USGBC-CF

Federal Government told to cut own greenhouse gases 28 percent

February 01, 2010

WASHINGTON — Saying he wants to lead by example on global warming, President Barack Obama on Friday directed the federal government to reduce its emissions of heat-trapping gases by 28 percent in the next decade – a goal that exceeds targets for the country as a whole.

As the single largest energy consumer in the U.S. economy, Obama says the government spent more than $24.5 billion on electricity and fuel in 2008. He says achieving the new pollution goal would cut federal energy use by the equivalent of 205 million barrels of oil, the same as taking 17 million cars off the road for one year.

Obama’s announcement comes a day after the United States pledged to address global warming by cutting the nation’s emissions of greenhouse gases by 17 percent by 2020. The commitment to the U.N. climate body must get approval from Congress, which is not guaranteed.

The initiative on federal agencies follows an executive order Obama issued last October and requires agencies to set targets for reducing climate-altering pollution from buildings and fleets. The initiative does not apply to the emissions of companies that supply the federal government or those from federal employees’ commutes.

Obama said the initiative would lower costs, reduce pollution and shift federal energy expenses away from oil and toward renewable energy.

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/29/AR2010012902117.html