Our partnership with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), which resulted in a roadmap to help them reach net zero by 2050, sets a powerful example for transportation agencies in the United States (U.S.) and across the world.
Challenge
Direction for PANYNJ’s ambitious net zero goals
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) faces decarbonizing one of the nation’s busiest and most complex transportation infrastructure networks. The agency’s greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets include a 50 percent reduction in operational emissions below 2006 levels, 274,000 MT CO2e, by 2030 and a net zero target for all emissions, including Scope 3 by 2050. Further, 96 percent of its emissions are part of scope 3, meaning they fall beyond the agency’s direct control and require extensive stakeholder engagement. To support PANYNJ, we partnered to develop their Net Zero Roadmap — a detailed implementation plan to meet their ambitious targets.
Opportunity
Turning ambition into action
To deepen our understanding of PANYNJ’s challenges, we engaged at the earliest stage to lead a materiality assessment. This involved nearly 40 interviews with PANYNJ executives and line department staff to understand key priorities, opportunities, and barriers to integrating sustainability into day-to-day operations. We identified short-, medium-, and long-term decarbonization measures, developed a decision matrix to guide strategy and implementation and created a comprehensive stakeholder engagement plan to support the reduction of their scope 3 emissions. We outlined strategic partnership initiatives with stakeholders and defined key themes, ultimately delivering a scalable action plan with an achievable timeline of climate interventions to meet both interim and long-term goals.
Our approach emphasized strategic vision and early integration of climate considerations into project design. We evaluated potential organizational models to embed sustainability across the agency and developed proprietary digital tools to support scenario planning. Customized to PANYNJ’s emissions inventory, our GHG reduction scenario planning tool rigorously assessed carbon mitigation opportunities, providing a high level of confidence in decision-making.
Organizational alignment for long-term impact
Beyond technical solutions, our advisory engagement focused on building lasting institutional alignment and internal capacity at PANYNJ. Collaborating across all levels, we secured executive buy-in to support agency-wide adoption, while also engaging line department leads to unify individual teams and empower them to champion the Net Zero Roadmap (NZR) initiative.
Through over 100 interviews, technical and non-technical virtual workshops and working group sessions with line department staff, we identified and prioritized actionable items that shaped the projects and initiatives recommended in the NZR. Our consistent engagement helped to further strengthen our relationships, allowing services tailored to PANYNJ’s unique operational constraints, stakeholder dynamics and evolving sustainability goals. This approach ensured organizational alignment and allowed us to adapt alongside the agency as the project evolved.
Impact
Delivering a low-carbon future
Our integrated strategy allowed PANYNJ to plan and operationalize toward net zero, translating long-term ambition into tangible, near-term action across capital projects, infrastructure design and scope 3 stakeholder engagement. In doing so, we helped PANYNJ lay the groundwork for sector-wide transformation, strengthening their position as a national leader in sustainable infrastructure and a powerful driver of regional climate action.
By clearly charting emissions reduction goals, identifying technological solutions and uncovering organizational barriers and solutions, we set up PANYNJ for continuous improvement through robust data systems and multi-level alignment. Together, we helped shape the future of low-carbon infrastructure in one of the most economically vital regions in the country. This partnership reflects our shared commitment to delivering practical climate solutions that enable more sustainable, resilient outcomes.