Federal Employees to Nominate Leaders and Projects that Exemplify Energy Efficiency, Sustainability, and Savings for 2011 GreenGov Presidential Awards

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

April 26, 2011

Federal Employees to Nominate Leaders and Projects that Exemplify Energy Efficiency, Sustainability, and Savings for 2011 GreenGov Presidential Awards

WASHINGTON – Today, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) announced that beginning May 2, 2011, Federal employees across the nation can nominate their colleagues for the 2011 GreenGov Presidential Awards for demonstrating extraordinary achievement in the pursuit of President Obama's Executive Order on Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy and Economic Performance (Executive Order 13514). 

"From implementing energy-saving measures in Federal buildings to creating sustainable practices in agency fleet, purchasing and waste processes, last year’s GreenGov Presidential Award winners exemplify the best in innovation, sustainability, and cost-savings across the Federal Government,"  said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. "The GreenGov awards showcase the ingenuity of our Federal workforce, including our men and women in uniform, who work to make the Government operate more sustainably, responsibly and efficiently."

Now in their second year, the GreenGov Presidential Awards honor the best efforts and practices from leaders in the Federal workforce that, conserve water, meet waste reduction targets, increase operational efficiency, reduce costs, and lead by example in clean energy.  Winners will be recognized at the 2011 GreenGov Symposium, in Washington, DC.  The GreenGov Symposium is a three-day event that will bring together a broad group of sustainability leaders to identify opportunities and to share best practices around greening the Federal Government.  The Symposium will target a wide range of sustainability topics, including clean energy, climate and adaptation, water efficiency, sustainable buildings, greening the supply chain, and more. 

Federal civilian and military personnel, agency teams, projects, facilities, and programs across the country will be considered for an award in one of six areas of sustainability. Beginning May 2, 2011, CEQ will accept nominations online for the following GreenGov Award categories:

1. Sustainability Hero Award – This award recognizes a Federal employee who is a sustainability champion and agent of change within his or her agency.
2. Green Innovation Award – This award recognizes an innovation or idea with clear potential to transform the Federal community’s overall energy and environmental performance, in keeping with the goals defined by Executive Order 13514
3. Lean, Clean, and Green Award – This award recognizes outstanding organizational achievement in building or fleet energy efficiency or renewable energy development and deployment. 
4. Good Neighbor Award – This award recognizes a Federal agency team for its exemplary engagement with local or regional communities to promote one or more of the goals of Executive Order 13514. 
5. Green Dream Team – This award recognizes exceptional leadership by an interagency green team to effectively place a Federal sustainability idea into action. 
6. Building the Future – This award recognizes a Federal civilian or military facility or installation that successfully demonstrates the policy and performance goals of Executive Order 13514 by incorporating sustainable practices and principles into all aspects of their operations. 

In October 2010, CEQ honored eight Federal winners of the 2010 GreenGov Presidential Awards at a White House reception in Washington, D.C.  Awardees included the National Archives and Records Administration, which successfully implemented sustainable facility infrastructure and operational changes that saved more than $400,000 in taxpayer money, and Dr. Anna Jones-Crabtree of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Rocky Mountain Region, who catalyzed an interagency effort in sustainable practice at the USFS facilities and saved nearly $10.1 million in energy costs.  The 2010 GreenGov Presidential Award winners demonstrated leadership by example through their innovative ways to reduce their organization’s environmental impact and create a clean energy economy.

For more information about the GreenGov Presidential Awards and to view the list of 2010 GreenGov Presidential Award winners, visit http://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/greengov/presidential-awards

For more information about Executive Order 13514 on Federal Sustainability, visit http://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/assets/documents/2009fedleader_eo_rel.pdf

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