Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options (2014)

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C-1 1 Table of Contents The User Guide will begin with a Table of Contents. 2 Introduction Purpose of the Rating System This section explains the purpose of the Rating System, which is ultimately to help airports pursue sustainability, measure their performance across standardized metrics, and compare their progress against other airports in the United States. Elements in this section will: • Recognize other rating systems and explain the airport-focused, flexible, and domestic nature of this Rating System. • Explain how this Rating System goes beyond project-based rating systems (and at times incorporates them) in order to focus on higher-level sustainability performance, thereby giving airports the flexibility to choose their own paths depending upon their particular issues. • Discuss the importance of integrating sustainability across airport functions—i.e., management, operations, and infrastructure. • Address the need to approach sustainability across airport spheres of influence—i.e., direct control, indirect control, and direct influence. • Highlight the need to guide and assist airports in documentation and verification. Rating System Development This section will describe why the Rating System was developed, the design specifications that were considered when develop- ing it, and a high-level overview of how the rating system fits within the greater library of rating systems, such as: • Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) – Sustainability Reporting Guidelines 3.1. • GRI Airport Operator Supplement. • Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) – 2009 Guidelines for Existing Buildings and Operations Maintenance. • Los Angeles World Airports – Sustainable Airport Planning, Design, and Construction Guidelines 5.0 (LSAG). • Chicago Department of Aviation, Sustainable Design Manual, 2003; Sustainable Airport Manual 2009–2011, Current Version 2.1, (SAM). • Sustainability Tracking Assessment & Rating System 1.2 (STARS). • Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) Envision Sustainability Rating System. • Port Authority of New York & New Jersey (PANYNJ) – Sustainable Infrastructure Guidelines. EONS and Sustainability This section explains the EONS framework, presents a definition of sustainability, and discusses how both can apply to functions across airports for the purposes of this Rating System. The EONS framework augments conventional environmental A P P E N D I X C Preliminary User Guide—Annotated Outline

C-2 Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options definition of sustainability and incorporates operational, administrative, economic, and social concerns. This section also discusses how the Rating System considers sustainability airport-wide by considering airport infrastructure, operations, and management. Benefits of Pursuing Sustainability This section discusses the benefit of pursing sustainability and how this Rating System can help meet goals, track progress, and communicate success toward sustainability. The benefits discussed may include: • Reduce energy and resource consumption and decrease emissions. • Measure and track performance across standardized metrics. • Communicate environmental successes nationally and to local stakeholders—travelers, employees, airlines, community members, etc. • Educate stakeholders. • Compare progress against industry standards as well as other airports in the U.S. • Improve relations with the community and customers. • Facilitate environmental permitting. • Justify and communicate importance of sustainability to management. 3 Rating System Structure This section will describe the Rating System components, their purpose, and how they relate to each other to form a functional rating system. It will provide the reader with an introduction and overview of the system. After describing each component the section will close with a one- or two-page sample Sustainability Activity Description that summarizes the components and their purpose along with examples of each. Sustainability Categories and Sustainability Activities This section will provide a definition, purpose, and examples of Sustainability Categories and Sustainability Activities as well as a summary table of the Sustainability Categories and Sustainability Activities included in the Rating System. • Sustainability Activities – High-level undertakings that have a strong potential to improve the sustainability of an airport. • Sustainability Category – Broad organizational levels that group Sustainability Activities of a similar sustainability theme. Performance Metrics and Actions This section will provide a definition, purpose, and examples of Performance Metrics and Actions. It will also discuss how recommended performance actions encompass airport infrastructure, operations, and management. • Performance Metric – An indicator of performance within a Sustainability Activity that allows the airport to measure and track performance over time. • Performance Action – Efforts taken to improve sustainability that, when evaluated alongside other Performance Actions, serve as good indicators of sustainability performance. EONS Icons This section will provide a definition of EONS Icons along with its purpose, application in the Rating System, and examples. • EONS Icon – A symbol that identifies which aspects of the EONS framework apply to a sustainability activity. Innovation This section discusses what innovation credits are, how they can be earned, and what documentation is required.

