Gresham Smith is proud to announce that the firm has assisted Dallas Love Field (DAL) Airport in achieving Level 3 in the Airport Carbon Accreditation program from Airports Council International – the only internationally-recognized carbon management certification program for airports. This accreditation demonstrates DAL’s strong commitment to climate protection as the program provides a framework for systematically mapping and reducing carbon emissions from the airport through a third-party verification process.
In 2020, the City of Dallas developed a Comprehensive Environmental and Climate Action Plan (CECAP), mandating proactive steps be taken to reduce the carbon footprint of municipal operations, including DAL. Since 2015, DAL has proactively reduced carbon emissions by 61%, despite growth and expansion, largely through implementing energy conservation measures and procuring renewable energy.
“The sustainability of Dallas Love Field airport is crucial to the longevity of the city and surrounding region, and Gresham Smith was glad to have the opportunity to partner with the city on this important project,” said Sustainability and Resiliency Program Manager Lauren Seydewitz, LEED AP BD+C. “When planning for the next decade and beyond, carbon emission reduction is of the upmost importance. With this study, the city of Dallas has shown a clear, strong commitment to these ideals.”
To assist in achieving Level 3 accreditation, Gresham Smith coordinated with internal and external stakeholders at DAL to collect data and develop a carbon footprint of DAL sources and those of third-party stakeholders, such as airlines, rental car facilities and public transportation. Carbon emissions identified in the carbon footprint were analyzed compared to previous years. Gresham Smith then updated a carbon management plan identifying initiatives for reducing carbon emissions and prepared a stakeholder engagement plan including efforts to promote cooperation in reducing carbon emissions generated from third-party stakeholders.
To support identifying future carbon emission reduction initiatives, Gresham Smith also conducted an energy audit of select DAL facilities. Gresham Smith first mapped DAL’s energy consumption by reviewing energy bills, conducting a site walk through, performing a computer-generated energy analysis and analyzing the breakdown of energy use throughout the site. The team then used data produced by the energy audit to identify conservation measures for inclusion in the carbon management plan, paving the way for future emission reductions as DAL works towards carbon neutrality.
