Integrating Environmental Sustainability into Airport Contracts

Abstract

As major users of diverse goods and services, airport operators have the opportunity to drive environmental sustainability performance improvements at airports through the integration of new language in contracts. As such, this synthesis provides airports with effective practices and tools to integrate environmental sustainability into their contracts. The airport contract types identified that provide the most opportunity to make a difference to an airport’s sustainability performance include design and construction contracts, concessions and tenant lease agreements, and janitorial service contracts. All of the airport operators that were surveyed as part of this research had environmental sustainability conditions integrated into major design and construction contracts at their airport. No other contract type had the same widespread integration. Incorporating performance standards into design and construction contracts is a good starting place for airport operators that are embarking on a sustainability program. Furthermore, the research identified specific contract language that can be inserted in these contract types to achieve the desired performance improvements. Example contract language is located in the appendix of this synthesis. Data collection consisted of a literature review and telephone interviews with personnel at regionally diverse airports known for environmental sustainability leadership. Thirteen of 14 airports responded to an initial survey (93% response rate); and ten airports provided information on effective practices through interviews.