San José Mineta International Airport Achieves Level 2 Airport Carbon Accreditation

Milestone marks progress toward carbon reduction goals

L to R: Kevin Burke, President and CEO, ACI-NA; Patrick Hansen, Environmental Program Manager, SJC; Mookie Patel, Director of Aviation, SJC
 

San José, Calif. – San José Mineta International Airport (SJC) has been upgraded to Level 2 certification in the Airport Carbon Accreditation program, receiving an award for the achievement this week at the Airports Council International North America Annual Conference and Exhibition in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This advancement recognizes SJC’s progress reducing the facility’s greenhouse gas emissions in alignment with the Climate Smart San José initiative and in support of protecting the region’s long-term socioeconomic viability.

Airport Carbon Accreditation is the only global carbon management certification program for airports, providing a common framework for active carbon management with measurable goalposts and recognition through six levels of certification for the efforts of airports to reduce their carbon emissions.

“San José was the first U.S. city to set the ambitious goal of carbon neutrality by 2030, and managing our airport operations is a vital part of achieving that goal,” said San José Mayor Matt Mahan. “I’m thrilled to see the progress being made toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions at San José Mineta International Airport in just three years of accreditation and I look forward to building on this milestone.”

“By reducing greenhouse gases, the San José Mineta International Airport is making strides in contributing to Climate Smart San José. This great achievement is due to the dedicated work of the SJC employees and their commitment to improving the quality of life for San José residents and beyond,” said San José City Manager Jennifer Maguire.

“We are honored by this recognition,” said SJC Director of Aviation Mookie Patel. “This is a major milestone toward our carbon reduction goals and to reduce SJC’s contributions towards global concentrations of greenhouse gas emissions. I extend my thanks to the entire Airport community for this significant achievement.”

SJC first received Level 1 Airport Carbon Accreditation in 2021 and has demonstrated consistent year-over-year reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. After submitting all required data for Scope 1 & 2 emissions sources, a comprehensive Carbon Reduction Statement, and completing a rigorous third-party audit, the Airport applied for Level 2 accreditation in January 2024. In March 2024, ACI-NA confirmed that SJC met all requirements, awarding a certificate valid from mid-May 2024 through mid-May 2025. 

Recent milestones in support of carbon emissions reduction goals:

• In July 2022, SJC transitioned to San José Clean Energy’s TotalGreen service, which provides 100% renewable energy from sources such as sunlight and wind for all City-owned buildings at the Airport.
• In January 2020, SJC completed its first Sustainability Management Plan, serving as a roadmap for reducing resource consumption, environmental impact and promoting social responsibility.
• In 2019, SJC introduced a fleet of 10 battery-electric, zero-emission buses for passenger and luggage transport between parking lots, the rental car center and terminals—a pioneering move among California airports.

Additionally, the Airport has implemented the following:

• Upgraded the lighting system by replacing conventional fixtures with efficient LED lighting throughout its terminals.
• Designed new construction to meet U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Silver Certification standards. 
• Implemented a "smart" Building Management Systems (BMS) which allows real-time control of lighting and HVAC and significantly reduces energy consumption.
• Installed a 3.4-acre solar PV farm producing 1.1 Megawatts of electricity.

To further underscore its commitment to environmental stewardship, SJC has outlined an ambitious timeline: achieving Level 3 ACA Accreditation by 2026 and Level 3+ by 2029.