flexiblefullpage -
billboard - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
catfish1 - bottom
Currently Reading

Federal agencies aim for major reduction in greenhouse gas emissions

Green

Federal agencies aim for major reduction in greenhouse gas emissions

A 42% cut to come from buildings, vehicles, supply chain.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | November 30, 2015
Federal agencies aim for major reduction in greenhouse gas emissions

Photo: Ian Britton/Creative Commons.

Federal agencies will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their operations to 41.8% below 2008 levels by 2025, according to a statement from the Obama Administration.

The cuts will come from operations of the government's 360,000 buildings, 650,000 vehicles, and from its extensive supply chain.

"Federal agencies have developed targeted strategies to cut their GHG emissions by reducing energy use in their buildings, making their vehicles more efficient, using clean energy sources like wind and solar, and employing energy savings performance contracts," the White House said.

NASA said it will reduce its energy consumption at the Johnson Space Center in Houston by 17% and break ground on a 1.6 megawatt solar plant to power the White Sands test facility in New Mexico. The Department of Homeland Security will boost the energy efficiency of its operations and install solar power at facilities in California and Puerto Rico.

The federal government is the nation’s largest energy consumer.

Tags

Related Stories

Sustainability | Apr 4, 2023

ASHRAE releases Building Performance Standards Guide

Building Performance Standards (BPS): A Technical Resource Guide was created to provide a technical basis for policymakers, building owners, practitioners and other stakeholders interested in developing and implementing a BPS policy. The publication is the first in a series of seven guidebooks by ASHRAE on building decarbonization.

Sustainability | Apr 4, 2023

NIBS report: Decarbonizing the U.S. building sector will require massive, coordinated effort

Decarbonizing the building sector will require a massive, strategic, and coordinated effort by the public and private sectors, according to a report by the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS).

Multifamily Housing | Mar 24, 2023

Momentum building for green retrofits in New York City co-ops, condos

Many New York City co-op and condo boards had been resistant to the idea of approving green retrofits and energy-efficiency upgrades, but that reluctance might be in retreat.

Geothermal Technology | Mar 22, 2023

Lendlease secures grants for New York’s largest geothermal residential building

Lendlease and joint venture partner Aware Super, one of Australia’s largest superannuation funds, have acquired $4 million in support from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to build a geoexchange system at 1 Java Street in Brooklyn. Once completed, the all-electric property will be the largest residential project in New York State to use a geothermal heat exchange system.

Sustainability | Mar 16, 2023

Lack of standards for carbon accounting hamper emissions reduction

A lack of universally accepted standards for collecting, managing, and storing greenhouse gas emissions data (i.e., carbon accounting) is holding back carbon reduction efforts, according to an essay published by the Rocky Mountain Institute.

Green Renovation | Mar 5, 2023

Dept. of Energy offers $22 million for energy efficiency and building electrification upgrades

The Buildings Upgrade Prize (Buildings UP) sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy is offering more than $22 million in cash prizes and technical assistance to teams across America. Prize recipients will be selected based on their ideas to accelerate widespread, equitable energy efficiency and building electrification upgrades.

AEC Innovators | Mar 3, 2023

Meet BD+C's 2023 AEC Innovators

More than ever, AEC firms and their suppliers are wedding innovation with corporate responsibility. How they are addressing climate change usually gets the headlines. But as the following articles in our AEC Innovators package chronicle, companies are attempting to make an impact as well on the integrity of their supply chains, the reduction of construction waste, and answering calls for more affordable housing and homeless shelters. As often as not, these companies are partnering with municipalities and nonprofit interest groups to help guide their production.

Multifamily Housing | Mar 1, 2023

Multifamily construction startup Cassette takes a different approach to modular building

Prefabricated modular design and construction have made notable inroads into such sectors as industrial, residential, hospitality and, more recently, office and healthcare. But Dafna Kaplan thinks that what’s held back the modular building industry from even greater market penetration has been suppliers’ insistence that they do everything: design, manufacture, logistics, land prep, assembly, even onsite construction. Kaplan is CEO and Founder of Cassette, a Los Angeles-based modular building startup.

Sustainable Design and Construction | Feb 28, 2023

Architecture 2030 launches free carbon calculator for retrofit projects

Architecture 2030’s Carbon Avoided Retrofit Estimator (CARE) tool allows project teams and building owners to accurately quantify the carbon “savings” in retrofit or reuse projects versus new construction.

AEC Innovators | Feb 28, 2023

Meet the 'urban miner' who is rethinking how we deconstruct and reuse buildings

New Horizon Urban Mining, a demolition firm in the Netherlands, has hitched its business model to construction materials recycling. It's plan: deconstruct buildings and infrastructure and sell the building products for reuse in new construction. New Horizon and its Founder Michel Baars have been named 2023 AEC Innovators by Building Design+Construction editors.

boombox1 - default
boombox2 -
native1 -

More In Category




halfpage1 -

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021