Rishali Chaplot is Manager, Environment and Sustainability, where she is responsible for leading all environmental and sustainability programs and best management practices for JFK Millennium Partners at JFK Airport. She ensures the organization’s compliance with federal, state, city and Port Authority laws, regulations, permits, policies, and guidance for JFK Terminal 6 and 7. In her previous roles, she created and led sustainability strategies with a focus on climate change, responsible sourcing, and supply chain mapping. She has completed a Masters in Consumer Merchandising and Bachelors in Chemical Technology.
1 What is your role as JFK Millennium Partners’ (JMP), Manager, Environment & Sustainability at the new Terminal 6?
Rishali Chaplot: In my current role, I lead all environmental and sustainability programs, including best management practices and guidelines for JFK Millennium Partners at JFK Terminals 6 and 7. As part of my role, I ensure compliance with federal, state, city and Port Authority laws, regulations, permits and policies.
2 In leading the environmental and sustainability efforts at the redevelopment of Terminal 7, what are the challenges of making the oldest airport terminal at JFK International Airport more sustainable?
Rishali Chaplot: One of our biggest learnings while operating a 50+ year old facility is that the building design needs to be robust and dynamic to withstand the next few decades, but also adapt to the latest technologies and sustainability initiatives. We are now building a terminal (T6) which is designed not only for LEED, ENVISION, and SITES certifications – but also has numerous sustainability features as part of its design. This includes, for example, rainwater harvesting, over 6,000 solar panels, electric ground handling equipment, and glycol (de-icing spray) capture and recycling during the winter, to name a few. All of this will help us in ensuring smooth, long-lasting terminal operations for years to come.
3 In looking to the future, what is the impact of sustainability efforts within the surrounding community and the environmental benefits?
Rishali Chaplot: All of our efforts are directed towards building a sustainable, resilient, and community-oriented terminal. The terminal is designed to ensure that its operation will not negatively impact the air, sound, and water quality in our local community, thereby supporting public health and safety. Our ENVISION certification, for example, will improve the quality of life in our community by providing access to essential services and economic opportunities while minimizing our impact on local ecosystems, biodiversity and natural resources.
4 How will recently introduced composting to reduce organic waste sent to landfills result in cost savings and align with broader sustainability objectives?
Rishali Chaplot: Composting has helped us divert a large percentage of the terminal waste from landfills to compost. While composting benefits the environment, it’s also great when this type of initiative can also generate cost savings – making it a win-win scenario. With more composting and less frequent trash collections, we’ve increased our cost savings per kg of waste overall and are really excited to implement this strategy at Terminal 6 – where we aim to achieve a substantial waste diversion rate.
5 What are a few of your past efforts in ensuring a green future, and up to this point in your career, is there one particular effort that you are most proud of?
Rishali Chaplot: In the past, I have worked in building sustainability strategies and developing initiatives such as generating renewable electricity through solar panels, mapping the product supply chain, and conducting product life cycle assessments to estimate the total carbon emissions of a product throughout its life cycle, thus helping to reduce a company’s carbon footprint. The effort I am most proud of was developing and publishing a company’s Science-Based-Target (SBT) carbon emission reduction goals.
