JFKIAT has announce that it has been recertified at the Platinum level under the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance rating system from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
USGBC’s LEED program is the most widely used green building rating system in the world and an international symbol of excellence. Through design, construction, and operations practices that improve environmental and human health, LEED-certified buildings are helping to make the world more sustainable.
Driven by a long-term commitment to sustainability, resilience, and operational excellence, JFKIAT has embedded environmental stewardship into every aspect of T4’s operations. As it leads the $1.5B transformation of the terminal, the company worked closely with its business partners to create the T4 North Star, JFKIAT’s strategic vision for the future of the T4 experience, and activate the “T4 State of Mind”, JFKIAT’s program to empower staff with hospitality traits and behaviors that elevate daily operations. Sustainability serves as one of the key culture pillars of the program, infusing JFKIAT’s long-established commitment to sustainability into T4’s future. Through the program, JFKIAT is ensuring that T4 is prepared for a sustainable future through investments that reduce environmental impact, improve efficiency, achieve long-term climate goals, and support local communities.
“Earning LEED Platinum certification for the second time is a significant milestone for T4 and a reflection of JFKIAT’s enduring commitment to sustainability, and an important part of how we operate as a company,” said Roel Huinink, Chief Executive Officer of JFKIAT. “As we continue to transform T4 into a world-class gateway, we are focused on empowering employees to innovate green solutions, fostering a workplace culture where environmental stewardship is a source of shared pride and purpose. This recognition credits the meaningful progress we’ve made and reinforces our responsibility to lead by example within the aviation industry.”
“Congratulations to Terminal 4 operator JFKIAT for successfully attaining LEED Platinum recertification, underscoring the Port Authority’s commitment to sustainability goals as we move forward with the $19 billion transformation of JFK into a world-class global gateway,” said Teresa Rizzuto, JFK International Airport General Manager. “In 2021, the Port Authority’s Board of Commissioners adopted the goal of achieving net-zero emissions agencywide by 2050. Terminal 4’s recertification of LEED Platinum is an important step toward reaching that goal.”
Sustainability is fully integrated across JFKIAT’s operations, with ongoing investments in energy efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions reduction, water conservation, waste management, indoor environmental quality, biodiversity, and sustainable transportation. In recent years, JFKIAT has spearheaded impactful sustainability initiatives across T4, ensuring the terminal’s long-term efficiency and resilience in the future. Advancing its goal of reaching net-zero carbon by 2050, JFKIAT invested in Green-e certified Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), contributing to a 12 percent reduction in its carbon footprint from baseline levels. Maintaining its commitment to sustainable transportation and operations, in 2025 JFKIAT purchased 1,979 gallons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in collaboration with Delta Air Lines as part of efforts to compensate for corporate air travel in 2024, cumulating to a total of to 15,715 gallons of SAF invested to date.
JFKIAT also expanded electric mobility throughout T4 through the deployment of electric buses and the installation of 58 electric ground support equipment (EGSE) charging stations, supporting a fleet of more than 700 vehicles, in addition to introducing a solar-powered Aviramp Continental jet bridge. By transitioning away from Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles to electric vehicles, JFKIAT reduces carbon emissions and noise pollution while improving air quality for passengers and local communities. The company also prioritized responsible water use, installing two rainwater harvesting systems in Concourses A and B. The Concourse A system captures more than 30,000 gallons annually for restroom use, while Concourse B system supports ramp-side roadway cleaning operations.
In addition to its sustainability programs within T4, JFKIAT continues to engage its Queens community through partnerships such as the Jamaica Bay–Rockaway Parks Conservancy, supporting local ecosystems and volunteer initiatives, and donates surplus materials annually to Materials for the Arts, benefiting NYC schools and arts nonprofits. During Earth Month last year, the company launched its “Our Power, Our Planet” Sustainability Wall, encouraging passengers to make climate pledges while learning about T4’s progress.
In 2021, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey was the first transportation agency in the U.S. to adopt the goal of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 through a detailed and ambitions strategy that includes facility-wide initiatives in the areas of electrification, renewable energy, and sustainable buildings/energy efficiency. To achieve these goals, the Port Authority is partnering with stakeholders, including airlines, terminal operators, concessionaires, ground transportation companies, construction companies, and electricity suppliers, among others, as well as companies and government agencies involved in making their electric grids less energy intensive.
LEED is globally recognized as a benchmark for green building excellence, providing a framework for building owners and operators to implement practical, measurable strategies that improve efficiency, lower carbon emissions, and create healthier environments. In the United States alone, buildings account for nearly 40 percent of global energy-related carbon emissions, making sustainable operations within the built environment critical to addressing climate change. LEED-certified buildings, on the other hand, have 34 percent lower CO2 emissions, consume 25 percent less energy and 11 percent less water, and have diverted more than 80 million tons of waste from landfills.
LEED buildings and communities save money, improve efficiency, lower carbon emissions and create healthier places for people. They are critical to addressing climate change and meeting ESG goals, enhancing resilience, and supporting more equitable communities. By certifying projects to LEED, companies, organizations, and governments can contribute to a better standard of living for everyone.
“The work of innovative building projects like JFK Terminal 4 is a fundamental driving force in transforming the way our buildings are built, designed and operated,” said Peter Templeton, president and CEO, USGBC. “Buildings that achieve LEED certification are lowering carbon emissions, reducing operating costs and conserving resources while prioritizing sustainable practices and human health. Because of JFK Terminal 4, we are increasing the number of green buildings and getting closer to USGBC’s goal to outpace conventional buildings, while being environmentally and socially responsible and improving quality of life for generations to come.”
