Join the former White House national climate advisor and former EPA Administrator, and a panel of practitioners and advocates to discuss state-level emissions data, regulatory approaches, and policies that keep organic waste out of landfills. Reducing methane is the most effective near-term strategy to curb global warming, and landfills are the low-hanging fruit at the state level. US landfills produce over 295 million tons of CO2e annually, according to inventories calculated on a 20-year horizon as a result of organic waste (i.e., food, paper, yard waste) decomposing in an anaerobic landfill environment. The impacts of waste are both visible and urgent for the communities that live near landfills and suffer health and quality of life impacts from the air and water pollution. Fortunately, there are 'low-hanging fruit' policies and strategies that can make a difference for the climate and community.

EPA's National Compliance Initiatives (NCIs) advance the Agency Strategic Plan's objectives to improve air quality, provide for clean and safe water, ensure chemical safety, and improve compliance with our nation's environmental laws while enhancing shared accountability between the EPA and states and tribes with authorized environmental programs.

GSA has reported progress toward key sustainability goals in recent years across its buildings portfolio. In this report GSA's aggregated buildings portfolio data show it exceeded prior goals for energy efficiency, water efficiency, emissions reduction, and renewable electricity share in fiscal year 2021, however GSA officials cited lack of access to capital as a challenge it faces in meeting future federal sustainability goals. GSA officials said the scale and scope of the projects needed to achieve net-zero building emissions by 2045 will require resources beyond what has historically been available.

REMINDER: Registration to attend the 2023 Federal Environmental Symposium is now open! Federal employees and sponsored contractors are invited to attend the Symposium, a hybrid event to be attended October 23-27, 2023 either virtually or in-person at the NIH campus in Bethesda, MD. This year's theme for the Symposium "Environment: A Mission Asset" focuses on the sharing of best practices, success stories, partnerships, and challenges and achievements of the federal practitioner community as they apply to your Agency's mission. The event is FREE and registration will end Friday, September 29, 2023, so mark your calendar and register now. For more information, please see FedCenter's Symposium website at https://www.fedcenter.gov/fes2023.

The Carbon Pollution-Free Electricity (CFE) Program Availability Map is a searchable database of clean energy purchasing programs offered by vertically integrated utilities (i.e., those responsible for generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity in their service territory). It is published by the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) and is intended to assist federal stakeholders with identifying CFE options that meet E.O. 14057 requirements.

EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality is soliciting applications nationwide for projects that achieve significant reductions in diesel emissions. Priority for funding will also be given to projects that engage and benefit local communities already overburdened by air pollution, protect grant funded investments from severe weather events caused by climate change, and applicants that demonstrate their ability to promote and continue efforts to reduce emissions after the project has ended. EPA anticipates awarding approximately $115 million under this NOFO. Awards will be selected and managed by EPA's ten regional offices. EPA anticipates 4-10 cooperative agreements awards per EPA region, subject to the availability of funds, the quality of applications received, and other considerations. Please visit www.epa.gov/dera/national for questions and answers and additional details. Closing date for this opportunity is December 1, 2023.

DOE unlocked billions of dollars in private capital to improve the efficiency and sustainability of federal facilities. DOE competitively awarded contracts to 20 energy service companies (ESCOs) to provide Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs) for federal agencies, marking the fourth generation of such contracts awarded by DOE since 1998. Energy and water infrastructure projects financed through DOE's ESPC indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract offer guaranteed cost savings for federal sites. With a ceiling of $5 billion per ESCO contract, they require no upfront government funding and are designed to pay for themselves over time. Federal agencies interested in initiating their next ESPC project are encouraged to contact the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) to get started. Stakeholders, including federal agencies, ESCOs, and the public can visit FEMP's ESPC program page to view the awarded contracts and access further information about ESPCs

EPA announced the latest action to phase down the use of climate super-pollutant hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), issuing a final rule to implement a 40% reduction below historic levels from 2024 through 2028. The rule aligns with the bipartisan American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act's goals to reduce the production and consumption of these climate-damaging chemicals by 85% by 2036 and help avoid up to 0.5 ?C of global warming by 2100. The final rule builds on the success of the 10% phasedown step implemented for 2022 and 2023, by establishing a similar allowance methodology to provide regulatory certainty to industry and stakeholders, ensuring the most efficient implementation under the ongoing phasedown. The United States began this historic phasedown on January 1, 2022, with a reduction of HFC production and imports to 10% below historic baseline levels. Since then, allowances are needed to import and produce HFCs. Starting in 2024 the phasedown will be 40% below historic levels, a significant decrease in the number of available production and consumption allowances compared to previous years. HFC allowances for calendar year 2024 will be allocated by September 29, 2023. The phasedown schedule under this program is consistent with the schedule laid out in the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which the United States ratified in October 2022.

