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
I am pleased to share with you the Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) 2023 Sustainability Report for Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Van Nuys Airport (VNY). The Report was developed by our Environmental Programs Division and summarizes LAWA’s continuous efforts to make sustainability foundational to LAWA’s culture.
2023 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
Dear Readers,
I am pleased to present you with Los Angeles World Airports’ (LAWA) 2023 Sustainability Report for Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Van Nuys Airport (VNY). The report was developed by our Environmental Programs Division and provides a summary of LAWA’s ongoing commitment to sustainability.
In 2023, even as we neared pre-pandemic numbers of passengers and operations, LAWA showed positive results in utility and material resource management by decreasing energy and potable water use per passenger, as well as increasing waste diversion.
A major focus of this report is on LAWA’s efforts to provide and enhance sustainable transportation. Also included is a report on progress toward meeting LAWA’s Sustainability Action Plan (SAP) targets, along with employee spotlights, which showcase LAWA workers for their contributions to sustainability.
Key accomplishments and milestones for 2023 include:
›› Decreased energy use 26% per passenger at LAX relative to 2011
›› Advanced solar generation at VNY, with nearly 13,000 operational panels and an additional 30,000 in construction/planned
›› Removed 16,900 pounds of invasive and non-native vegetation in the LAX Dunes
›› Irrigated 56% of landscaping at LAX with reclaimed water
›› Achieved LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certification for the Consolidated Rent-A-Car Facility, Airport Police Facility, and Terminal 4.5 Core
LAWA’s success on the sustainability front is a testament to the dedication of our employees, partners and tenants, along with strong support from local elected officials, agencies, organizations, and business partners. Together, we can and will continue to achieve our sustainability goals and move our airports and the aviation industry toward a greener future.