The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
April 01, 2015

Statement by the President on the Nigerian Elections

The last few days have shown the world the strength of Nigeria’s commitment to democratic principles.  By turning out in large numbers and sometimes waiting all day to cast their votes, Nigerians came together to decide the future of their country peacefully.
 
I commend President Goodluck Jonathan and President-Elect Muhammadu Buhari for their public commitments to non-violence throughout the campaign.  President Jonathan has placed his country’s interests first by conceding the election and congratulating President-Elect Buhari on his victory.  I look forward to working with President Jonathan throughout the remainder of his term, and I thank him for his many years of service and his statesmanlike conduct at this critical juncture.  I urge President-Elect Buhari and President Jonathan to repeat their calls to their supporters to continue to respect the election outcomes, focus on unifying the country, and together lead Nigeria through a peaceful transition.
 
Nigeria’s Independent National Election Commission (INEC) and its Chairman, Attahiru Jega, deserve special recognition for what independent international observers have deemed a largely peaceful and orderly vote.  I commend INEC for its extensive efforts to increase the credibility and transparency of the electoral process.  Looking ahead to the gubernatorial elections on April 11, it is imperative that national attention turn to ensuring isolated logistical challenges are overcome and peace is protected, even in the most hotly contested races.
 
On behalf of the American people, I extend congratulations to the people of Nigeria and to President-Elect Buhari and look forward to continuing to work with the newly-elected government on our many shared priorities.

 

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The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 31, 2015

President Obama Signs West Virginia Disaster Declaration

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of West Virginia and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by a severe winter storm, flooding, landslides, and mudslides during the period of March 3-6, 2015.

Federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe winter storm, flooding, landslides, and mudslides in the counties of Barbour, Boone, Braxton, Cabell, Doddridge, Gilmer, Harrison, Jackson, Kanawha, Lewis, Lincoln, Logan, Marshall, McDowell, Mingo, Monongalia, Putnam, Raleigh, Ritchie, Roane, Summers, Tyler, Upshur, Wayne, Webster, Wetzel, Wirt, Wood, and Wyoming.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide. 

W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Kari Suzann Cowie as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. 

FEMA said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
March 31, 2015

Readout of the Vice President’s Meeting with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven

Vice President Joe Biden met today with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven to discuss bilateral relations; European and global security issues; cooperation on counterterrorism and countering violent extremism; energy and the environment; and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP). The two leaders agreed that bilateral relations were excellent and discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation on climate, energy, and the environment; economic and trade issues; and gender equality. The Vice President and Prime Minister also discussed the coalition against ISIL as well as developments in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, and pledged to continue coordinating actions to fight extremism and provide humanitarian assistance to the region. With regards to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the two leaders agreed that Ukraine was making progress with its reforms but that Russia and the separatists were still preventing full implementation of the Minsk agreements, especially provisions calling for a full ceasefire, the withdrawal of heavy weapons, unfettered access for Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) monitors, and the exchange of prisoners. The two leaders agreed on the importance of invigorating efforts to address climate change in advance of the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) to the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change later this year. Finally, they agreed that T-TIP would create jobs and spur economic growth on both sides of the Atlantic and help establish new standards for global trade.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 31, 2015

Readout of the President’s Call with President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

President Obama spoke today with President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).  The President emphasized the importance of timely, credible, and peaceful elections that respect the DRC's constitution and protect the rights of all DRC citizens.  The President noted that President Kabila’s legacy as a leader who brought the DRC out of war and set it on a path of continued democratic progress would be consolidated by free and fair elections in 2016.  President Obama assured President Kabila that the United States would remain engaged in the DRC throughout the electoral process, including through the appointment of a new U.S. Special Envoy to the African Great Lakes Region and the DRC.  The two leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to ending the threat of armed groups, particularly the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).  The President encouraged cooperation between the Armed Forces of the DRC and the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC in operations against the FDLR.  President Obama also discussed with President Kabila the pending adoptions in the DRC by American families and urged a timely resolution to this situation. 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 31, 2015

President Obama Grants Commutations

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, President Barack Obama granted commutations of sentence to the following 22 individuals:

• Terry Andre Barnes – East Moline, IL
Offense:  Conspiracy to distribute cocaine base; supervised release violation (distribution of cocaine base) (Southern District of Iowa)
Sentence:  246 months’ imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (July 25, 2005)
Commutation Grant:  Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015. 

