DFW Airport, An Island

We met Rusty Hodapp, Vice President & Sustainability Officer at DFW Airport. He is educated as an engineer, working for the airport for 25 years. He proved himself to be a game changer in 2007 by writing policy that created a sustainability department that helped launch the way of thinking for this very large entity.

He has educated himself on the sustainable principles and has done a nice job of selling them by focusing on the economics first, which is the way to be successful. They run the airport like a business. CEO Jeff Fegan has adopted many of the policies which is necessary in order for the goals to be effective and sustainable long term. They are seeing a huge return on their investment in many areas of renewable fuels for their fleets and energy use.

LIVEWELL. Be healthy. Be fit. Be safe.

This is the marketing campaign for the social aspect of their sustainability program. They understand like many companies that well happy employees = profit. He quoted Andrew Savitz, who wrote Triple Bottom Line that it was important to find the Sustainability Sweetspot.

You can reduce operating cost which makes a profit while reducing emissions.

You can have healthy happy productive employees which reduces insurance costs, sick time and risk.

I found it interesting that they operate as an independent entity and legislate themselves in terms of health and safety. That I believe would present a lot of opportunity to be a game changer in the industry. I'm glad that they are going to begin the GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) process. I have become certified in the GRI program and feel that it has become part of the standard among global companies and certainly those that compete globally.

DFW Airport made the conscience decision to NOT use alternative renewable energies in their police and fire fleets because it did not create a cost savings to offset the danger of the possibility of the fleet being unreliable. Wasn't worth the safety. I like that.

All of us driving to DFW Airport instead of speakers coming to us was probably NOT the most sustainable moment....just saying.


www.dfwairport.com