COMMISSION 
AGENDA MEMORANDUM                       Item No.         11a 
BRIEFING ITEM                            Date of Meeting       June 11, 2024 
DATE:     May 24, 2024 
TO:        Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director 
FROM:    Sandra Kilroy, Senior Director, Environment and Sustainability 
Mallory Hauser, Sustainability Reporting and Communications Manager 
SUBJECT:  2023 Environment and Sustainability Annual Report 
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
This year, 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. 
As an organization focused on opportunity, sustainability, and equity, we achieve this by working
collaboratively with others who share our vision. 
Several factors influence how we approach sustainability. Environmental challenges are
becoming increasingly complex which demand innovative solutions. It is critical to engage our
communities and focus on environmental justice. Partnerships are crucial for tackling these
challenges. Climate change requires urgent action. 
These drivers inform our overall strategy, which emphasizes leadership, partnerships, datadriven
decision making, investments, environmental justice, and community engagement. 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 for the entire aviation and maritime sectors. We  recognize our work contributes to



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             COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a                                 Page 2 of 6 
Meeting Date: June 11, 2024 
global change and our strategies support progress toward achieving  the United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals. 
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 2023. 
(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. Starting this year, a
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. We remain committed to driving positive change throughout
the maritime and aviation sectors, ensuring a healthy environment for all. 
BACKGROUND 
The Port of Seattle's employees are a powerhouse of expertise. Teams work together to develop
and maintain programs tackling critical issues like decarbonization, habitat restoration,
remediation, water quality, waste reduction, noise reduction and sustainable infrastructure. 
This commitment 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 decisionmaking
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 2023 annual environment and sustainability report are eleven key areas with
quantitative and qualitative data points demonstrating our progress toward environment and
sustainability goals. 


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             COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a                                 Page 3 of 6 
Meeting Date: June 11, 2024 
Category          Summary                            2023 Highlights 
Charting the      The Port of Seattle takes a multi-      We achieved a 50% reduction in
Course to Zero    pronged approach to tackling         Port-wide Scope 1&2 GHG
(Climate)          climate change and improving air      emissions from the 2005 baseline --
quality. Decarbonization is a core      - meeting our 2030 goal seven
focus, with initiatives like switching    years early thanks to the purchase
to renewable natural gas for          of renewable natural gas for both
buildings and partnering on clean     our aviation and maritime facilities. 
fuel research for maritime and
aviation industries. The Port actively   Signed Pacific Northwest to Alaska
explores alternatives to traditional    Green Corridor project charter and
fossil fuels, aiming to reduce           developed scope for green
reliance on them across its            methanol feasibility study. 
operations. Additionally,
electrification is a key strategy. The    Completed the MSW to SAF study 
Port is constantly seeking innovative  with King County. 
solutions to minimize air pollution
and contribute to a cleaner future. 
Stewarding       The Port is voluntarily taking action   We formalized land management
Healthy Lands    to restore critical habitat and         practices through the adoption of
and Habitat       increase public access for our         Land Stewardship Principles. 
communities. we are creating a
lasting legacy of stewardship that     Over 2,500 chum and chinook 
fosters the health of our               salmon returned to the Duwamish
communities and region for          River's Peoples Park, a testament
generations to come. Our work       to our restoration efforts. 
supports the survival and recovery
of critical species like salmon and      We've also restored kelp beds,
orcas, while also enhancing the       stabilized shoreline, and planted
health of our communities through   over 13,000 trees and shrubs. 
improved environmental quality and
enriching recreational opportunities
like waterfront parks, inland creeks,
and marinas.
Cleaning Up      The Port of Seattle transforms        Significant progress was made with
Contaminated    historically polluted areas into       investigations at seven terminals
Lands             healthy lands near our airport and    and Port locations, including East
waterfront, fostering economic       Waterway, Terminal 25, and
growth and environmental           Terminal 91. SEA Airport’s former
stewardship.                        United-Continental Fuel Farm Site 
clean-up was completed. 
Reducing Waste   Operating a major airport and        We are close to our 60% diversion
seaport means there can be a lot of   goal for SEA Airport terminals

