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Global temperature changes

Administration Announces 2016 Agency Greenhouse Gas Targets, Recognizes Sustainability Achievements

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

In a concerted effort to address the global threat of climate change, President Obama's Administration has taken unprecedented action to reduce emissions, invest in clean energy, and build resilience to the impacts of climate change. The Administration has announced new greenhouse gas emissions targets for Federal Agencies to cut emissions by 41.8 percent from 2008 levels by 2025, saving taxpayers up to $18 billion in avoided energy costs and increasing the share of electricity consumed from renewable sources to 30 percent. This commitment is part of President Obama's Executive Order 13693 on Planning for Federal Sustainability in the Next Decade.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Administration has set a new greenhouse gas emissions target for Federal Agencies of 41.8 percent reduction from 2008 levels by 2025, saving taxpayers up to $18 billion in avoided energy costs.
  • The target aims to increase the share of electricity consumed from renewable sources to 30 percent.
  • Federal agencies will achieve the target by reducing energy use in buildings, making vehicles more efficient, using clean energy sources like wind and solar, and employing energy savings performance contracts (ESPC).
  • The General Services Administration (GSA) has already reduced emissions by 43 percent below its baseline since 2008, achieving a significant reduction in energy consumption through innovative projects.
  • NASA will cut energy use in its facilities and deploy clean power to help reach its GHG emissions reductions target, including a 1.6 MW solar plant at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico.
  • The Department of Energy (DOE) plans to expand renewable power at two of its National Laboratories, including the installation of up to 1.6 MW of solar power at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado.
  • The Department of the Interior will showcase potential for energy and water improvements at its historic headquarters building in Washington, D.C., through a project that will install a combined heat and power system and upgrade lighting, windows, energy management controls, and the cooling system, achieving a 44 percent reduction in GHG emissions.
  • President Obama has announced the winners of the 2015 GreenGov Presidential Awards, honoring Federal employees and agencies that exemplify the Administration's commitment to sustainability.

Statistics:

  • The Administration's greenhouse gas emissions target aims to reduce emissions by 41.8 percent from 2008 levels by 2025, saving taxpayers up to $18 billion.
  • The target aims to increase the share of electricity consumed from renewable sources to 30 percent.
  • The General Services Administration (GSA) has already reduced emissions by 43 percent below its baseline since 2008.
  • NASA plans to reduce energy consumption by 17 percent through a new combined heat and power system at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
  • The Department of Energy (DOE) plans to expand renewable power at two of its National Laboratories, including the installation of up to 1.6 MW of solar power at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado.
  • The Department of the Interior will showcase potential for energy and water improvements at its historic headquarters building in Washington, D.C., through a project that will install a combined heat and power system and upgrade lighting, windows, energy management controls, and the cooling system, achieving a 44 percent reduction in GHG emissions.

Sources:

  • White House Council on Environmental Quality
  • Executive Order 13693 on Planning for Federal Sustainability in the Next Decade
  • GreenGov Presidential Awards
  • GSA Sustainability Plans
  • NASA Sustainability Plans
  • DOE Sustainability Plans
  • Department of the Interior Sustainability Plan

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