San Diego County Regional Airport Authority Receives 2020 Climate Leadership Awards

On March 5 at the 2020 Climate Leadership Conference, the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority received a 2020 Climate Leadership Award for Excellence in Greenhouse Gas Management. In addition, Brendan Reed, the Airport Authority’s Director of Planning and Environmental Affairs received an Individual Leadership award for his efforts in environmental operations and strategies.

The Climate Leadership Conference and Awards bring together forward-thinking leaders from business, government, academia, and the non-profit community to address climate change through policy, innovation, and business solutions. Awardees are honored for exemplary corporate, organizational, and individual leadership in reducing carbon pollution and addressing climate change.

“It’s an honor to have the Airport Authority as well as our leadership recognized at this year’s Climate Leadership Conference and Awards,” said Kim Becker, President and CEO of the Airport Authority. “The Airport Authority is committed to sustainable business practices and works closely with our community, stakeholders and employees to address and limit environmental concerns at the airport. Thank you to the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions and The Climate Registry for recognizing our efforts.”

“Planning for long-term prosperity means accounting for climate impacts and a decarbonized economy,” said Bob Perciasepe, President of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES). “The only way to take advantage of the clean energy transition is to be clear-eyed about climate challenges. San Diego County Regional Airport Authority has demonstrated outstanding leadership in this and will be ahead of the game in the clean energy economy.”

The 2020 Climate Leadership Award for Excellence in Greenhouse Gas Management was awarded to the Airport Authority for the following efforts:

• • Setting a goal of reducing direct and indirect emissions 80 percent from 2015 to 2035.
• Achieving a 44 percent decrease in direct and indirect emissions by 2018.
• Developing strategies to reduce emissions pertaining to ride-share fleets at San Diego International Airport (SAN) by using cleaner fuels, using cars with a higher mile per gallon rating, and utilizing more carpooling/ridesharing.
• Replacing individual rental car company shuttles with Authority-owned rental car shuttles, which greatly reduced the number of vehicle-trips on Harbor Drive and also reduced emissions.
• Investing in renewable energy by installing 5.5 MW of on-site solar PV at SAN to meet 15 percent of electricity demand and planning for a 2 megawatt battery storage system in 2020.
• Committing to convert approximately 80 percent of ground support equipment to alternative fuels by 2024 and supplying adequate electric vehicle charging infrastructure to meet the forthcoming demand for electric vehicles for ground support equipment.

Brendan Reed’s work was highlighted for his leadership on initiatives such as:

• The Good Traveler program, which offers travelers a quick and easy way to make their air travel more sustainable by purchasing offsets that then go towards carbon reduction projects around the U.S.
• Assisting in the funding and development of a Climate Resilience Plan which serves as the Authority’s strategy for achieving uninterrupted business continuity in future climate conditions.
• Leading the charge to build stormwater systems in three large projects at the airport, ultimately giving the airport the ability to capture, store and reuse up to 39 million gallons of rain annually.
• Working with stakeholders to develop and implement a ride-share pilot program to implement emission reduction strategies pertaining to ride-share fleets by using cleaner fuels, using cars that have a higher mile per gallon rating, and utilizing more carpooling/ridesharing (trip reduction).

To view the Airport Authority’s Sustainability Management plan, which includes seven overarching elements including the areas of water stewardship, strategic energy, carbon neutrality, clean transportation, zero waste, climate resilience, and biodiversity, please visit san.org/Airport-Projects/Environmental-Affairs. To view the Airport Authority’s 2018-2019 Sustainability Report, please visit sustain.san.org. Information about the Climate Leadership Award winners is available at the Climate Leadership Conference website.