In an effort to “lead by example,” President Obama signed an executive order today requiring agencies to “measure, manage and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions toward agency-defined targets.” The executive order aims to lessen the government’s carbon footprint by setting strict targets in a variety of categories, including a 30 percent reduction in petroleum use for fleets of vehicles and a 26 percent improvement in water efficiency by 2020, as well as a requirement that 95% of applicable government contracts meet certain sustainability prerequisites. “As the largest consumer of energy in the U.S. economy,” said Obama, “the federal government can and should lead by example when it comes to innovative ways to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.”
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