SUSTAINABILITY | 2025 IMPACT REPORT 19
METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON AIRPORTS AUTHORITY
Sustainability in Long-Term Capital Planning
Sustainability is embedded throughout the Airports Authority’ s planning, procurement and design processes, ensuring environmental performance, resilience and life cycle value are considered from project inception through delivery. This integrated approach supports the broader goals of the Sustainability Plan while reinforcing a culture of sustainable administration across the organization.
At the planning level, sustainability considerations are incorporated into airport master planning efforts and cross-functional coordination with tenants, airlines and community stakeholders. In 2024, a series of sustainability workshops assembled engineering, operations and policy teams to identify and prioritize initiatives for inclusion in the Dulles Master Plan, a long-term roadmap for the airport’ s growth and development. These collaborative efforts ensure alignment between capital development and evolving sustainability goals, while incorporating insights on emerging technologies identifi ed through external partnerships.
The Airports Authority’ s Design Manual establishes performance-based sustainability requirements guiding the design process. Projects exceeding 10,000 square feet or $ 25 million in construction value are required to be designed to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design( LEED) or Envision Silver-certifi able standards and must evaluate embodied carbon, operational emissions and energy use intensity. The Design Manual is being updated to place greater emphasis on lifecycle costing, helping ensure high-performance design features are maintained throughout design and construction. This approach reinforces investment decisions based on mission alignment, measurable sustainability outcomes and long-term operational value.
These sustainability principles are being implemented in major capital projects across the airport system. At Dulles International Airport, a new concourse project is being designed as a modern 14-gate facility that is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver-certifi able and incorporates a wide range of sustainable features, including:
Additional features such as advanced stormwater fi ltration systems, biophilic design elements and fl exible infrastructure layouts further enhance long-term adaptability and environmental performance. Future phases of the new Dulles concourse development build on this foundation, with an increased focus on resilience to extreme weather, indoor environmental quality, embodied carbon analysis and construction effi ciency through prefabrication and waste reduction strategies.
Similarly, the Dulles South Central Utility Plant and South Electrical Switchyard are being designed to support future campus-wide electrifi cation while meeting key LEED prerequisites, including minimum energy performance. The utility plant incorporates thermal energy storage and heat recovery technology, improving energy effi ciency and load management while enhancing system resilience.
Across all major capital projects, the Airports Authority is advancing a consistent vision: to design and build infrastructure that meets today’ s needs, anticipates future demand and supports a more sustainable, resilient and electrifi ed aviation system for decades to come.
Low-fl ow plumbing fi xtures and high-performance building envelope design |
Cool roofi ng to reduce heat island effects |
Photovoltaic-ready roof structures |
Enhanced commissioning and quality assurance processes |
Energy-effi cient building systems and LED lighting |
Daylighting strategies and glare mitigation through facade design |
Electric ground support equipment infrastructure |
Low-volatile organic compound and Green Guard-certifi ed materials |