DENVER – November 3, 2025 – Denver International Airport (DEN) today released its 2024 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report.
“The 2024 ESG report is a reflection of our commitment to serving not just as a world-class airport, but as a responsible and transparent community partner,” DEN CEO Phil Washington said. “This report is one way we stay accountable to the residents of Denver and Colorado and to our customers and ensure that our growth is aligned with the long-term needs of our environment, economy and communities.”
DEN saw a record 82.3 million annual passengers travel through the airport in 2024, a 5.8% increase over the year before. Accomplishments from the year include:
Environmental Stewardship
- Achieved a 15.5% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions since 2019, despite a 19% increase in passengers.
- Expanded on-site solar capacity by over 30 megawatts, now producing more than 40 million kilowatt-hours annually, making DEN’s solar program one of the largest and most diverse among airports worldwide.
- Attained a record 22% waste diversion rate, launched the Zero Waste Valet pilot program, and diverted over 100 tons of material from landfill.
- Advanced PFAS remediation efforts, achieving over 98% average residual PFAS removal from all Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting vehicles.
Social Responsibility
- Dedicated the Center of Equity and Excellence in Aviation (CEEA) Hall of Equity to Bessie Coleman and Ed Dwight and expanded CEEA programming to support workforce development and small business growth.
- Earned the ACI-NA Airport Workforce Development Accreditation Level 3 and received the Airport Minority Advisory Council’s Airport of the Year Award for advancing DBE, ACDBE, MWBE, and EEO goals.
- Expanded the New Heights Program, serving 268 justice-involved individuals and facilitating 52 permanent job placements in 2024.
Governance and Transparency
- Maintained strong credit ratings (Senior Lien Bonds: AA-Fitch; AA-S&P; Aa3 Moody’s) with stable and positive outlooks, reflecting operational resilience and investor confidence.
- Enhanced risk management and safety programs, including the launch of the Safety Management System Best Practices document, positioning DEN as a national leader in aviation safety.
- Advanced climate resiliency planning with a comprehensive risk and vulnerability assessment of critical assets and operations.
This is the third year that DEN has produced an ESG report. The full report can be found at https://www.flydenver.com/about-den/governance/environmental-social-and-governance-report/.
Denver International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world. DEN is the primary economic engine for the state of Colorado, generating more than $47.2 billion for the region annually. For more information visit www.FlyDenver.com, check us out on YouTube and Instagram, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Sign up for DEN’s monthly newsletter Nonstop News.
