US agencies look to cut greenhouse gas emissions

The Obama administration is pushing federal agencies to cut their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by more than 40 percent by 2025. 

The White House announced the 41.8 percent reduction target on Monday, pushing government agencies to cut emissions from their buildings and vehicle fleets around the country. 

{mosads}Cutting down on the emissions, the administration said, will save up to $18 billion in taxpayer-funded energy costs and increase the federal government’s share of renewable energy to 30 percent. 

“The federal government’s actions to reduce pollution, support renewable energy, and operate more efficiently make a significant impact on national emissions and drive progress across the federal supply chain,” the White House said in a statement. 

Obama has pushed the federal government to lower its emissions over the course of his presidency, signing an executive order toward that goal earlier this year. 

Officials pointed to a handful of success stories so far, noting that the General Services Administration — the largest owner of office space in the country — has cut its energy consumption enough to reduce its annual emissions by 43 percent since 2008. 

NASA and the departments of Energy and Homeland Security are all looking to deploy clean energy systems to meet their goals, the administration said.

In total, the White House said, “federal agencies have developed targeted strategies to cut their GHG emissions by reducing energy use in their buildings, making their vehicles more efficient, using clean energy sources like wind and solar and employing energy savings performance contracts.”