A bill to amend the Clean Air Act to provide for the establishment of standards to limit the carbon intensity of the fuel used by certain vessels (Congressional Record: 8 June 2023 [Senate] Pages S2028-S2029)

A bill to amend the Clean Air Act to provide for the establishment of standards to limit the carbon intensity of the fuel used by certain vessels. (Congressional Record 12 June 2023 [House] Pages H2806-H2809)

Health Care Emissions Impact Calculator is an accounting tool specifically designed to help health care organizations measure their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It was developed following the GHG Protocol and can be used to develop a GHG inventory for all scopes 1, 2, and 3 emissions at the facility and/or system level. Note to access the calculator you need to provide contact information.

The Global Electronics Council recently announced Climate Criteria for its EPEAT ecolabel. Starting in late 2023, products that have been verified to meet these criteria will be listed as Early Adopters on the EPEAT Registry. All products will have to meet the Climate Criteria by December 31, 2025. EPA coordinated comments from federal agencies for the new criteria which includes requirements for public disclosure of climate pollutants, use of renewable energy and energy reduction within the supply chain and during a product's use. The EPEAT label was developed with support from an EPA grant and federal purchasers are required to procure EPEAT registered electronics.

Recordings of the lower carbon construction materials webinars are now available on the EPA website. The webinars covered topics related to new programs made possible by a $350 million investment from the Inflation Reduction Act such as a new carbon labelling program for construction materials and products, how to improve data on embodied greenhouse gas emissions and new programs to help businesses calculate and report these emissions.

The NAM Climate Collaborative Health Care Delivery Working Group developed a shortlist of key actions for hospitals and health systems to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The NAM identified nine actions that can be used by any hospitals or health systems to start their journey to reach decarbonization goals.

EPA proposed new carbon pollution standards for coal and natural gas-fired power plants that will protect public health, reduce harmful pollutants and deliver up to $85 billion in climate and public health benefits over the next two decades. The proposal for coal and new natural gas power plants would avoid up to 617 million metric tons of total carbon dioxide (CO2) through 2042, which is equivalent to reducing the annual emissions of 137 million passenger vehicles, roughly half the cars in the United States. Through 2042, EPA estimates the net climate and health benefits of the standards on new gas and existing coal-fired power plants are up to $85 billion. The proposals would also result in cutting tens of thousands of tons of particulate matter (PM2.5), sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxide, harmful air pollutants that are known to endanger people's health, especially in communities that for too long have disproportionally shouldered the burden of high pollution and environmental injustice.

A bill to prohibit Federal agencies from purchasing or leasing new vehicles that are not zero-emission vehicles. [Congressional Record: 19 April 2023 [House] Pages H1885-H1887)

EPA released its 30th annual Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks (GHG Inventory), which presents a national-level overview of annual greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 to 2021. Net U.S. greenhouse gas emissions were 5,586 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2021, a 6% increase in emissions from 2020. The increase is largely due to a rebound in economic activity following the height of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. However, emissions have declined overall since 2005 (17%), which reflects the combined impacts of several factors, including energy market trends, technological changes including energy efficiency improvements, and the carbon intensity of energy fuel choices. For this latest release, EPA has made several important improvements, including updates to estimates for oil and gas and for flooded lands such as hydroelectric and agricultural reservoirs.

EPA announced new proposed federal vehicle emissions standards that will accelerate the ongoing transition to a clean vehicles future and tackle the climate crisis. The proposed standards would improve air quality for communities across the nation, especially communities that have borne the burden of polluted air. Together, these proposals would avoid nearly 10 billion tons of CO2 emissions, equivalent to more than twice the total U.S. CO2 emissions in 2022, while saving thousands of dollars over the lives of the vehicles meeting these new standards and reduce America's reliance on approximately 20 billion barrels of oil imports.

WASHINGTON (Feb. 14, 2023) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced initial guidance on the design of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) program, created by President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act. EPA published two Federal Assistance Listings outlining key parameters of the grant competitions that will ultimately award nearly $27 billion to leverage private capital for clean energy and clean air investments across the country. Federal Assistance Listings are the first public notice requirement to implement a federal grant program.

EPA announced the first opportunities for public input on new programs focused on lower carbon construction materials made possible by a $350 million investment from President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act. The Agency will hold three public webinars and will accept written feedback on establishing new grant and technical assistance programs, and a carbon labeling program for construction materials with substantially lower levels of embodied greenhouse gas emissions.

The U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization is a landmark interagency framework of strategies and actions to remove all emissions from the transportation sector by 2050.

CEQ released updated Guidance on Consideration of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Change to help Federal agencies better assess and disclose climate impacts as they conduct environmental reviews, delivering more certainty and efficiency in the permitting process for clean energy and other infrastructure projects. This step, directed by Executive Order 13990, Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis, advances President Biden's commitment to restore science in Federal decision making, fight climate change, and build resilient infrastructure.

This fact sheet lays out the Biden-Harris Administration's agenda to make equitable and efficient electric options available for everyone. The Administration goals are to reduce America's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50-52% by 2030, to achieve a carbon pollution-free electricity grid by 2035, and to reach net-zero GHG emissions by no later than 2050.

