Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
forest carbon sequestration. Conservation and sustainable management can
help to ensure our forests continue to remove carbon from the atmosphere
while also improving soil and water quality, reducing wildfire risk, and
otherwise managing forests to be more resilient in the fact of climate change.
The Administration is working to identify new approaches to protect and
restore our forests, as well as other critical landscapes including grasslands and
wetlands, in the face of a changing climate.
V. Leading at the Federal Level
Leading in Clean Energy
: President Obama believes that the federal
government must be a leader in clean energy and energy efficiency. Under the
Obama Administration, federal agencies have reduced greenhouse gas
emissions by more than 15 percent - the equivalent of permanently taking 1.5
million cars off the road. To build on this record, the Administration is
establishing a new goal: The federal government will consume 20 percent of
its electricity from renewable sources by 2020 - more than double the current
goal of 7.5 percent. In addition, the federal government will continue to pursue
greater energy efficiency that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and saves
taxpayer dollars.
Federal Government Leadership in Energy Efficiency
: On December 2,
2011, President Obama signed a memorandum entitled ―Implementation of
Energy Savings Projects and Performance-Based Contracting for Energy
Savings,‖ challenging federal agencies, in support of the Better Buildings
Challenge, to enter into $2 billion worth of performance-based contracts
within two years. Performance contracts drive economic development, utilize
private sector innovation, and increase efficiency at minimum costs to the
taxpayer, while also providing long- term savings in energy costs. Federal
agencies have committed to a pipeline of nearly $2.3 billion from over 300
reported projects. In coming months, the Administration will take a number of
actions to strengthen efforts to promote energy efficiency, including through
performance contracting. For example, in order to increase access to capital
markets for investments in energy efficiency, the Administration will initiate a
partnership with the private sector to work towards a standardized contract to
finance federal investments in energy efficiency. Going forward, agencies will
also work together to synchronize building codes - leveraging those policies to
improve the efficiency of federally owned and supported building stock.
Finally, the Administration will leverage the ―Green Button‖ standard - which
