The 2020 Environmental Leadership Awards celebrated creative and replicable approaches to conservation and building toward a sustainable future. The Environment Champion and Boeing teams with custom solutions stood out this year.

• Mukilteo-based Christin Datz, Airplane Environmental Sustainability leader for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, is the 2020 Environment Champion for advocating the use of more environmentally-progressive materials.
• A Dreamlifter team avoided millions of pounds of carbon emissions into the atmosphere and saved 300,000 pounds of jet fuel annually, by working with Government Operations to have a U.S. Customs official stationed at Paine Field in Everett, Washington.
• The former Emery landfill near Wichita, Kansas, became more than just another remediation site. Grassland now provides a beneficial habitat to migrating birds and pollinators.
• Aviall sites in Australia and New Zealand created a competitive Enviro Points Challenge to advance their performance in 2019 Solid Waste Battle of the Buildings. They’re raising awareness, changing habits and saving the Earth one reusable cup at a time.

The 2020 Environmental Leadership Awards recognized a total of 13 Boeing teams in six categories: Energy; Solid Waste; Hazardous Waste; Water; Employee Engagement; and Protection, Compliance & Stewardship.

“We all have a shared responsibility when it comes to the environment,” said Enterprise Services Vice President Kory Mathews. “It’s all about doing our part to conserve resources by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, conserving water and energy, reducing solid and hazardous waste and weaving sustainability into everything we do.”

The annual awards celebrated the significant efforts of teams to creatively customize and implement solutions that eliminate waste, whether that waste is literal trash or unnecessary energy or water use.

“Our action and accountability is positively impacting environmental performance," said Environment, Health & Safety Vice President Bryan Scott. "To sustain our gains, we must continue replicating and focusing our energy on delivering results and outcomes."

Christin Datz, an Airplane Environmental Sustainability leader, was selected for bringing leaders together to use more environmentally progressive materials and for advocating that sustainability inform key engineering decisions. Datz is the first environment champ from Commercial Airplanes Product Development, where her group focuses efforts on embedding environmental sustainability into engineering processes and tools, with a focus on cleaner, quieter, and more efficient and resilient aircraft. Datz also was recognized for her work in mentoring fellow employees, company interns and students.

“Product sustainability is a viable career path here at Boeing and it is my passion and purpose to make the world a better place through sustainable innovation,” Datz said.

Facilities & Asset Management Vice President Beth Schryer credited team-based problem solving with preserving the company’s resources and she added “The real winner is the environment. Our families, friends and the places we live will all truly benefit.”

Guest speaker Betsy Dutrow, the EPA’s ENERGY STAR industrial program leader, told the winning teams, “It was challenging what you did…I want to encourage you to please keep up your great work in protecting our environment.”