• Theresa Brown – Pompano Beach, FL
Offense:  Conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine (Southern District of Florida)
Sentence:  Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (Mar. 29, 1995)
Commutation Grant:  Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015. 

• Donel Marcus Clark – Dallas, TX
Offense:  Conspiracy; use of a communication facility (five counts); distribution and/or possession of cocaine or manufacturing in or near a school facility, aiding and abetting (Northern District of Texas)
Sentence:  420 months’ imprisonment; four years’ supervised release (Nov. 12, 1993); amended to 360 months’ imprisonment (August 20, 2008)
Commutation Grant:  Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

• Ricky Bernard Coggins – Tallahassee, FL
Offense:  Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base (Northern District of Florida)
Sentence:  Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (May 3, 1993)
Commutation Grant:  Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

• Samuel Pasqual Edmondson – Junction City, KS
Offense:  Conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute; possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine (Eastern District of Texas)
Sentence:  Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (Sep. 24, 1997)
Commutation Grant:  Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

• Amado Garcia – Fresno, CA 
Offense:  Conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine; aiding and abetting the possession of methamphetamine; aiding and abetting the possession of heroin (District of Wyoming)
Sentence:  240 months’ imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release; $2,000 fine (Nov. 29, 2001)
Commutation Grant:  Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

• Dwight Anthony Goddard – Decatur, GA
Offense:  Possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (Middle District of Georgia)
Sentence:  235 months’ imprisonment; five years’ supervised release (Feb. 7, 2002)
Commutation Grant:  Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

• Lionel Ray Hairston – Ridgeway, VA
Offense:  Distribution of cocaine base (three counts) (Western District of Virginia)
Sentence:  262 months’ imprisonment; eight years’ supervised release (May 27, 1999)
Commutation Grant:  Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

• Francis Darrell Hayden – Loretto, KY
Offense:  Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 1,000 or more marijuana plants or 1,000 or more kilograms of marijuana; manufacture of 1,000 or more marijuana plants (Eastern District of Michigan)
Sentence:  Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (Apr. 2, 2002)
Commutation Grant:  Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

• Harold Kenneth Herring – Havana, FL
Offense:  Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (Northern District of Florida)
Sentence:  Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (Jan. 22, 1998)
Commutation Grant:  Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

• Tommie Lee Hollingshed – Memphis, TN
Offense:  Distribution of a controlled substance (two counts) (Western District of Tennessee)
Sentence:  324 months’ imprisonment; four years’ supervised release (May 1, 1996)
Commutation Grant:  Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

• Derrick DeWayne Johnson – Birmingham, AL  
Offense:  Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine; possession with intent to distribute cocaine (Northern District of Alabama)
Sentence:  360 months’ imprisonment; four years’ supervised release (Nov. 18, 1998)
Commutation Grant:  Prison sentence commuted to a term of 262 months.

• Robert Martinez-Gil – San Antonio, TX
Offense:  Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin (Western District of Texas)
Sentence:  Life imprisonment (July 9, 1992)
Commutation Grant:  Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

• David Navejar – Brooksville, FL
Offense:  Conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine (Middle District of Florida)
Sentence:  240 months’ imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (Jan. 27, 2003)
Commutation Grant:  Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

• Rudolph Norris – Washington, D.C.
Offense:  Unlawful distribution of cocaine base; unlawful possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of cocaine base (District of Columbia)
Sentence:  360 months’ imprisonment; eight years’ supervised release (Apr. 5, 1993)
Commutation Grant:  Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

• Tracy Lynn Petty – Shelby, NC
Offense:  Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base (Western District of North Carolina)
Sentence:  240 months’ imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (Mar. 30, 2006); amended to 204 months’ imprisonment (February 25, 2008)
Commutation Grant:  Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

• Luis Razo – Davenport, IA
Offense:  Conspiracy to distribute cocaine (Southern District of Iowa)
Sentence:  240 months’ imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (Jan. 3, 2003)
Commutation Grant:  Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015. 

