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Leading By Example With Renewable Energy and Energy Management

President Obama has challenged the Federal Government to lead by example to reduce energy use, pollution and waste in their operations, and save taxpayer dollars as a result. Here at the White House Council on Environmental Quality, we work with the Federal family to help them achieve these goals, and we have seen Federal agencies demonstrate enormous leadership and measurable success as they take this challenge head on. 

Following the President’s direction, Federal agencies have reduced their greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent since 2008, and are on track to reach existing renewable energy goals. To build on these efforts, President Obama today issued a Presidential Memorandum on Federal Leadership on Energy Management that directs agencies to go even further.    The Memorandum establishes a new target for Federal agencies to consume 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources such as solar and wind by 2020 – that’s more than double the current goal of 7.5 percent. The President first outlined this new goal in his June Climate Action Plan to curb carbon pollution and protect communities from extreme weather and other climate impacts. Meeting this renewable energy target will reduce pollution in our communities, promote American energy independence, and support homegrown energy produced by American workers. It also supports the President’s goal to double renewable energy in this nation by 2020.

To improve agencies’ ability to manage energy consumption and reduce costs, the Memorandum directs them to use Green Button, a tool developed by industry in response to a White House call-to-action that provides utility customers with easy and secure access to their energy usage information in a consumer-friendly format. Agencies have already reduced energy use per square foot in Federal buildings by more than 9 percent since FY 2008. Green Button will help them identify areas where they can further update their building-performance and energy-management practices to save taxpayer dollars. Agencies will also use the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Portfolio Manager to ensure Federal facilities are measuring their energy and water metering data and better managing energy use.

I look forward to working with agencies as they continue to lead by example in their operations. Meeting the President’s goals will help us responsibly manage taxpayer resources, save energy, and promote healthy American communities.

Jon Powers is the Federal Environmental Executive at the Council on Environmental Quality.

Outlining U.S. Climate Progress On the World Stage

This week, I am in Warsaw, Poland at the United Nations climate negotiations (COP 19) spreading the word about the President’s Climate Action Plan to our international partners.

Since the President launched his plan in June of this year, U.S. government agencies have been working to put the plan into action and make progress toward securing a healthy planet for future generations. The plan seeks to cut carbon pollution in the U.S., prepare American communities for potential climate change impacts and help lead international efforts to find a global solution to climate change.

On Monday, I spoke on a panel about the progress we are achieving through the Climate Action Plan. I was joined by EPA Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe, Deputy Assistant Secretary Jonathan Pershing from the Department of Energy, and Global Climate Change Coordinator Kit Batten from USAID, as well as by Secretary of State John Kerry through a video message. Together, we outlined the important actions underway, including carbon pollution standards for power plants under the Clean Air Act, significant investments in clean energy technology and energy efficiency, and global partnerships to reduce deforestation and advance low emission development.

Taken together, these actions will help us to achieve our international commitment to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in the range of 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 and will position the U.S. as a leader in the new global low-carbon economy.

Even in the context of ambitious actions to mitigate the causes of climate change, we know we must act to prepare communities for the unavoidable impacts of climate change, which we are already seeing in bigger and more frequent storms, droughts, floods, and other severe weather events. On November 1st, the President signed an Executive Order directing Federal agencies to take necessary steps to help communities to better prepare for the impacts of climate change. In particular, the Order directed Federal agencies to: remove barriers to and incentivize climate-resilient investments; improve natural resource sustainability by making common sense improvements to land- and water-related policies, programs, and regulations; and provide information, data, and tools for climate change preparedness through a climate data platform to inform decisions by state, local, and private-sector leaders.

At the same time, the President created the Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience – a team of state, local, and tribal leaders from across the United States who will use their first-hand experience in preparedness and resilience to advise federal action.

Even with the President’s actions to reduce carbon pollution and prepare our communities for impacts we are currently experiencing, one thing is certain – we can’t do this alone.  Everyone – private companies, federal governments, non-profits, think tanks, developed and developing country citizens – must come together and take their part in a global solution to climate change.

Nancy Sutley is Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality