Environmental Initiatives
Sustainability: We’re Taking Action
Zero Emission Vehicle Strategy: Our comprehensive guide detailing the Port Authority of NY & NJ Zero Emission Vehicle Strategy will be available for download soon. Please check back for its release.
The Port Authority is committed to the long-term sustainability of the region while meeting the critical infrastructure needs of New York and New Jersey. We have formally committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 across the Port Authority, embracing the Biden Administration’s greenhouse gas reduction targets. In addition, we have established a new interim target to reduce emissions under the Port Authority’s direct operational control of 50 percent by 2030, building on our 2018 commitment to reduce direct emissions by 35 percent by 2025.
These commitments strengthen the agency’s first-in-sector embrace of the Paris Climate Accords in 2018. To learn more about the initiatives we are taking to achieve net zero, read the press release here.
Our Roadmap to Getting to Net Zero
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s Net Zero Roadmap is a comprehensive plan comprised of more than 40 concrete actions that will guide the agency’s efforts to meeting its goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. In addition to outlining the efforts the Port Authority is taking to reduce emissions it directly controls, the plan paves the way for the agency’s wide universe of tenants and contractors, whose services produce the vast majority of on-property emissions, to achieve the same goal in the same timeframe.
Our Zero Emission Vehicle Strategy
The Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Strategy outlines industry-wide best practices and recommended actions for the Port Authority and its stakeholders to transition to zero-emission vehicles and equipment, aligned with our New Zero Roadmap and carbon-emission reduction goals. This guide helps owners and operators understand model availability, plan purchases, and navigate Port Authority and government regulations, accelerating the move toward a fossil-fuel-free future. Read the complete roadmap or select the strategy for specific vehicle classes.
Net Zero Sustainability Efforts by 2050 Announcement
Watch the virtual event which took place on October 28, 2021 where the Port Authority announced its plans to formally adopt a goal of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, in alignment with goals set by the Biden administration. In addition, the agency announced its new target to reduce its direct emissions by 50 percent by 2030.
Sustainability and Innovation
We are on a mission to keep one of the world’s most economically vital regions moving—by air, land, rail, and sea—and to do so in a way that’s efficient, equitable, resilient and sustainable. Today we are striving to meet the demands of a growing region by embarking on an unprecedented program to build the next generation of world-class infrastructure all while focusing on reducing our environmental impact. Learn more about our agency-wide sustainability efforts at our various facilities by watching this video.
Waste Management
The Port Authority is taking another step forward in its long-term commitment to ensuring the sustainability of the region with the initiation of new waste management initiatives. The forthcoming plan will set an agency-wide zero-waste target to help manage the waste generated at and by our facilities. The first stage in this plan is an airport-wide recycling policy that will reduce waste going to landfills, help conserve natural resources, and reduce emissions from waste hauling and landfilling.
Educating the Next Generation onSustainability
In collaboration with local partners, we are developing engaging online programs and educational materials to help local students learn more about sustainability and climate change. Through interactive animation, videos and games, the Port Authority has developed a variety of content for teachers and parents to help young minds learn more about the environment.