This slide deck from FEMP reviews the final FY 2021 data for federal greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Displaying how federal GHG targets have evolved over time and showing where the federal government stands on the path to meeting the GHG goals in EO 14057.

The Administration announced the first-ever Federal Building Performance Standard, setting an ambitious goal to cut energy use and electrify equipment and appliances in 30 percent of the building space owned by the Federal government by 2030. This action is the latest step forward in pursuit of President Biden's goal of achieving net-zero emissions in all Federal buildings by 2045. Federal Building Performance Standard requires agencies to cut energy use and electrify equipment and appliances to achieve zero scope 1 emissions in 30 percent of their buildings by square footage by 2030. To reach that mark, agencies will be buying American-made products such as heat pumps, electric water heaters, and other energy efficiency and building system technologies supported by the Inflation Reduction Act.

The goal of the Federal BPS is to eliminate scope 1 emissions from standard building operations for applicable facilities. The Federal BPS supports multiple goals and requirements of E.O. 14057, including reducing agency scope 1 GHG emissions (Sec. 202); achieving net-zero emissions across each agency's portfolio of buildings, campuses, and installations by 2045 (Sec. 205); and reducing facility GHG emissions by 50 percent by 2032, prioritizing improvement of energy efficiency and elimination of on-site fossil fuel use (Sec. 205). The Federal BPS provides guidance on deep energy retrofits and strategic equipment replacement in existing buildings, campuses, and installations to meet emission and energy reduction goals.

This fact sheet provides information on the proposed Federal Supplier Climate Risks and Resilience Rule. This rule is part of the President's leadership to implement the first comprehensive, government-wide strategy to measure, disclose, manage, and mitigate the systemic risks that climate change poses to American families, businesses, and the economy. In addition to protecting federal supply chains, agencies are taking new actions to protect pensions and retirement plans, insurance availability, household savings and credit, state and local government programs, our financial system, and the federal budget from the financial risks of climate change.

The EPA has opened a public docket to accept pre-proposal input on EPA's efforts to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from new and existing fossil fuel-fired electric generating units (EGUs). The goal of this non-rulemaking docket is to gather perspectives from a broad group of stakeholders in advance of our proposed rulemakings. These proposed rulemakings are important actions to mitigate the emission of GHGs to address the challenges of climate change and may impact emissions at facilities located near communities with environmental justice concerns. You can access the docket using this link: https://www.regulations.gov/. Search for Docket No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2022-0723 and follow the online instructions for submitting information. The docket will remain open until 27 March 2023.

Implementation of the Energy and Infrastructure Provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022
September 12, 2022
This EO lists the administration's eight goals to guide implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and authorizes the new White House Office on Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation to coordinate that process.

This EO lists the administration's eight goals to guide implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and authorizes the new White House Office on Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation to coordinate that process.

A DOE website providing information about decarbonization and steps on implementing a successful decarbonization strategy.

This toolkit contains resources to help HVAC contractors and service companies work with their customers through a step-by-step method of evaluating and managing their inventory of RTUs and how to make the business case for high-efficiency replacements.

(Washington, August 31, 2022) Today, the Biden Administration took a major step forward in achieving the goals of President Biden's Federal Sustainability Plan and Executive Order (E.O.) 14057 Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability by issuing E.O. 14057 Implementing Instructions to Federal agencies.

Through President Biden's historic Executive Order 14057 Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability the U.S. Federal Government leads the world by example again – transforming how it builds, buys, and manages to help make America's economy cleaner, more efficient, and more sustainable.

The DOE announced a $96 million funding opportunity to support decarbonizing the domestic transportation sector. The funding will focus on expanding electric vehicle (EV) charging accessibility, create cleaner non-road vehicles through electrification and the use of alternative fuels, and develop electric drive components and materials to maximize EV efficiency and affordability. Non-road vehicles, including agricultural and construction equipment, rail, marine and aviation, are a major source of pollution, emitting more carbon pollution than any other sector of the U.S. economy. Lowering vehicle emissions will support President Biden's goal to achieve to net-zero economy by 2050. Further, in accordance with President Biden's Justice40 Initiative, applicants for this funding must show how proposed projects will benefit traditionally disadvantaged communities that lack access to clean energy sources.

The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation announced a $1.5 million award to National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) that will foster collaboration in the development and deployment of a national electric vehicle (EV) charging network that will benefit all Americans. The partnership will convene stakeholders across local, state, and federal government to ensure that EV charging station infrastructure investments are made in a strategic, coordinated, efficient, and equitable manner with public and private-sector partners. The work will be critical to the Joint Office's role in EV infrastructure investments made under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

EPA is proposing to amend specific provisions in the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule to improve the quality and consistency of the data collected under the rule, streamline and improve implementation, and clarify or propose minor updates to certain provisions that have been the subject of questions from reporting entities. These proposed changes include revisions to improve the existing calculation, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements by incorporating updates to existing emissions estimation methodologies and providing for collection of additional data to understand new source categories or new emission sources for specific sectors. The EPA is also proposing revisions that would improve implementation of the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule such as updates to applicability estimation methodologies, providing flexibility for or simplifying calculation and monitoring methodologies, streamlining recordkeeping and reporting, and other minor technical corrections or clarifications. Comments must be received on or before 22 August 2022. POC is Jennifer Bohman, Climate Change Division, Office of Atmospheric Programs (MC-6207A), EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460; tel: (202) 343-9548; email address:GHGReporting@epa.gov. (Federal Register 21 June 2022 [Proposed Rule] Pages 36920-37119).

