US to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of federal operations by 13 percent

WASHINGTON D.C. (BNO NEWS) – President Barack Obama announced on Tuesday that the United States will reduce greenhouse emissions from indirect sources like employee travel and commuting by 13 percent in the next ten years.

This announcement expands the target set in January. That reduction involved direct sources such as federal fleets and buildings by 2020. These reductions are a response to Obama's Executive Order 13514 on Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance.

The fore mentioned order indicates that the federal government should lead with the example towards a clean energy economy and reduce, measure and report direct and indirect greenhouse gas pollution.

"Every year, the Federal Government consumes more energy than any other single organization or company in the U.S.," Obama said.

The U.S. government owns 600,000 vehicles, owns and manages nearly 500,000 buildings and paid a $24.5 billion utility and fuel bill in 2008. In order to meet these targets, nearly 2 million federal employees.

"That energy goes towards lighting and heating government buildings, fueling vehicles and powering federal projects across the country and around the world. The government has a responsibility to use that energy wisely, to reduce consumption, improve efficiency, use renewable energy, like wind and solar, and cut costs."

The White House launched last October the GreenGov Challenge to ask all federal and military personnel to share ideas about how the federal community can lead by example and meet the goals of Obama’s Executive Order.

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