• Antwon Rogers – Cleveland, OH
Offense:  Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 139.8 grams of cocaine base (Northern District of Ohio)
Sentence:  Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (Jan. 30, 1995)
Commutation Grant:  Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

• Herman Rosenboro –Kingsport, TN
Offense:  Conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute over five kilograms of cocaine and over 50 grams of cocaine base; distribution of a quantity of cocaine base (two counts); distribution of a quantity of cocaine (two counts)  (Eastern District of Tennessee)
Sentence:  Life imprisonment; six years’ supervised release (Dec. 3, 2001)
Commutation Grant:  Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

• Lawrence Elmo Scott – Lynchburg, VA
Offense:  Distribution of crack cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school (Western District of Virginia)
Sentence:  283 months’ imprisonment; six years’ supervised release; $4,000 fine (Apr. 8, 2003)
Commutation Grant:  Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

• Levar V. Wade – Chicago, IL
Offense:  Possession of 50 or more grams of crack cocaine with intent to distribute (Central District of Illinois)
Sentence:  240 months’ imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (May 28, 2004)
Commutation Grant:  Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015. 

• Eugene Winters – Cedar Rapids, IA
Offense:  Conspiracy to distribute cocaine base (Southern District of Iowa)
Sentence:  240 months’ imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (Feb. 23, 2005)
Commutation Grant:  Prison sentence commuted to expire on July 28, 2015.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 31, 2015

Readout of the President’s Call with President al-Sisi of Egypt

President Obama spoke with Egyptian President Abdelfattah al-Sisi today regarding the U.S.-Egyptian military assistance relationship and regional developments, including in Libya and Yemen.  President Obama informed President al-Sisi that he will lift executive holds that have been in place since October 2013 on the delivery of F-16 aircraft, Harpoon missiles, and M1A1 tank kits.  The President also advised President al-Sisi that he will continue to request an annual $1.3 billion in military assistance for Egypt.  Beginning in fiscal year 2018, the President noted that we will channel U.S. security assistance for Egypt to four categories – counterterrorism, border security, Sinai security, and maritime security – and for sustainment of weapons systems already in Egypt’s arsenal. 

The President explained that these and other steps will help refine our military assistance relationship so that it is better positioned to address the shared challenges to U.S. and Egyptian interests in an unstable region, consistent with the longstanding strategic partnership between our two countries.  President Obama also reiterated U.S. concerns about Egypt’s continued imprisonment of non-violent activists and mass trials.  He encouraged increased respect for freedom of speech and assembly and emphasized that these issues remain a focus for the United States.  The two leaders agreed to stay in touch in the weeks and months ahead.

The White House

Office of the First Lady

For Immediate Release
March 31, 2015

First Lady Michelle Obama Teams up with Pbs and Wgbh Boston to Launch Fourth Annual Nationwide Healthy Recipe Challenge

The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge Invites Kids to Submit Healthy Lunch Recipes for a Chance to Win a Trip to Washington, D.C. and Attend the Kids’ “State Dinner” at the White House

Washington, D.C. – First Lady Michelle Obama is teaming up with PBS flagship station WGBH Boston, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to host the fourth annual Healthy Lunchtime Challenge & Kids' “State Dinner” to promote cooking and healthy eating among youth. Teaching kids to cook is a great way to ensure they learn healthy habits early in life. Research shows that children who help with cooking and meal preparation are more likely to consume fruits and vegetables, and they are more aware of the importance of making healthier food choices. The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge & Kids' “State Dinner” invites kids, ages 8-12, with the help of their parents or legal guardians to create and submit a recipe at pbs.org/lunchtimechallenge for a lunch that is nutritious and delicious.

This year, WGBH Boston is joining the First Lady to present the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge & Kids’ “State Dinner” in an effort to raise national awareness about the importance of healthy cooking and eating. To make the challenge possible for kids and their families across America, support is being provided to WGBH by Newman’s Own® and Newman’s Own Foundation.

The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge & Kids' “State Dinner” invites kids, in collaboration with a parent or guardian, to create an original lunch recipe that is healthy, affordable, and tasty.  In support of Let’s Move!, launched in 2010 by the First Lady to help kids and families lead healthier lives, entrants are encouraged to reference ChooseMyPlate.gov  to ensure recipes meet the USDA’s recommended nutrition guidelines. Entries should represent each of the food groups, either in one dish or as parts of a lunch meal, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and low-fat dairy. Kids from all U.S. states and territories are invited to participate, including Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands. One winner from each and a parent or guardian will win the opportunity to be flown to Washington D.C. and the opportunity to attend the Kids’ “State Dinner” at the White House, hosted by the First Lady, where a selection of the winning healthy recipes will be served. 