This webpage connects federal agencies to Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) carbon pollution-free electricity (CFE) resources and provides information to increase federal agency understanding of on-site and off-site CFE options.

Strengthening the Nation's Forests, Communities, and Local Economies
April 27, 2022
This EO directs federal agencies to pursue science-based, sustainable forest and land management; conserve America's mature and old-growth forests on Federal lands; invest in forest health and restoration; support indigenous traditional ecological knowledge and cultural and subsistence practices; honor Tribal treaty rights; and deploy climate-smart forestry practices and other nature-based solutions to improve the resilience of our lands, waters, wildlife, and communities in the face of increasing disturbances and chronic stress arising from climate impacts.

Inventory of US Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks (GHG Inventory) This inventory presents a national-level overview of annual greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 to 2020. The GHG Inventory covers seven key greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride, and nitrogen trifluoride. In addition to tracking U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, the Inventory also calculates carbon dioxide that is removed from the atmosphere through the uptake of carbon in forests and other vegetation.

The Interagency Task Force on Illegal Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) Trade announced that over the past ten weeks, it has prevented illegal HFC shipments equivalent to approximately 530,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions, the same amount as the emissions from nearly 100,000 homes' electricity use in one year. As of January 1, 2022, when the EPA's HFC Allowance Allocation and Trading program went into effect, the import of HFCs requires allowances. Shipments coming to U.S. ports without proper allowances have been identified, stopped, and re-exported. In September of 2021, the task force was established when EPA issued a final rule initiating a comprehensive program to cap and phase down the production and consumption of climate-damaging HFCs in the United States, potent greenhouse gases commonly used in refrigeration and air conditioning equipment. A global phasedown of HFCs is expected to avoid up to 0.5 °C of global warming by 2100. The HFC phasedown is projected to avoid approximately 4.6 billion metric tons of CO2 from 2022 – 2050 in the United States, or nearly equal to three years' worth of U.S. power sector emissions at 2019 levels. The task force helps ensure the vast environmental benefits of the rule are realized by detecting, deterring, and disrupting any attempts to illegally import HFCs into the United States.

REMINDER: Registration to attend the 2022 Federal Environmental Symposium is now open! Federal employees and sponsored contractors are invited to attend the Symposium, hosted by NIH as a virtual event on March 28-31, 2022. The theme of this year's event is "Mission, Environment and Our Community". The event is FREE and registration will end Friday, March 18, 2022, so mark your calendar and register now. For more information, please see the Symposium website at https://www.fedcenter.gov/fes2022.

A series of webinars for federal contractors on managing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is now available on YouTube. The webinars were developed by EPA and the General Services Administration (GSA) to help federal contractors aid the federal government in meeting its goal of net-zero emissions from procurement by measuring and publicly disclosing their GHGs, setting science-based targets and identifying opportunities to reduce climate impacts. Read more about the Biden-Harris administration's goals for sustainable procurement in Executive Order 14057 and the accompanying Federal Sustainability Plan.

EPA reinstated California's authority under the Clean Air Act to implement its own greenhouse gas (GHG) emission standards and zero emission vehicle (ZEV) sales mandate. This action concludes the agency's reconsideration of 2019's Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient Vehicles Rule Part One: One National Program Rule (SAFE-1) by finding that the actions taken under the previous administration as a part of SAFE-1 were decided in error and are now entirely rescinded. With this action, EPA is also withdrawing the SAFE-1 interpretation of the Clean Air Act that would prohibit other states from adopting the California GHG emission standards. As a result, other states may choose to adopt and enforce California's GHG emission standards in lieu of the Federal standards, consistent with section 177 of the Clean Air Act.

Across the United States, many states are developing and publishing state level GHG inventories on a regular basis. This website provides official state ghg inventories where available.

EPA's State Inventory and Projection Tool is an interactive spreadsheet model designed to help states develop greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventories and was developed to lessen the time it takes to develop an inventory (collecting data, identifying emission factors, etc.). The tool has two components: the state inventory tool and the projection tool. tool.

