Since 2019, Verdis Group has partnered with the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC), which owns and operates the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport and six reliever airports, to align and integrate sustainability enterprise-wide. What began as foundational work to set 2030 emissions, water, waste, and engagement goals has evolved into comprehensive implementation where people across the organization participate in what they help create.

Using a living systems framework that treats organizational change as emergent rather than imposed, we facilitated participatory workshops, interviews, and a collaborative planning process that helped MAC leadership establish their ambitious 2030 sustainability goals. Our approach recognizes that sustainable change happens when diverse perspectives shape both direction and implementation.

We have helped cultivate the conditions for the MAC’s sustainability ecosystem to thrive. Today, we support the facilitation of the collaborative strategy and tactical implementation of the Executive Sustainability Committee (ESC) and the four working groups: emissions, water, waste, and engagement. Through intentionally designed annual workshops with cross-functional dialogue, we’ve helped build relationships that transcend departmental silos, connecting 70+ staff to shape sustainability strategy.

Our services have included annual action planning design, Net Zero Pathway management, climate vulnerability assessments for all MAC airports, sustainable procurement guidelines with Scope 3 emissions guidance, and ongoing data refinement. While the MAC was briefly without a sustainability manager, we filled that role during the transition.

With the living systems approach, the MAC has embraced long-term thinking and piloting new approaches while maintaining strategic alignment. We continue advising on actions to strengthen the MAC’s adaptive capacity to stay ahead of the curve on climate action and resilience.