EO 13423: Getting Serious About Greening Our Government
In January 2007, the president signed a new EO 13423, Executive
Order: Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and
Transportation Management." This executive order (EO) is designed
to strengthen the environmental, energy, and transportation
management of federal agencies. It consolidates and overrides
previous EOs in this area. It declares that It is the policy of the
United States that federal agencies conduct their environmental,
transportation, and energy-related activities under the law in
support of their respective missions in an environmentally,
economically and fiscally sound, integrated, continuously improving,
efficient, and sustainable manner." There are eight goals for each
agency, which are summarized below:
(a) Energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions: ensure a
reduction of energy intensity by 3 percent annually through the end
of fiscal year 2015; or 30 percent by the end of fiscal year 2015,
relative to a 2003 baseline year;
(b) Energy use: ensure that at least half of the statutorily
required renewable energy consumed in a fiscal year comes from new
renewable sources;
(c) Water consumption: ensure reductions relative to the baseline
of the agency's water consumption in fiscal year 2007, by 2 percent
annually from FY2008 2015, or 16 percent by the end of fiscal year
2015;
(d) Procurement: ensure the use of sustainable environmental
practices, including acquisition of biobased, environmentally
preferable, energy-efficient, water-efficient, and recycled-content
products; and the use of paper of at least 30 percent postconsumer
fiber content;
(e) Toxic and hazardous chemicals and materials: ensure reduction
in the quantity of acquired, used, or disposed of;
f) Construction and renovation projects: ensure that new building
construction and renovation complies with the Guiding Principles for
Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings;
and that 15 percent of the existing federal capital asset building
inventory of the agency as of the end of FY 2015 incorporates the
sustainable practices in the Guiding Principles;
(g) Agencies operating a fleet of at least 20 motor vehicles:
ensure that they reduce their fleet's total consumption of petroleum
products by 2 percent annually through the end of fiscal year 2015
against a 2005 baseline; increase the total fuel consumption that is
nonpetroleum-based by 10 percent annually; use plug-in hybrid (PIH)
vehicles when PIH vehicles are commercially available at a cost
reasonably comparable;
(h) Electronic product procurement: products should meet at least
95 percent of the requirements of an Electronic Product
Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT)-registered electronic product;
enable the Energy Star feature on agency computers and monitors. The
agency should use environmentally sound practices with respect to
disposition of electronic equipment that has reached the end of its
useful life.
On March 29, the White House published final Implementation
Instructions for EO 13423. These Instructions, to be considered as
mandatory requirements by the agencies, detail the specific tasks
and milestones expected toward successfully meeting the goals of the
EO. Additional instructions and guidance will be issued as needed in
the future. This EO and its Instructions are expected to generate a
great deal of activity around sustainability, in all government
agencies and in suppliers to these agencies.
EO 13423 can be viewed at the White House Web site. Final
Implementation Instructions for Executive Order 13423 can be viewed
at the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive Web site.
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