This report is a follow-on to the 2019 EPA technical report, Global Non-CO2 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emission Projections & Mitigation Potential: 2015-2050. This report provides U.S. domestic technical and economic mitigation estimates of non-CO2 GHGs from anthropogenic sources at the state-level. The analysis provides information that can be used to understand sub-national contributions of GHG emissions and mitigation opportunities. This web-based summary is intended to provide analysis of the abatement potential and costs of implementing specific abatement technologies. The analysis and accompanying dataset provides information that can be used by state and local-policymakers to understand mitigation opportunities in areas that may have not received the same attention as electricity generation and transportation.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released a study showing that by 2030, nearly half of medium- and heavy-duty trucks will be cheaper to buy, operate, and maintain as zero emissions vehicles than traditional diesel-powered combustion engine vehicles. Published by the DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the study finds that continued improvements with zero emission vehicle and fuel technologies will enable clean trucks to become cheaper and more readily available over the next decade. Increased use of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) within the trucking industry will support the decarbonization of America's transportation sector and advance President Biden's goals to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles, address the climate crisis, and bolster domestic manufacturing.

This edition highlights fostering sustainability as a way of life, in support of Environmental Operating Principle #1. Content includes commentary from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Director of Military Programs, Dr. Christine Altendorf, and USACE Director of Civil Works, Mr. Al Lee, discussing our collective climate change adaption and mitigation efforts. This issue also features initiatives from across the Army environmental community that are helping to shape a sustainable environment for current and future generations.

Content includes:

• USACE Charleston District shares how they are restoring prime nesting grounds for shorebirds and seabirds using dredged material.
• USACE Alaska District discusses how they are promoting sustainable construction practices on the Last Frontier.
• U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center highlights how their ongoing partnership is working to re-establish Gulf oyster habitat.
• USACE New York District shares how construction of the West Point Elementary School is supporting STEAM education for students.
• U.S. Army Environmental Command discusses how a project seeks to treat contaminated groundwater using a novel bioaugmented adsorption treatment system.

The February 2022 issue can be found here.

In this fact sheet the Administration is announcing new actions across agencies to support American leadership on clean manufacturing. The industrial sector is also central to tackling the climate crisis, as it is currently responsible for nearly a third of domestic greenhouse gas emissions. By helping manufacturers use clean energy, efficiency upgrades, and other innovative technologies to reduce emissions, the Administration is supporting cleaner industry that can produce the next generation of products and materials for a net-zero economy. These same manufacturing improvements will also protect public health, by reducing releases of air and water pollutants and toxic materials that disproportionately harm low-income households and communities of color.

DOD and GSA announced a Request for Information (RFI) to gather market information and capabilities in supplying carbon pollution-free electricity to the federal government. This is an important step forward in transforming how the U.S. government buys and manages electricity, and it puts the nation on a path to achieving a carbon pollution-free electricity sector by 2035. This RFI follows President Biden’s signing of the Executive Order on Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability (EO 14057), which directed the federal government to use 100% carbon pollution-free electricity on a net annual basis by 2030, including 50% on a 24/7 (hourly matching) basis. The objectives of this RFI are to: • Demonstrate the intent to achieve 100 percent carbon pollution-free electricity for federal operations by using a whole-of-government approach; • Understand the ability of industry to supply 24x7 hourly matched carbon pollution-free electricity, and gather pricing information based on scale; and • Gather information from industry on potential approaches to meeting the targets set by the Federal Sustainability Plan. This is a part of the Administration’s larger goal to combat the climate crisis, including working to curb emissions, strengthen resilience, create jobs, protect public health, catalyze private sector investment, spur innovation, expand the economy, and advance equity.

EPA's Biogas Toolkit serves as a centralized knowledge hub for biogas project stakeholders. The toolkit is designed to allow stakeholders to search and browse for information and resources that meet their specific project needs.

ABSTRACT SUBMITTAL DEADLINE EXTENDED TO FRIDAY JAN. 14th:The Federal sustainability community is cordially invited to attend the 2022 Federal Environmental Symposium, March 28-31, 2022. This year's theme is Mission, Environment, and Our Communities, and will be conducted via webinar-format only. The four day event will focus on Federal sustainability initiatives over the past year while encouraging partnerships, sharing of information, and best practices amongst Federal facilities. The event schedule, registration instructions, call for presentation abstracts (now open until Friday, January 14th), and continuous updates to the event can be found on the Symposium website.

WASHINGTON (Dec. 28, 2021) -- In 2021, under the new leadership of the Biden-Harris Administration and Administrator Michael S. Regan, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency took significant steps forward in tackling the climate crisis, advancing environmental justice, protecting the health and safety of communities across the country, and restoring scientific integrity.

WASHINGTON (Dec. 20, 2021) – Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing the most ambitious federal greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for passenger cars and light trucks ever. The final standards, for Model Years (MY) 2023 through 2026, leverage advances in clean car technology to unlock $190 billion in net benefits to Americans, including reducing climate pollution, improving public health, and saving drivers money at the pump. The final rule also delivers more net benefits to consumers than the proposed rule showcasing how zero-emission vehicles are more affordable and more efficient for consumers.

Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability
December 8, 2021
President Biden has signed an Executive Order that demonstrates how the United States will leverage its scale and procurement power to lead by example in tackling the climate crisis. The executive order will reduce emissions across federal operations, invest in American clean energy industries and manufacturing, and create clean, healthy, and resilient communities.

