King County International Airport levels up on carbon reduction goals

King County International Airport-Boeing Field (KCIA) has taken another step forward in its journey toward becoming carbon neutral. Airports Council International (ACI) recently informed the airport that it has met the standards for Level 3 in the Airport Carbon Accreditation Program (ACAP) by engaging airport tenants and users to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

"Reducing greenhouse gas emissions at the airport helps King County residents, especially those who live and work nearby," said King County Executive Girmay Zahilay. "Achieving Level 3 in the Airport Carbon Accreditation Program shows that the airport is making progress at reducing its impact on those most affected."

"We recognize the environmental impact that aviation has on our region, and we're taking concrete steps to reduce that impact," said John Parrott, director of King County International Airport-Boeing Field. "ACAP gives us a yardstick to measure the success of our efforts, and we're proud to have taken another step forward."

Climate change caused by carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions will have long-term consequences for the environment, the economy, and public health and safety. To do its part to reduce the threat, King County Airport aims to be carbon neutral by 2030 for Scope 1 (direct emissions controlled by KCIA) and Scope 2 (indirect emissions from purchased electricity, heating and cooling in buildings) emissions.

In 2021, KCIA was the first general aviation airport in Washington state to join the ACAP effort and achieve Level 1. The airport received Level 2 accreditation in 2023. ACAP certification is just one part of the airport's work toward meeting targets set out in King County's Strategic Climate Action Plan or SCAP, which was renewed by the King County Council earlier this year.

KCIA has demonstrated its commitment to environmental stewardship and reducing carbon dioxide emissions in other ways as well. Those efforts include:

• Being the first airport in the nation to purchase and deploy a battery-electric runway sweeper.
• Being the first airport in the nation to take delivery of a hybrid-electric aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) vehicle.
• Welcoming a demonstration of BETA Technologies' ALIA CTOL, an all-electric aircraft, in October. The ALIA was then the first aircraft to use the newly refurbished Runway 14L/32R.
• Replacing Airport Operations vehicles with battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) like the Ford F-150 Lightning.

Capital construction projects are also part of the airport's environmental sustainability efforts, meeting or exceeding King County standards for construction and demolition debris landfill diversion rates.

ACAP is the only global, airport-specific carbon standard that relies on internationally recognized methodologies. It independently assesses the efforts of airports to manage and reduce their carbon emissions. Through its seven levels of accreditation, ACAP can be used by airports of any size to manage their environmental impact. Each level reached increases an airport's ability to mitigate the effects of climate change. ACAP provides a framework for developing long-term strategies to guide and support airports through a process of continual improvement and partnership with stakeholders.

There are 101 airports in North America, and just more than 600 worldwide, that are engaged in ACAP. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is the only other airport in Washington participating in the program.

Read more about the airport's environmental initiatives.