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Federal Agencies Tasked with Building Performance

President George W. Bush released an Executive Order strengthening the Federal government's environmental and energy strategies. The Executive Orders calls for the head of each Federal agency to reduce "energy intensity” (energy consumption per square foot of building space) by 3 percent annually through the end of fiscal year 2015, or 30 percent by the end of fiscal year 2015.

The Executive Order establishes goals for all new construction and major renovations of agency buildings in accordance with green building strategies such as resource conservation; use of recycled materials; building site selection; and indoor environmental quality. The strategies comply with the Guiding Principles set forth in the 2006 Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings Memorandum of Understanding, signed by 16 agencies in January of 2006.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is the nation's leading organization working to promote high performance green buildings. USGBC's LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted standard for green building design, construction, and operations, and has been adopted by 11 Federal government agencies, dozens of state and local governments, and private developers all over the U.S. LEED has been endorsed by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) as the "most credible" building rating system .

“USGBC applauds the Executive Order, which demonstrates a commitment to reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions,” said Rick Fedrizzi, USGBC President, CEO & Founding Chair. “Buildings are a major contributor to climate change: Annually, they consume 40% of the energy and 70% of the electricity in the U.S., and are responsible for 40% of the nation's CO2 emissions. But LEED certified green buildings have been shown to use 40% less energy than conventional buildings. With numbers like these, we can make a tremendous impact on energy consumption and mitigating climate change.”
In addition to establishing goals for building performance, the Executive Order sets environmental targets in the areas of purchasing and acquisition, renewable energy, toxics reductions, recycling, renewable energy, electronics equipment, fleets, and water conservation.

The Executive Order comes on the heels of USGBC's eight-step action plan on climate change , announced in November 2006. The plan includes a series of proposals and recommendations that will increase the role of green building and the building sector in reducing climate change. Individually, each of the eight steps will have an immediate and measurable impact on reducing C02 emissions. Implemented in concert, they constitute a powerful leadership initiative that sets a high bar for the industry.