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             COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a                                 Page 4 of 6 
Meeting Date: June 11, 2024 
waste. The airport alone is a 24/7     (48%) and maritime facilities
operation that serves over 50         (56.5%).
million passengers a year and has
20,000 employees who work there.   New SEA requirements mandate
It is akin to managing a city,            reusable or compostable options at
including the need to manage all the  all retail and dining locations,
waste. The Port actively works to      taking effect in July 2024. 
embrace the call to “reduce, reuse
and recycle” in all our facilities.         We've further bolstered our waste
reduction efforts by implementing
AI-powered waste sorting
machines. 
Building          Building infrastructure that is         Efficiently handled environmental
Resilient and      sustainable and resilient in the long   reviews and permits, supporting
Sustainable       term is important for financial        266 active maritime and aviation
Infrastructure      stewardship, community affects,      projects in 2023. 
and environmental protection. We
need to stop the causes of climate     Through the Sustainable Evaluation
change while at the same time we    Framework process, we reviewed
can control and prepare for the       140 capital projects, resulting in
possible impacts. The Port of Seattle   three completed sustainable design
aims to build and maintain its         strategies. 
facilities in a smart, sustainable way
to ensure they function for our
community well into the future.
Protecting        Port of Seattle implements           We protected water quality
Water Quality     programs and processes,             through stormwater management 
collaborates with our tenants, and    and met all permit requirements in
invests in innovative treatment        2023. SEA Airport retained its
technologies to ensure we avoid or    Salmon-Safe certification, and we
minimize any effects on the health    made significant progress (33%)
of Puget Sound and foster a clean     toward our 75% target for
and vibrant marine environment.     rehabilitating our maritime
stormwater system. 
Lessening the     Seattle-Tacoma International         Completed or made progress in 
Impact of         Airport (SEA) was one of the first      insulating 8 single-family homes,
Aircraft Noise      airports in the country to establish a   320 apartment units, 3 places of
noise mitigation program. Since       worship, and the final 3 units in a
1985 the Port has been delivering a   condominium complex.
comprehensive Airport Noise         Additionally, we partnered with the
Program to minimize noise pollution  FAA and a local school district to
around the airport. The program has  upgrade schools for noise
three main components: residential

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             COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a                                 Page 5 of 6 
Meeting Date: June 11, 2024 
sound insulation projects, airline       reduction, with the 11th school
collaboration and recognition, and    receiving voter approval in 2023. 
community engagement. 
Engaging Our     Recognizing that a healthy           We hosted or participated in over
Community      environment is vital for both the     60 community stewardship events
port and surrounding communities,   and learning opportunities,
the Port of Seattle prioritizes           including Duwamish Alive!, NWSA
collaborative environmental          Truck and Bike Safety Fair, and
stewardship. Through education      StormFest. 
and outreach programs, the Port
empowers near-port residents and
regional communities to participate
in decision-making and advocate for
environmental well-being. This
commitment to community
engagement fosters trust,
empowers informed decisionmaking
, and harnesses the power of
collective action for a more
sustainable future.
Practicing         The Port actively advances Equity,     Supported strong WMBE
Equity,            Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)          contracting goal. Created an
Diversity, and     through its environmental             environmental justice manager.
Inclusion           programs. This includes prioritizing    Awarded $150,000 in
business inclusion programs that      environmental grants. Utilized the
empower diverse-owned            equity index in environmental
businesses, fostering green job        program planning. 
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.
Awards and      Throughout the year, we've strived   We participate in Green Marine, a
Recognition       to implement innovative solutions    program for continuous
and collaborate with stakeholders     improvement in environmental
to achieve our sustainability goals.     performance within the maritime
These awards and                  industry, ranking 5 (the highest
acknowledgements represent the     score) in nearly all categories. 
dedication and hard work of our
team and partners, and further

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             COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. 11a                                 Page 6 of 6 
Meeting Date: June 11, 2024 
motivate us to continue on the path   The Duwamish River People’s Park
of environmental stewardship and    and Habitat and Shoreline Habitat
community engagement.            was a finalist for the IAPH
Sustainability Award in the
environmental care category. 
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS BRIEFING 
(1)   Presentation slides 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS 
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Template revised September 22, 2016.