When you think of Dallas as an event location, you no doubt think big city excitement, big time entertainment and luxe accommodations. All with a larger-than-life, “y’all are welcome” spirit. But what you may not have considered is that this city is among the nation’s leaders in sustainability practices.
In 2020, the City of Dallas passed a Comprehensive Environmental and Climate Action Plan which charts a path toward achieving ambitious targets across eight sustainability categories: Air Quality, Buildings, Ecosystems, Energy, Food Access, Transportation, Water Resources and Zero Waste.
A Shining Green Star
This isn’t the city’s first sustainability rodeo. Turns out Dallas was one of the first cities in the country to pass comprehensive green building standards for both new residential and commercial construction. At the same time, DFW Airport has quietly become the largest carbon-neutral airport in the world and is the first airport to receive a 4+ level in the Airports Council International Carbon Accreditation program.
Less Mess in Texas
With one of the largest highway systems in America and two international airports, air quality is a major priority for Dallas for residents and visitors alike. Dallas is taking steps to ensure the view of their gorgeous skyline is crystal clear with the Dallas Community Air Management Program (D-CAMP)–a collaboration between community, government and academia to collect neighborhood air quality data using advanced, low-cost sensor technology. Sensors will be placed throughout Dallas to measure levels of air pollutants where residents live, work and play, collecting data to inform future development and building initiatives.
What’s more, Dallas has committed to becoming a zero-waste community and has made incredible strides to this end, focusing on reducing organic and paper waste and landfill diversion strategies.
A Convention Center Taking Sustainability to the Next Level
Of course, Dallas has always been about what’s next, embracing the future with audacity and a bold vision. Nowhere will this be more on display than in the renovated, expanded and modernized Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center– coming in 2028. A complete re-envisioning of the center will include 800,000 square feet of exhibit space, 430,000 square feet of breakout space and a walkable entertainment district with new retail, hotels and restaurants.
Equally as impressive as what the building will have more of is what it will use and produce less of. Namely, sustainable energy practices that consume less energy, sustainable waste practices that result in less organic, paper and landfill-directed waste, and sustainable food and beverage policies. Brad Kent, senior vice president and chief sales officer for Visit Dallas said, “We’re going to have a building that’s much more efficient and uses a lot less energy. The current plans have many more green spaces, even on top of the buildings themselves.”
Everything may be bigger in Texas, but as Dallas looks to the future, less is more.
Sponsored by Visit Dallas
