by Brianna Crandall — August 29, 2014—As “the government’s landlord,” providing office and other workspace services for federal agencies, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has proven it is “walking the walk” and exceeding the green goals it promotes, while supporting the Obama Administration’s climate action plan. The agency recently received top marks on the Office of Management and Budget scorecard, the government’s benchmark to identify and track agencies’ progress toward cutting waste, pollution, and costs in federal operations.
GSA’s green efforts help combat climate change by mitigating emissions from buildings, fleet, and supply chain. In the long run, this reduces the nation’s vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, including sea level rise, heat waves, drought or severe weather events, notes GSA.
GSA’s green successes include:
- GSA reduced energy usage in buildings by nearly 25% from 2003, avoiding $238 million in energy bills from 2008 to 2013.
- GSA reduced water usage in buildings by nearly 28% from 2007, avoiding $18 million in water bills from 2008 to 2013.
- GSA reduced petroleum use in its vehicle fleet by nearly 50% compared to 2005.
- GSA is on its way to reduce energy intensity by 30% by the year 2015.
For GSA’s full January 2014 OMB Scorecard on Sustainability/Energy, visit the GSA Web site.
