Template revised April 12, 2018.

COMMISSION

AGENDA MEMORANDUM

Item No. 11b

BRIEFING ITEM Date of Meeting May 13, 2025

DATE: May 6, 2025

TO: Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director

FROM: Sandra Kilroy, Senior Director, Environment and Sustainability

Sarah Cox, Director, Aviation Environment and Sustainability

Sarah Ogier, Director, Maritime Environment and Sustainability

Mallory Hauser, Sustainability Reporting and Communications Manager

SUBJECT: 2024 Environment and Sustainability Annual Report

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In 2024 the Port of Seattle achieved significant progress on our ambitious environmental and

sustainability goals. We're building a greener, more resilient port through a comprehensive

strategy focused on five key pillars:

1. Leadership: Influencing environmental policy and actions locally, nationally, and

internationally.

2. Partnerships: Collaborating with stakeholders to tackle complex challenges.

3. Data-Driven Decisions: Utilizing clear information to guide our actions.

4. Investment: Directing resources toward sustainable practices.

5. Community Engagement and Equity: Working closely with our neighbors to ensure a just

and sustainable future.

The Port boasts a comprehensive set of environmental and sustainability initiatives across air,

water, land, and community. We work to influence change locally and globally, establishing

ourselves as a leader in the aviation and maritime sectors. We recognize our work contributes to

global change and our strategies support progress toward achieving the United Nations

Sustainable Development Goals.

As an organization focused on opportunity, sustainability, and equity, we achieve this by working

collaboratively with others who share our vision. It is also critical that we share our progress

publicly.

This annual report presentation serves a dual purpose:

1. Celebrating Achievements: We'll showcase our comprehensive environmental and

sustainability programs, highlighting significant accomplishments made in 2024.

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2. Tracking Long-Term Goals: We've documented progress towards long-term goals through

a set of performance metrics (both qualitative and quantitative). These metrics, tracked

annually, demonstrate our commitment towards goals outlined in the Century Agenda,

regional agreements, and our own programmatic initiatives.

3. A complete formal annual report detailing our progress will be available on the Port's

website.

This report highlights some of our accomplishments, but it's not exhaustive. Sustainability is a

collaborative effort, and we're grateful for the contributions of our Port leadership, teams,

tenants, and community partners.

Background

In 2024 we released the Port’s first comprehensive Environment and Sustainability Annual Report

– showcasing 2023 progress. An annual report allows us to 1) share our comprehensive

environmental and sustainability programs, highlighting significant accomplishments; and 2)

track long-term goals through a set of performance metrics (both qualitative and quantitative).

These metrics, tracked annually, demonstrate our commitment towards goals outlined in the

Century Agenda, regional agreements, and our own programmatic initiatives.

This Port’s commitment to the environment is reflected in the Port's ambitious goals outlined in

the Century Agenda, a 25-year strategic plan adopted in 2012. The Century Agenda serves as a

compass, guiding decision-making and setting a clear course for a greener future. Notably, Goal

4 focuses on environmental leadership, with the Port aiming to become the greenest and most

energy-efficient port in North America.

Century Agenda Goal 4: Be the greenest and most energy-efficient port in North America

 Objective 9: Meet all increased energy needs through conservation and renewable

sources

 Objective 10: Meet or exceed agency requirements for stormwater leaving Port-owned

or operated facilities

 Objective 11: Reduce air pollutants and carbon emissions

 Objective 12: Restore, create, and enhance 40 additional acres of habitat in the

Green/Duwamish habitat

Key Accomplishments

Outlined in the 2024 annual environment and sustainability report are twelve key areas with

quantitative and qualitative data points demonstrating our progress toward environment and

sustainability goals.

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Category Summary 2024 Highlights

Charting the

Course to Zero

(Climate)

The Port of Seattle takes a multi-

pronged approach to tackling

climate change and improving air

quality. Decarbonization is a core

focus, with initiatives like switching

to renewable natural gas for

buildings and partnering on clean

fuel research for maritime and

aviation industries. The Port actively

explores alternatives to traditional

fossil fuels, aiming to reduce

reliance on them across its

operations. Additionally,

electrification is a key strategy. The

Port is constantly seeking innovative

solutions to minimize air pollution

and contribute to a cleaner future.

We verified Scope 1 and 2 GHG

inventory through The Climate

Registry.

Increased our renewable natural

gas energy use by 6% (Scope 1 &

2).

Became the first port to require

shore power usage by homeport

cruise vessels in 2027.

Pier 66 shore power project

completed.

47% of cruise calls connected to

shore power.

Decreased APU emissions by 15%

compared to 2023, our lowest

since 2018 (excluding 2020).

53 light duty electric vehicles in our

fleet.

Completed research on SEA's

Ground Transportation Emission

Reduction Strategy.

Note: 2024 emissions data will be

available in early Q3 of this year.

Stewarding

Healthy Lands

and Habitat

The Port is voluntarily taking action

to restore critical habitat and

increase public access for our

communities. We are creating a

lasting legacy of stewardship that

fosters the health of our

communities and region for

generations to come. Our work

supports the survival and recovery

of critical species like salmon and

We adopted the SEA Land

Stewardship Plan and Tree

Replacement Standards.

Reached a landmark deal to sell

500 habitat mitigation banking

credits.

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orcas, while also enhancing the

health of our communities through

improved environmental quality and

enriching recreational opportunities

like waterfront parks, inland creeks,

and marinas.

We've also restored kelp beds,

stabilized shoreline, and planted

2,444 trees and shrubs.

