LAWA Sustainability
Sustainability at LAWA
Sustainability Mission Statement
As the international gateway in our region, Los Angeles World Airports is committed to setting the global airport standard for customer satisfaction and security, regional economic leadership and organizational performance. Building on our core values, we will engage our employees, tenants, customers, and communities in an effort to continually improve our environmental, economic and social performance.
Please let us know your thoughts and ideas about how we can improve LAWA’s sustainability performance.
Message from the Chief Executive Officer
On behalf of Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), I am pleased to share our 2024 Annual Sustainability Report. Over the past year, we have made significant strides toward building a more sustainable and resilient airport system.
2024 Sustainability Report
LAWA Sustainable Design and Construction Policy
Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) has a longstanding commitment to advancing sustainability in our built environment and operations, as first conveyed in our Sustainability Vision and Principles adopted in 2007. This Sustainable Design and Construction Policy reconfirms that commitment and formalizes the requirement that all new building construction, major facility renovation projects, and non-building landside and airside projects meet LAWA’s Sustainable Design and Construction Policy.
LEED Certification Starter Kit
The LEED Certification Starter Kit serves as a document to streamline the LEED certification process for LAWA new construction projects that are required to achieve LEED Silver or better.
LAWA EV Purchasing Policy
Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) has a longstanding commitment to advancing sustainability in our built environment and operations, as first conveyed in our Sustainability Vision and Principles adopted in 2007. This Sustainable Design and Construction Policy reconfirms that commitment and formalizes the requirement that all new building construction, major facility renovation projects, and non-building landside and airside projects meet LAWA’s Sustainable Design and Construction Policy.
LAX Food Donation Policy
The LAX Food Donation Policy requires businesses that sell or distribute food at LAX to implement a surplus edible food recovery strategy and report to LAWA annually the quantity of food donated via that strategy. *Policy updated in September 2022*.
LAWA Single-use Plastic Water Bottle Phase-out Policy
Effective June 30, 2023, single-use plastic water bottles cannot be sold or distributed at LAX or VNY. Reusable water bottles of any material type are encouraged to avoid waste. Acceptable single-use materials are aluminum, glass, or cartons. This policy aims to reduce plastic waste generated at LAWA facilities and move towards zero waste.
LAX Waste Guidelines
In 2024, LAWA Sustainability launched a new terminal-wide initiative at LAX to streamline waste collection, increase landfill diversion rates, and comply with statewide regulations. LAWA developed the LAX Waste Guidelines that identify bin standards, labeling requirements, and bag requirements for all passenger-facing bins in the terminals. These guidelines were developed through intensive stakeholder engagement with various LAWA and tenant staff that manage waste in the terminals.
Mayor’s Sustainable City pLAn
On April 8, 2015, Mayor Eric Garcetti released L.A.’s first-ever Sustainable City pLAn. The pLAn is a roadmap to achieve back to basics short-term results while setting the path to strengthen and transform our City in the decades to come. In 2019, the Mayor launched Los Angeles' Green New Deal, an ambitious update to the 2015 Sustainable City pLAn.
Message from the CEO
LOS ANGELES WORLD AIRPORTS - LAWA
Greetings!
On behalf of Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), I am pleased to share our 2024 Annual Sustainability Report. Over the past year, we have made significant strides toward building a more sustainable and resilient airport system.
This report — developed by our Sustainability team, with support from various divisions and stakeholders across the organization — highlights LAWA’s ongoing sustainability initiatives, commitments, and accomplishments at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Van Nuys Airport (VNY).
In 2024, LAWA continued to lead the aviation industry with impactful initiatives and transformative projects. LAX increased operational waste diversion to 33%, supported by the launch of passenger-facing organics collection that encourages passengers to actively participate in our sustainability efforts. LAWA also had success in reducing air emissions by formally adopting the LAX Zero-Emission Ground Support Equipment Policy, and upgrading to Airport Council International’s Airport Carbon Accreditation Level 4 for LAX and VNY — making VNY the first general aviation airport in the Americas to achieve this distinction. These efforts reinforce LAWA’s commitment to curtailing operational emissions and establishing climate leadership.
Key accomplishments and milestones for 2024 include:
›› Achieved a 67% electric sedan fleet
›› Received 1st Place Leadership Award in Demand Response from Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
›› Increased organic waste diversion by 48% since 2023
›› Removed 146,000+ pounds of non-native plant species from the LAX Dunes
›› Achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Platinum for the Automated People Mover Maintenance and Storage Facility
Our success is a direct result of the dedication of our employees, tenants, and partnerships with local agencies, businesses, and organizations. We will continue our work to make LAWA a leader in the aviation industry and drive forward our goals for a cleaner and more sustainable future for everyone.