Preliminary User Guide—Annotated Outline C-3 4 Rating System Use This section provides the user with instructions for using the Rating System. Including instructions for using the scoring framework, how to establish an initial rating, how and when to reevaluate sustainability and update the rating. The section will also include recommendations for internal verification, documentation, and management of rating system procedures. Overall Airport Rating This section explains the structure of the scoring framework and its basis on thresholds and points. It also discusses how the accumulation of points leads to an overall rating. Sustainability Activity and Category Scoring This section explains how points can be earned to measure the level of performance for an activity as well as the process for summing points to achieve a category score and an overall score. It includes descriptions of the two evaluation types (metrics and actions). Topics such as prerequisites and innovation are also included. Rating Levels This section will introduce how to determine a Rating Level from the Category score and Overall score and will also discuss the process for updating the rating over time. Certification, Verification, Management, and Documentation This section will describe procedures for certification and verification (if applicable) as well as high-level best practices used to ensure openness, balance, and applicability for every airport in the country. The section will also provide guidance for document- ing information for internal use and to support third party-verification if and when the Rating System requires it. Initially, the expectation is that airports will be allowed full flexibility to evaluate their sustainability performance and to establish and verify a rating using the Rating System. Over time a more structured governance process may be put in place based on demand. This section of the User Guide will provide guidance on how to conduct certification and verification. If this is done internally, the User Guide will provide guidance for first and second party certification as well as second party verification—each is defined below: First-Party Certification – often referred to as self-certification or self-determination: internal determination that the airport meets the requirements of a rating level made by the same airport staff who are responsible for compiling the data and docu- mentation use to determine the rating level. Second-Party Certification – a determination of the rating level made by at least partially independent staff with an appropri- ate understanding of rating system requirements. If internal staff, they are other than those who are responsible for compiling the data and documentation used in support of the rating level—i.e., at least “one step removed” from the developing the data that supports the rating. This can also be conducted by a peer organization, for example appropriate expertise from another airport even within a network of airports. Second-Party Verification – verification of the rating determination for the airport confirming that the data and documen- tation used to determine the rating level are accurate and complete and the resulting rating appropriate made by individuals at least “one step removed” from the development of the data and the determination of the rating. Over time, the airport industry may transition to conducting third party certification and verification. This section would then provide recommendations and guidance for achieving third party certification and verification, which are defined as follows: Third-Party Certification – external determination of the rating level made by an organization that is not affiliated with the airport. Third-Party Verification – verification of the determination of the rating for the airport confirming that the data and doc- umentation used to determine the rating level are accurate and complete and the resulting rating appropriate made by an

C-4 Prototype Airport Sustainability Rating System—Characteristics, Viability, and Implementation Options independent organization that is not affiliated with the airport and which is free from real or potential conflict of interest in its determination. The section will also provide recommendations for managing the use of the Rating System and data that supports it— such as establishing a team to oversee the rating, ensuring that the team is multidisciplinary, data tracking mechanisms and procedures, etc. Documentation details will be provided by Sustainability Activity in Section 5 of the User Guide. 5 Sustainability Activities This section will be the majority of the User Guide. A Sustainability Activity Description will be provided for each of the 50 Sustainability Activities included in the Rating System, organized by the Sustainability Category. Each category chapter will be preceded by a discussion of EONS and how the activities within the respective category can support each aspect of EONS (economic viability, operational efficiency, natural resource conservation, and social responsibility). Each Sustainability Activity Description will provide the associated: • Sustainability Category. • EONS Icons. • Performance Metric or Performance Actions. • Performance Levels and Thresholds. • Financial Considerations. • Recommended (or required) procedures for Documentation. 6 Appendices Appendices will include supplementary information that directly relates to the use of the Airport Sustainability Rating System, such as: • Additional Guidance and Resource Materials – Additional information and references that will supplement the information provided throughout the Rating System. • Glossary – Definitions of important terms and concepts presented throughout the Rating System. • Acronyms – Expansions of all acronyms presented throughout the Rating System. • Activity Scoring Worksheet/Checklist – A summary list of all Sustainability Activities and points associated with each, organized by Category, to help visualize the content of the Rating System and help tally points to establishing a Rating.