(12/08/2021) President Biden has signed an executive order that demonstrates how the United States will leverage its scale and procurement power to lead by example in tackling the climate crisis. The executive order will reduce emissions across federal operations, invest in American clean energy industries and manufacturing, and create clean, healthy, and resilient communities. The President is building on his whole-of-government effort to tackle the climate crisis in a way that creates well-paying jobs, grows industries, and makes the country more economically competitive.

The U.S Department of Energy's Federal Energy Management Program congratulates the 18 winners of the 2021 Federal Energy and Water Management Awards. These awards recognize individuals, teams, and organizations for outstanding efforts to cut energy waste, reduce costs, optimize performance, and advance America's progress towards net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The Federal Energy and Water Management Awards are presented annually to federal employees, along with their private-sector partners, who exemplify federal leadership in efficient energy management. All nominations are reviewed and selected by a federal evaluation panel. Each of this year's awardees successfully implemented cost-effective projects and programs that led to outstanding achievements in energy and water efficiency, resilience, technology, distributed energy, cybersecurity, and vehicle fleet management across the federal government.

The EPA is issuing regulations to implement certain provisions of the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act, as enacted on 27 December 2020. This Act mandates the phasedown of HFC, which are highly potent GHG, by 85 percent over a period ending in 2036. The Act directs the EPA to implement the phasedown by issuing a fixed quantity of transferrable production and consumption allowances, which producers and importers of HFCs must hold in quantities equal to the amount of HFCs they produce or import. To establish the allowance allocation program, this rulemaking determines the HFC production and consumption baselines, from which allowed production and consumption will decrease consistent with the statutory phasedown schedule. Over the time period from 2022-2050, this rulemaking will avoid cumulative emissions of 4,560 million metric tons of exchange value equivalent of HFCs in the United States with a present value of cumulative net benefits of $272.7 billion. This rule is effective on 4 November 2021, except for amendatory instruction 3 adding 40 CFR part 84, which is effective on 5 October 2021. POC is Andy Chang, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Stratospheric Protection Division, tele: 202-564-6658; email: chang.andy@epa.gov. (Federal Register 5 October 2021 [Final] Pages 55116-55222).

The CLASIC tool is a screening tool utilizing a lifecycle cost framework to support stormwater infrastructure decisions on extent and combinations of green, hybrid green-gray and gray infrastructure practices. Users can create scenarios of stormwater control measures including climate and land use projections to assess lifecycle costs, performance, and co-benefits associated with those scenarios.

WASHINGTON (April 16, 2021) Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland today issued two Secretarial Orders to prioritize action on climate change throughout the Department and to restore transparency and integrity in the Department's decision-making processes. SO 3399 establishes a Climate Task Force to coordinate work across the Department, including accelerating renewable energy development and identifying actions to foster investments in energy communities. SO 3398 revokes a series of Secretarial Orders issued in recent years that are inconsistent with the Department's commitment to protect public health; conserve land, water, and wildlife; and elevate science.

EPA released its 28th annual Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks (GHG Inventory), which presents a national-level overview of annual greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 to 2019. Net U.S. greenhouse gas emissions were 5,769 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2019, a 1.7 percent decrease in emissions between 2018 and 2019. While many long-term and short-term factors influence annual greenhouse gas emissions in recent years, the downward GHG emissions trend can be largely attributed to falling emissions in the electric power sector. The GHG Inventory covers seven key greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride, and nitrogen trifluoride. In addition to tracking U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, the inventory also calculates carbon dioxide that is removed from the atmosphere through the uptake of carbon in forests and other vegetation. Public review of this year's report occurred from 12 February to 15 March 2021 and comments received are posted to the docket EPAHQ-OAR-2021-0008. Responses to comments will be posted to EPA's website within 2-4 weeks following publication of this report.

New as of 18 March 2021, EPA's Climate Change website will guide the public to a range of information, including greenhouse gas emissions data, climate change impacts, scientific reports, and existing climate programs within EPA and across the federal government.

The DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy announced its intent to issue three sustainable transportation technologies funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) in Spring 2021. These potential funding opportunities seek innovative research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D) in the pursuit of technologies that will help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the transportation sector, the highest source of emissions in the United States.

As part of the comprehensive review of the federal oil and gas program called for in Executive Order 14008, the Interior Department will host a virtual forum on 25 March 2021. The day-long forum will feature several panels to highlight perspectives from industry representatives, labor and environmental justice organizations, natural resource advocates, and other experts. The information gathered at the forum, which will be livestreamed, will help inform an interim report from the Department that will be completed in early summer. The report will include initial findings on the state of the federal conventional energy programs, as well as outline next steps and recommendations for the Department and Congress to improve stewardship of public lands and waters, create jobs, and build a just and equitable energy future.

