Order 436.1 Drivers

Departmental Sustainability Goals

The Department of Energy's (DOE) sustainability goals are based on statutes, Executive Orders, and DOE directives and are presented in DOE's Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan.

Definitions of Scopes 1, 2, and 3 are provided below along with examples of the most typical greenhouse gas emissions of Federal facilities.

Statutes

The National Energy Conservation Policy Act (NECPA), signed into law in 1978, is the underlying authority for Federal energy management goals and requirements and is regularly updated and amended. Several recent Executive Orders have expanded upon the sustainability requirements of NECPA and other enacted energy-related laws.

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005) established energy management goals for Federal facilities and fleets while also amending portions of NECPA.

EPAct 2005 set Federal energy management requirements in the areas of:

• Metering and Reporting
• Energy-Efficient Product Procurement
• Energy Savings Performance Contracts
• Building Performance Standards
• Renewable Energy Requirement
• Alternative Fuel Use

The Crosswalk of Sustainability Goals and Targets prepared by the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) depicts the relationship of the EPAct of 2005 to other sustainability requirements.

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) established energy management goals and requirements while amending portions of NECPA.

EISA 2007 sets Federal energy management requirements in the areas of:

• Energy Reduction Goals for Federal Buildings
• Facility Management/Benchmarking
• Performance and Standards for New Building and Major Renovations
• High-Performance Buildings
• Energy Savings Performance Contracts
• Metering
• Energy-Efficient Product Procurement
• Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Reporting
• Reducing Petroleum/Increasing Alternative Fuel Use

The Crosswalk of Sustainability Goals and Targets prepared by the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) demonstrates the relationship of the EISA to other sustainability requirements.

Executive Orders

Executive Order (EO) 13423 and EO 13514 are the primary EOs driving Federal agencies to become more sustainable and energy efficient in their operations and practices. Both EOs either adopt or expand upon sustainability requirements found in previously enacted energy statutes in addition to creating new requirements. Both EOs define sustainability or sustainable to mean "to create and maintain conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic, and other requirements of present and future generations." They identify the Federal government's continued use of environmental management systems (EMS) as the preferred framework and systematic approach for achieving the EO goals.

EO 13423, Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management, signed on January 24, 2007, strengthened goals in EPAct 2005 and established a set of environmental, energy, and transportation goals for Federal agencies.

EO 13514, Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance, signed on October 5, 2009, expanded upon the energy reduction and environmental performance requirements of EO 13423.

Cumulatively, these EOs establish requirements in the following areas:

• Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
• Improving Water Use Efficiency
• Implementing High Performance Sustainable Buildings
• Supporting Sustainable Acquisition
• Promoting Electronics Stewardship
• Advancing Regional and Local Integrated Planning
• Reducing Petroleum Use
• Preventing Pollution Prevention and Reducing Waste
• Increasing Use of Renewable Energy
• Reducing Toxic Chemical Use
• Implementing and Sustaining Environmental Management Systems

The Crosswalk of Sustainability Goals and Targets prepared by the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) demonstrates the relationship of the EOs to each other and to other sustainability requirements of Federal statutes.

The Sustainability Performance Office at sustainability@hq.doe.gov or Josh Silverman, Director, Office of Sustainability Support, josh.silverman@hq.doe.gov.