AIA Encouraged by White House Directive on Green Federal Buildings
Calls on Administration to ensure adequate workforce to address new requirements
Summary: President Barack Obama signed the Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy and Economic Performance Executive Order on October 5 that sets sustainability goals for federal agencies and focuses on making improvements in their environmental, energy, and economic performance. The executive order requires federal agencies to set a 2020 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target within 90 days, increase energy efficiency, reduce fleet petroleum consumption, conserve water, reduce waste, support sustainable communities, and leverage federal purchasing power to promote environmentally responsible products and technologies.
"This executive order will help federal agencies meet carbon emission reduction goals advocated by the AIA and passed by Congress in 2007," says AIA Executive Vice President/CEO Chris McEntee in praising the president for leading by example. "The AIA strongly supports Administration efforts to achieve carbon-neutral federal facilities by 2030, which is consistent with the AIA public policy committing architects to that goal and timeframe.
"We are concerned, however, that the executive order may lead to carbon emission reporting and tracking requirements on federal contractors that go beyond what most companies, especially small architecture firms, are able to perform," McEntee continues. "The AIA stands ready to work with the Administration to ensure that any tracking and reporting provisions adhere to existing guidelines and best practices, such as those found in the AIA 2030 Commitment program." Architecture firms demonstrate compliance with the 2030 Commitment by instituting sustainable business practices.
"We also believe that any long-term strategy for improving the sustainability and performance of federal buildings must address a growing shortage of licensed, trained architects and engineers in the federal workforce," McEntee says. "We look forward to working with the administration to address these issues."
Administration commits to setting an example
"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, increase energy efficiency, conserve water,
reduce waste, and use environmentally responsible products and technologies," says
President Obama. "This executive order builds on the momentum
of the Recovery Act to help create a clean energy economy and demonstrates
the federal government’s commitment, over and above what is already
being done, to reducing emissions and saving money."
The executive order builds on and expands the energy reduction and environmental requirements of Executive Order 13423, signed by President Bush in 2007, by making reductions of greenhouse gas emissions a priority of the federal government and by requiring agencies to develop sustainability plans focused on cost-effective projects and programs. The federal government occupies nearly 500,000 buildings, operates more than 600,000 vehicles, employs more than 1.8 million civilians, and purchases more than $500 billion per year in goods and services, according to a White House release.
Goals set by the new executive order include:
- 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 the 2030 net-zero-energy building requirement
- Implementation of the stormwater provisions of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, section 438
- 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.
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