The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) is rescinding its "Draft National Environmental Policy Act Guidance on Consideration of Greenhouse Gas Emissions" consistent with Executive Order (E.O.) 13990, "Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis." POC is Jomar Maldonado, Associate Director for the National Environmental Policy Act, 730 Jackson Place NW, Washington, DC 20503, jomar.maldonadovazquez@ceq.eop.gov or (202) 395-5750. (Federal Register: 19 February 2021 [Notice] Pages 10252)

Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad
January 27, 2021
The EO has three overarching objectives 1) promote safe global temperature, 2) increase climate resilience, and 3) support financial a pathway toward low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development. The EO reinstates the Presidential Memorandum of September 21, 2016 (Climate Change and National Security), establishes the Climate Policy Office within the Executive Office of the President and establishes a National Climate Task Force. In addition, the EO aims to use Federal procurement to support robust climate action including a carbon pollution-free electricity sector, no later than 2035 and clean and zero-emission vehicles for Federal, State, local, and Tribal government fleets.

In this final action, the EPA is finalizing a significant contribution finding (SCF) for purposes of regulating source categories for GHG emissions, under section 111(b) of the CAA for electric generating units (EGUs), and in doing so, reaffirming that EGUs remain a listed source category. The EPA has reached that conclusion by articulating a framework under which source categories are considered to contribute significantly to dangerous air pollution due to their GHG emissions if the amount of those emissions exceeds 3 percent of total U.S. GHG emissions. The EPA is applying the 3-percent threshold to the EGU source category to demonstrate that GHG emissions from the EGU source category would contribute significantly to dangerous air pollution. While EGU GHG emissions exceed this threshold by a sufficient magnitude to warrant an SCF without more ado, the EPA has also, for completeness, analyzed EGU emissions under a secondary criteria framework, which also demonstrates the propriety of the SCF. The final rule is effective on 15 March 2021. POC is Mr. Christopher Werner, Sector Policies and Programs Division (D243-01), Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, EPA, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711; tel: (919) 541-5133 and email: werner.christopher@epa.gov. (Federal Registry 13 January 2021 [Rule] Pages 2542-2558)

EPA released its annual Automotive Trends Report, which provides the public with a single source of information about new light-duty vehicle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, fuel economy, technology data, and auto manufacturers' performance in meeting the agency's GHG emissions standards. The report shows that fuel economy remains high but has slipped slightly from the record pace set in previous years and that reducing emissions through innovation remains a priority for automotive manufacturers.

EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) has released greenhouse gas data for the 2019 Reporting Year. Over 8,000 facilities and suppliers across the country report their annual GHG data to EPA each year.

This page provides an interactive fact sheet summarizing GHGRP emissions for the current year. Choose a state or EPA Region to view maps, charts, and tables summarizing emissions. Data download options are available at the bottom of the page.

The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Customized Search retrieves data from the GHF database in Envirofacts. GHG Customized Search allows the user to create a report on multiple subject areas using the most comprehensive set of GHG data elements. The report is viewable as an HTML tabular report or downloadable as a Comma Separated Value (CSV) file.

Learn more about EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program and viewing published GHG data using EPA's GHGRP resources.

For 50 years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has maintained its commitment to protecting public health by improving air quality and reducing air pollution. This annual report, titled Our Nation's Air, summarizes the nation's air quality status and trends through 2019. Sections of this report convey information across different time periods, depending on the underlying data sources. While some are consistently available since 1970, like growth data, our longer-term trends for air quality concentrations start in 1990, when monitoring methodologies became more consistent.

AirKnowledge is a partnership training program in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS). AirKnowledge develops training material focused on the Clean Air Act program areas managed by OAQPS. This website is intended for use by the public and EPA staff. State, local and tribal air agency users should view training offerings on the learning management system (LMS).

Climate change is already affecting the ability of individuals to participate in outdoor recreation. In the coming decades these impacts are expected to become more noticeable. Some geographic regions and outdoor recreation activities will see increased participation rates while others will be negatively impacted, potentially significantly. These impacts will have numerous ripple effects, including shifts in the economic vitality of recreation-dependent communities to the sustainability of existing management approaches used by local, state, and federal agencies. This webinar will present the state- of-the science about what is known about how climate change will affect outdoor recreation across the United States. The presentation will highlight specific geographic regions and outdoor recreation activities that will continue to be impacted in the near future. The presentation will finish with a discussion of solutions that local, state, and federal management agencies can put in place to adapt to future impacts.

The presentations from the 2019 Federal Environmental Symposium held on October 30-31, 2019 at the NIH campus in Bethesda, MD, are now available for viewing or download at https://www.fedcenter.gov/symposium2019-proceedings.

WASHINGTON (June 19, 2019) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued the final Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule – replacing the prior administration's overreaching Clean Power Plan (CPP) with a rule that restores the rule of law and empowers states to continue to reduce emissions while providing affordable and reliable energy for all Americans.

In 2010, the EPA released a life-cycle analysis of GHG emissions associated with the production and combustion of corn ethanol. Now 2018 new data allowed USDA to examine the emissions pathway corn-ethanol has actually followed since 2010.

