The United States has set aggressive new targets to reduce waste and pollution, and cut energy use in federal operations.
President Barack Obama signed a memorandum on Dec. 5, directing the federal government to consume 20 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020. This is more than double the current level.
The memorandum implements goals that Obama set out in his June 2013 Climate Action Plan. It has earned praise from the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) for enacting measures that will “advance renewable energy and energy efficiency through programs such as demand response, energy disclosure and other leadership energy protocols.”
As part of the President’s Climate Action Plan, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its 2013 Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan, outlining how it will cut energy use and waste in agency operations.
Obama’s action furthers his October 2009 executive order on Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy and Economy Performance. Since that order, the government has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than 15 per cent from 2008 levels, and consumed more than seven per cent of its electricity from renewable energy sources in 2013.
The release of the memorandum followed a week of administration announcements regarding clean energy and energy efficiency. These include:
- Expanding the Better Buildings Challenge
- Releasing a 2014 Fuel Economy Guide
- Launching a new energy efficiency loan program