Staff Reports
The White House is requiring federal contractors to disclose their emissions, which is part of President Joe Biden's efforts to make the US more energy-efficient.
Last year, Biden established the first-ever targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the US. He aims to cut emissions by half by 2030. To achieve this, the administration has proposed a slew of new regulations. Some of these include rules aimed at reducing methane emissions from factories and household appliances.
The White House is also using the government's purchasing power to make the private sector more involved in the fight against climate change. It's offering incentives and mandates to encourage companies to adopt more energy-efficient practices.
During a climate change summit held in November, Biden noted that the US is putting its money where its mouth is by investing in programs that help strengthen the country's resilience and climate risk management.
The president also noted that the government is using public money to create a demand signal for more green technologies. At the summit, Biden unveiled a coalition composed of government and private organizations that's buying more low-carbon goods. The group has committed to spending over $12 billion on various products such as concrete and cement.
The president also established a comprehensive approach to combating climate change during his first week in office by issuing an executive order. It called for a whole-of-government effort to address the issue.
The executive order instructed government agencies to identify areas of their operations where climate change could affect their business. It also called for the development of new clean energy technologies.
The White House then established its own specific targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. One of these was to have the government's fleet of zero-emission vehicles by 2035.
According to the White House, government agencies have been moving the needle on reducing greenhouse gas emissions by acquiring more electric cars.
The military also responded to Biden's executive order by developing their own climate change strategies. One of these was the Air Force, which released its own goals last month.
The Air Force's plan calls for reducing carbon pollution by 100% by fiscal 2030. It also aims to have all of its electricity come from zero-emission sources by 2035.
According to the plan, the Air Force will continue looking for new energy sources that can be used in its weapon systems and installations. It also aims to create a demand signal for more green technologies by sending a message to the industry.
The White House is also looking into its regulatory authority to make sure that its suppliers follow Biden's climate change agenda. It proposed changes to the rules governing contractors to align itself with the president's goals.
One of the proposed regulations, which was developed by the Office of the Chief Sustainability Officer, requires contractors to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions. It also requires them to set targets for reducing their emissions.
Another proposed rule by the General Services Administration would restrict the government's use of single-use plastic products.
The preceding is a summary of an article that originally appeared on Washington Examiner.