“It is such a pleasure to host the Kids’ ‘State Dinner’ at the White House each year, and I am thrilled to announce the fourth year of our Healthy Lunchtime Challenge,” said First Lady Michelle Obama. “Every year I am blown away by the talent and creativity of the young chefs, and I cannot wait to welcome this year’s group at the White House this summer. So I hope young people across the country will get into the kitchen and get cooking!”

“We are honored to be partnering with the First Lady to help raise awareness about the importance of healthy cooking and eating and hope that we can help make a positive change in the way that families eat by empowering them with the information and tools they need to make healthy choices,” said Brigid Sullivan, WGBH Vice President for Children’s Media and Educational Programming. “We are delighted to be at the table in support of kids and their families and look forward to the opportunity to build this challenge and campaign in the years to come.”

“We know that improving childhood nutrition is key to ensuring a healthier next generation.  Through our efforts to improve the school nutrition environment and getting kids involved in nutrition through activities at school and this annual Healthy Lunchtime Challenge, we are helping to make the healthy choice the easy choice, and setting kids up for a lifetime of healthy eating,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

“It’s great to see our students setting an example for their classmates – and for adults - on the importance of nutrition and the critical role healthy eating plays in academic success. I love to see the excitement and enthusiasm that these young chefs bring to this competition as they dream up fresh, new school lunch recipes that are both nutritious and delicious,” said Education Secretary Arne Duncan.
 
The winning recipes will be chosen by a panel of judges that includes:  Let’s Move! Executive Director Debra Eschmeyer, representatives of the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, previous Healthy Lunchtime Challenge winners, and Tanya Steel, children's healthy eating expert and founder of Cooking Up Big Dreams. The winning recipes will be featured in a downloadable, printable free e-cookbook that includes a nutritional analysis and photos of the winning chefs, and their recipes and will be available on the contest website: pbs.org/lunchtimechallenge, as well as on letsmove.gov, USDA.gov, and Ed.gov.

Recipe submissions will be accepted from March 31 through April 30 online at pbs.org/lunchtimechallenge or by mail at: Healthy Lunchtime Challenge c/o WGBH, 1 Guest Street, Boston MA 02135. Winners will be notified in June, and the White House Kids’ “State Dinner” will take place in the summer of 2015. Travel to Washington, D.C. and accommodations for the winning families will be provided by Delta Air Lines and The Westin Georgetown.  For more information and for contest rules, visit pbs.org/lunchtimechallenge.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 31, 2015

Notice -- Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to South Sudan

NOTICE

- - - - - - -

CONTINUATION OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO SOUTH SUDAN

On April 3, 2014, by Executive Order 13664, I declared a national emergency to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States constituted by the situation in and in relation to South Sudan, which has been marked by activities that threaten the peace, security, or stability of South Sudan and the surrounding region, including widespread violence and atrocities, human rights abuses, recruitment and use of child soldiers, attacks on peacekeepers, and obstruction of humanitarian operations.

The situation in and in relation to South Sudan continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.  For this reason, the national emergency declared on April 3, 2014, to deal with that threat must continue in effect beyond April 3, 2015.  Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13664.

This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.

BARACK OBAMA

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 31, 2015

Letter -- Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to South Sudan

Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:)

Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date.  In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13664 of April 3, 2014, with respect to South Sudan is to continue in effect beyond April 3, 2015. 

The situation in and in relation to South Sudan, which has been marked by activities that threaten the peace, security, or stability of South Sudan and the surrounding region, including widespread violence and atrocities, human rights abuses, recruitment and use of child soldiers, attacks on peacekeepers, and obstruction of humanitarian operations, continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.  For this reason, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13664 with respect to South Sudan.

 

Sincerely,

BARACK OBAMA

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
March 31, 2015

FACT SHEET: U.S. Reports its 2025 Emissions Target to the UNFCCC

State Department Submits President Obama’s Ambitious 2025 Target to Cut U.S. Climate Pollution by 26-28 Percent from 2005 Levels

To view the INDC submission, click HERE.

