The federal government, the largest consumer of energy in the United States, will aim to cut greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent compared with 2008 levels over the next decade under an executive order President Obama will sign Thursday.
The executive order is the latest attempt by the Obama administration to slow climate change, which scientists say is primarily driven by humans burning greenhouse gas-emitting fossil fuels. The White House said the move would help reach a non-binding commitment Obama signed with China in November 2014 to curb U.S. emissions at least 26 percent below 2005 levels by 2025.
Under the order, the federal government will aim for getting 30 percent of its power from renewable energy over the next 10 years.
The actions announced Thursday would reduce emissions by 26 million metric tons over the decade and save $18 billion in energy costs, according to the White House. Businesses that work with the federal government, such as IBM, Hewlett Packard and Northrop Grumman, also said they’d float targets for curbing their emissions.
Coming near the end of his presidency, the action could be reversed by whomever succeeds Obama. But Brian Deese, a senior adviser to Obama, said he thought agencies would continue to strive for the goal regardless.
“We’re very confident … that this is progress that will continue, and the basic reason is from an agency perspective this makes great financial sense,” Deese said in a call with reporters.
The order ramps up a previous goal Obama signed in 2010, when he said the federal government should aim to curb emissions 28 percent by 2025.
So far, the federal government has slashed emissions 17.2 percent since that 2010 order. In 2013, the federal system reduced emissions 1.9 percent.
To get to the 40 percent mark, the order directs federal agencies to get one-quarter of their total energy from renewable sources by 2025, reduce annual energy use 2.5 percent each year, curb water intensity in federal buildings 2 percent each year and slash per-mile emissions from federal vehicle by 30 percent.
