Obama Orders Federal Agencies to Set 2020 Emissions Goals

Federal agencies were given 90 days to set goals for reducing emissions by 2020. President Obama is letting each agency set its own target, and the military is immune from the mandate, reports the Associated Press.

Agencies have until June of 2010 to set targets for reducing emissions from employee travel and commutes.

Obama said this is an opportunity for government agencies to set the pace as Congress lags on adopting national emissions targets.

"As the largest consumer of energy in the U.S. economy, the federal government can and should lead by example when it comes to creating innovative ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," Obama said in a statement.

The federal government owns more than 500,000 buildings and operates more than 600,000 vehicles. It also purchases more than $500 billion a year in goods and services.

The Oct. 5 executive order expands upon a Bush-era mandate to cut petroleum and water use, and reduce waste.

Specifically, the executive order calls for the following:

• 30 percent reduction in vehicle fleet petroleum use by 2020;
• 26 percent improvement in water efficiency by 2020;
• 50 percent recycling and waste diversion by 2015;
• 95 percent of all applicable contracts will meet sustainability requirements;
• Implementation of a 2030 net-zero-energy building requirement;
• Implementation of the stormwater provisions of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, section 438; and
• Development of guidance for sustainable Federal building locations in alignment with the Livability Principles put forward by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Transportation, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

To read the full executive order, click here.