Cleaning Up

Contaminated

Lands

The Port of Seattle transforms

historically polluted areas into

healthy lands near our airport and

waterfront, fostering economic

growth and environmental

stewardship.

Became the first U.S. airport to use

cleaning technology to remove

PFAS-containing foam from

firetrucks. This equated to 3,795

gallons removed from SEA.

Significant progress was made with

investigations at seven Port

locations, including East Waterway,

Terminal 25, and Terminal 91. We

also tested new soil treatment

technology at Terminal 25.

Reducing Waste Operating a major airport and

seaport means there can be a lot of

waste. The airport alone is a 24/7

operation that serves over 50

million passengers a year and has

20,000 employees who work there.

It is akin to managing a city,

including the need to manage all the

waste. The Port actively works to

embrace the call to “reduce, reuse

and recycle” in all our facilities.

We are close to our 60% diversion

goal for SEA Airport terminals

(49%) and maritime facilities

(58.6%), both increasing since last

year.

New SEA requirements mandate

reusable or compostable options at

all retail and dining locations, took

effect in July 2024, and has already

led to a 14% increase in waste

diverted to composting.

Building

Resilient and

Sustainable

Infrastructure

Building infrastructure that is

sustainable and resilient in the long

term is important for financial

stewardship, community affects,

and environmental protection. We

need to stop the causes of climate

change while at the same time we

can control and prepare for the

possible impacts. The Port of Seattle

aims to build and maintain its

facilities in a smart, sustainable way

to ensure they function for our

community well into the future.

Through the Sustainable Evaluation

Framework process, we reviewed

137 capital projects, resulting in

two completed sustainable design

strategies.

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Environmental

Permitting and

Planning

Securing the necessary

environmental approvals and

permits often requires innovative

solutions and a deep understanding

of the complex and dynamic

regulatory landscape. Port of Seattle

staff navigate these challenges,

integrating environmental

considerations into every stage of

project development.

The draft NEPA document for the

SAMP NTPs was released by FAA

and we held public events for

community awareness and

engagement.

Efficiently handled environmental

reviews and permits, supporting

280 active maritime and aviation

projects in 2024.

Protecting

Water Quality

Port of Seattle implements

programs and processes,

collaborates with our tenants, and

invests in innovative treatment

technologies to ensure we avoid or

minimize any effects on the health

of Puget Sound and foster a clean

and vibrant marine environment.

We protected water quality

through stormwater management

and met all seaport permit

requirements in 2024.

Maritime parks retained its

Salmon-Safe certification, and we

made significant progress (42%)

toward our 75% target for

rehabilitating our maritime

stormwater system.

Lessening the

Impact of

Aircraft Noise

Seattle-Tacoma International

Airport (SEA) was one of the first

airports in the country to establish a

noise mitigation program. Since

1985 the Port has been delivering a

comprehensive Airport Noise

Program to minimize noise pollution

around the airport. The program has

three main components: residential

sound insulation projects, airline

collaboration and recognition, and

community engagement.

Initiated Part 150 study which

included three public workshops.

Launched a Sound Insulation

Repair and Replace Pilot Program

and completed a comprehensive

assessment.

Completed or made progress in

insulating three single-family

homes, 9 apartment buildings, and

3 places of worship.

Engaging Our

Community

Recognizing that a healthy

environment is vital for both the

port and surrounding communities,

the Port of Seattle prioritizes

collaborative environmental

stewardship. Through education

and outreach programs, the Port

empowers near-port residents and

regional communities to participate

We hosted or participated in over

75 community stewardship events

and learning opportunities,

including 50+ habitat events and

tours, and 18 tour showcasing our

PFAS transition.

The Port awarded $226,631 in

funding for the fourth cycle of the

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in decision-making and advocate for

environmental well-being. This

commitment to community

engagement fosters trust,

empowers informed decision-

making, and harnesses the power of

collective action for a more

sustainable future.

South King County Community

Impact Fund to six organizations

serving communities around SEA.

Practicing

Equity,

Diversity, and

Inclusion

The Port actively advances Equity,

Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)

through its environmental

programs. This includes prioritizing

business inclusion programs that

empower diverse-owned

businesses, fostering green job

creation, and providing a pathway

to economic opportunity for

residents, with a particular focus on

under-represented communities.

Additionally, the Port champions

environmental justice initiatives

that address historical disparities in

environmental burdens.

Supported strong WMBE

contracting goal.

Utilized the equity index in

environmental program planning,

including Part 150, the Land

Stewardship Plan, and the sound

insulation pilot.

Port-funded pre-apprenticeship

training programs trained and

placed 23 community members

into apprenticeships focusing on

clean and renewable energy,

including the construction,

installation, maintenance, and

operation of these systems.

Awards and

Recognition

Throughout the year, we've strived

to implement innovative solutions

and collaborate with stakeholders

to achieve our sustainability goals.

These awards and

acknowledgements represent the

dedication and hard work of our

team and partners, and further

motivate us to continue on the path

of environmental stewardship and

community engagement.

We participate in Green Marine, a

program for continuous

improvement in environmental

performance within the maritime

industry, ranking 5 (the highest

score) in nearly all categories.

The Seattle 2030 District has

awarded the Port of Seattle its

Leadership Vision Award for the

Port's Sustainable Evaluation

Framework.

A complete annual report detailing our progress will be available on the Port's website.

COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11b Page 7 of 7

Meeting Date: May 13, 2025

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ATTACHMENTS TO THIS BRIEFING

(1) Presentation slides

PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS

June 11, 2024 – The Commission was briefed on new reporting process and the 2023 annual

report.