Obama Orders Federal Agencies to Set Targets to Reduce Agency Emissions

On October 5, 2009, President Obama issued Executive Order 13514 – Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance –which directs each Federal agency to set a target to reduce its direct and indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.  The targets will be subject to approval by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality.  E.O. 13514 also directs the creation of a comprehensive inventory of annual greenhouse gas emissions associated with Federal agency activities. 

The Executive Order also requires agencies to:

• Submit annual Strategic Sustainability Performance Plans to prioritize agency actions based on lifecycle return on investment;
• Ensure that all new construction, major renovation, or repair and alteration of Federal buildings complies with the Guiding Principles for Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings (Guiding Principles, a document created by an interagency process during the Bush Administration to comply with that Administration’s Executive Order on similar subjects);
• Ensure that at least 15% of the agency’s owned and leased buildings (over 5,000 gross square feet) meet the Guiding Principles by FY 2015;
• Ensure that all new Federal buildings that enter the planning process after 2019 are designed to achieve zero-net-energy use by 2030;
• Ensure that 95% of new contract actions meet sustainable acquisition requirements;
• Reduce potable water consumption by 2% annually;
• Reduce agency consumption of industrial, landscaping, and agricultural water by 2% annually; and
• Divert at least 50% of construction and demolition materials and debris by the end of FY 2015, and divert at least 50% of other non-hazardous solid waste by the end of FY 2015.

E.O. 13514 further directs each agency head to designate a senior management official to serve as a Senior Sustainability Officer.  These officers will be responsible for preparing the greenhouse gas emissions inventory and reduction targets and the Strategic Sustainability Performance Plans.

In contrast to prior executive orders on these issues (E.O. 13423, E.O. 13123), E.O. 13514 puts increased emphasis on GHG emission reductions. 

Executive Orders of this type contain a variety of directives to federal agencies and require the issuance of guidance to assist compliance.  For further information on the action items and guidance document creation directed by E.O. 13514, please see the E.O. 13514 Table of Guidance Actions and E.O. 13514 Table of Required Actions and Deadlines.