HOUSTON, TX – Houston Airports has reached a new carbon reduction milestone, achieving a 19% systemwide decrease in emissions compared to its 2019 baseline. As a result, George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), and Ellington Airport/Houston Spaceport (EFD) have earned Level 3 status in the Airport Carbon Accreditation program.
August 27, 2025.
(Photo Courtesy of HAS)
From 2019 to 2023, Houston’s airports recorded the following emissions reductions:
- IAH: 17% reduction
- HOU: 32% reduction
- EFD: 4% reduction
The achievement moves Houston Airports halfway toward its goal of a 40% reduction in emissions and reflects initiatives such as the deployment of electric vehicles, upgrades to LED airfield lighting, and the implementation of smarter power systems across terminals.
Level 3 accreditation expands the carbon reduction focus beyond airport-owned operations to include airline and tenant activities. United Airlines and Southwest Airlines collaborated with Houston Airports by sharing energy data to help reduce emissions on the ground and at the gate.
Recent and ongoing projects contributing to carbon reductions include:
- Smarter terminals: New construction such as IAH’s D-West Concourse and International Terminal Processor, along with the HOU West Concourse expansion and the IAH Terminal B rebuild, are using more efficient systems.
- Power with resilience: Solar panel installation and chiller plant upgrades at HOU, and improvements to IAH’s central utility plant.
- Clean mobility: Expansion of electric fleets across airport and airline operations.
- LED lighting: Terminal and airfield lighting upgrades to reduce energy consumption.
Houston Airports joined the Airport Carbon Accreditation program in March 2023, achieved Level 1 later that year, and progressed to Level 2 in 2024 for IAH and HOU. By 2025, all three airports have now reached Level 3. Formal recognition is scheduled at the ACI conference in October.
City Council Members Twila Carter and Abbie Kamin highlighted the milestone as a major step forward in the city’s resilience and sustainability planning, noting the importance of connecting infrastructure investment with long-term environmental responsibility.
Houston Airports serves over 60 million passengers annually and continues to align its infrastructure goals with sustainability benchmarks to support the city’s economic and environmental priorities.