Building on the strong progress made under President Obama to curb the emissions that are driving climate change and lead on the international stage, today the United States submitted its target to cut net greenhouse gas emissions to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The submission, referred to as an Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC), is a formal statement of the U.S. target, announced in China last year, to reduce our emissions by 26-28% below 2005 levels by 2025, and to make best efforts to reduce by 28%.

Last November, President Obama and President Xi – leaders of the largest economies and largest polluters – made the historic announcement of the respective post-2020 climate targets for the United States and China. For the first time, China committed to limit its greenhouse gas emissions, with a commitment to peak emissions around 2030 and to make best efforts to peak early, and to increase its share of non-fossil energy consumption to around 20 percent by 2030.  Following that historic announcement, the European Union put forward an ambitious and achievable INDC to cut their emissions 40% by 2030.  And just last week, Mexico announced that it would peak its overall net greenhouse gases by 2026, backed by strong unconditional policies and a new bilateral task force to drive climate policy harmonization with the United States. 

With these actions, as well as strong INDCs submitted by Norway and Switzerland, countries representing over 50% of global CO2 emissions have either announced or formally reported their targets. Today’s action by the United States further demonstrates real momentum on the road to reaching a successful climate agreement this December in Paris and shows President Obama is committed to leading on the international stage.

The U.S. target will roughly double the pace of carbon pollution reduction in the United States from 1.2 percent per year on average during the 2005-2020 period to 2.3-2.8 percent per year on average between 2020 and 2025.  This ambitious target is grounded in intensive analysis of cost-effective carbon pollution reductions achievable under existing law and will keep the United States on the pathway to achieve deep economy-wide reductions of 80 percent or more by 2050. The Administration’s steady efforts to reduce emissions will deliver ever-larger carbon pollution reductions, public health improvements, and consumer savings over time and provide a firm foundation to meet the new U.S. target. 

Building on Progress

Our leadership at the international level starts at home. In 2009, U.S. greenhouse gas emissions were projected to continue increasing indefinitely. When entering office, President Obama set an ambitious goal to cut emissions in the range of 17 percent below 2005 levels in 2020.  Throughout the first term, the Administration took strong actions to cut carbon pollution, including investing more than $80 billion in clean energy technologies under the Recovery Act, establishing historic fuel economy and appliance energy efficiency standards, doubling solar and wind electricity, and implementing ambitious energy efficiency measures. 

Early in his second term, President Obama launched an ambitious Climate Action Plan focused on cutting carbon pollution, preparing the nation for climate impacts, and leading on the international stage to bring nations large and small to the table to pledge to act on climate change.  In addition to bolstering first-term efforts to ramp up renewable energy and efficiency, the Plan is cutting carbon pollution through new measures, including:

  • Clean Power Plan: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed guidelines for existing power plants in June 2014 that would reduce power sector emissions 30% below 2005 levels by 2030 while delivering $55-93 billion in annual net benefits from reducing carbon pollution and other harmful pollutants.

  • Standards for Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles: In February 2014, President Obama directed EPA and the Department of Transportation to issue the next phase of fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles by March 2016. These will build on the first-ever standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (model years 2014 through 2018), proposed and finalized by this Administration.

  • Energy Efficiency Standards: The Department of Energy set a goal of reducing carbon pollution by 3 billion metric tons cumulatively by 2030 through energy conservation standards issued during this Administration. The Department of Energy has finalized multiple measures addressing buildings sector emissions including energy conservation standards for 29 categories of appliances and equipment as well as a building code determination for commercial buildings. These measures will also cut consumers' annual electricity bills by billions of dollars. 

  • Economy-Wide Measures to Reduce other Greenhouse Gases: EPA and other agencies are taking actions to cut methane emissions from landfills, coal mining, agriculture, and oil and gas systems through cost-effective voluntary actions and common-sense regulations and standards.  At the same time, the State Department is working to slash global emissions of potent industrial greenhouse gases, called HFCs, through an amendment to the Montreal Protocol; EPA is cutting domestic HFC emissions through its Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program; and, the private sector has stepped up with commitments to cut global HFC emissions equivalent to 700 million metric tons through 2025.