Recent Administration Action

Feb. 1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Target for Federal Operations

President Obama announced that the federal government would reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 28% below 2008 levels by 2020. Action will be taken under Executive Order 13514 on Federal Sustainability, signed by the president in October 2009. The announced target is the aggregate total of the self-reported targets from 35 federal agencies, as required by the executive order.

As the single largest consumer of energy in the U.S., the overall savings to the federal government will be significant. It is estimated that achieving this target would reduce energy use equivalent to 205 million barrels of oil and taking 17 million cars off the road for one year. The government would also save a cumulative total of $8 to $11 billion in avoided energy costs through 2020.  The White House has released a fact sheet with examples of current mitigation actions and further agency targets and action can be tracked with the White House Council on Environmental Quality.