Van Nuys Airport is moving full-speed ahead on its journey to becoming a cleaner and more efficient community for airport users, operators, neighbors and the environment. On July 21, 2017 it was confirmed that VNY has achieved the necessary requirements to enter at Level 2 of the Airport Carbon Accreditation Program, which bolsters airport efforts to continue to reduce, manage and ultimately neutralize their carbon footprint.

To apply for certification at one of the four levels of this program, applicant airports must present evidence of their independently-verified carbon footprint to the program administrator with all claims that pertain to carbon management. Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) used the Airports Council International (ACI) Carbon and Emissions Reporting Tool (ACERT) to quantify greenhouse gas emissions, adding in a target goal for VNY to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 5% below 2013 by 2025. LAWA also identified ways to reduce emissions, including replacing fleet vehicles with cleaner-burning alternatives and encouraging employees to find new ways of saving energy in the workplace.

Board of Airports Commissioner Jeffery Daar praised the certification, saying “This honor is one example of VNY’s commitment to being a world-class leader in service and a partner in the community.” Currently, VNY is the only general aviation airport in the U.S. at Airport Carbon Accreditation Level 2. It is only the second airport in the world to achieve this certification.

The Airport Carbon Accreditation Program was part of a resolution on Climate Change adopted by ACI-Europe’s member airports, who committed themselves to reducing carbon emissions with the ultimate goal of becoming carbon neutral.