions Inventory2
2022 2023 2024 3.02 kg CO2e / pax 64,589.8 MT CO2e
1.17 kg CO2e / pax 1.13 kg CO2e / pax
29,743.8 MT CO2e 29,756.6 MT CO2e
1 Source: HMMH and Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, 2026
2.07 kg CO2e / pax 2.32 kg CO2e / pax
51,933.6 MT CO2e 63,328.5 MT CO2e
2 Source: HMMH and Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, 2026
Airport carbon accreditation provides the only global carbon management standard for airports, independently assessing and recognizing efforts to manage carbon emissions through seven levels of certifi cation. Participation in airport carbon accreditation strengthens the Authority’ s ability to remain competitive as a global gateway, aligning operations at Reagan and Dulles with the sustainability expectations of international carriers and travelers.