This annual report is part of the EPA's commitment to providing the public with transparent information about new light-duty vehicle GHG emissions, fuel economy, technology data, and auto manufacturers' performance in meeting the agency's GHG emissions standards. This report includes content previously published in two separate reports, the Light-Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Fuel Economy Trends Report, and the GHG Manufacturer Performance Report.

The updated ISO 14064-1, "Greenhouse Gases - Part 1: Specification with Guidance at the Organization Level for Quantification and Reporting of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Removals" specifies principles and requirements at the organization level for the quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals. It includes requirements for the design, development, management, reporting, and verification of an organization's GHG inventory.

Offered by the Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO), this course guides participants through the process steps required to establish and implement a GHG reduction goal. The instructors will provide brief case studies highlighting how their respective organizations adapted process elements to meet their business objectives. Key questions that will be addressed include determining objectives, establishing a baseline, establishing a business as usual forecast, setting GHG reduction targets, selling to senior management, and how to devise a viable implementation plan. The instructors will also provide direction on applicable tools and references, and they will lead discussion on how to overcome some of the most challenging obstacles.

The Draft Inventory is available for public review. EPA requests recommendations for improving the overall quality of the inventory report to be finalized in April 2018, as well as subsequent inventory reports. To ensure comments are considered for the final version of the document, please submit your comments by 9 March 2018 (Federal Register; 7 February 2018 [Notices], page 5422).

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released its sixth year of Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program data, detailing greenhouse gas pollution trends and emissions broken down by industrial sector, geographic region and individual facilities. In 2015, reported emissions from large industrial sources, representing approximately 50 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, were 4.9 percent lower than 2014, and 8.2 percent lower than 2011.

Offered by the Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO), this course will provide participants with an understanding of the value proposition for GHG management, fundamental accounting principles, disclosure, verification and reporting frameworks, and common practices for leveraging GHG data.

Offered by the Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO), this course will provide a basic overview of sea level rise in the context of climate change, including the basics of temporal and regional changes, the forcing mechanisms for sea level rise in the past and projections for the future. Attendees will gain a fundamental understanding of the observing systems used to measure sea level change, and how various government agencies are planning for the impacts of sea level rise. Learners will also get an overview of the concept of risk management in the face of sea level rise, looking at various adaptation strategies, and discussing the concept of how to build resilience. Attendees will participate in an instructor-led discussion on what steps they might take to help mitigate impacts of sea level rise in their communities.

Energy, water and food/agriculture systems are inextricably linked. Understanding the intersection of these three systems is important since a disruption can present serious risks to an organization and lead to cascading impacts. This session will cover the linkages of these systems as well as the impacts, risks, and opportunities associated with the energy, water and agriculture/food nexus, and how it relates to greenhouse gases. Bootcamp instructors will provide examples of how these interdependencies can play out in a warming world. This course is offered by the Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO).

Offered by the Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO), in this bootcamp participants will receive an introduction to available community-relevant information sources and tools, climate data sets, and a template to help assess an organization's (or region's) climate risks and current resilience. Attendees will learn how to define climate-related hazards, recognize differential impacts of those hazards, identify existing and future risks, fully understand their current vulnerabilities and strengths, identify and utilize stakeholder partnerships to inform the decision making process, and evaluate the most critical vulnerabilities for their organization.

Offered by the Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO), this boot camp will provide participants with an overview of the current state of knowledge about Earth's climate system, how climate is projected to change this century, practical implications of these projections for different socioeconomic sectors, and the basics how effective communication and engagement can help mobilize your organization for action. Attendees will learn how to use climate projections to identify climate related risks and vulnerabilities, and understand how science-based information and tools are being used for strategic planning. Participants will go through an interactive demonstration to apply what they have learned throughout the course.

EPA recently published the annual U.S. Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions and Sinks, which presents a national-level overview of annual greenhouse gas emissions since 1990. The inventory shows a 9% drop in emissions since 2005, and a 1% increase in greenhouse gas emissions in 2014 from 2013 levels. By sector, power plants were the largest source of emissions, accounting for 30% of total U.S. greenhouse gas pollution. The transportation sector was the second largest source, at 26 percent.

The Department of Defense (DoD) has announced the winners of the 2016 Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards. Each year since 1962, the Secretary of Defense has recognized individuals, teams, and installations for their outstanding achievements and innovative work protecting the environment while sustaining mission readiness. Military Services and Defense Agencies may submit one nomination for each of the nine award categories. A diverse panel of judges representing federal and state agencies, academia, and the private sector select the winners.

On March 21, 2016, President Obama issued "Presidential Memorandum: Building National Capabilities for Long-Term Drought Resilience" and "Long-Term Drought Resilience: Federal Action Plan of the National Drought Resilience Partnership" to help sustain and expand efforts to reduce the vulnerability of communities to the impacts of drought.

The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has issued a revised "Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings", per Executive Order 13693 "Planning for Federal Sustainability for the Next Decade." This guidance updates and replaces the "High Performance and Sustainable Buildings Guidance", issued by CEQ in December 2008 to:

• reflect the evolution of sustainable building design, construction, and operating practices since 2008,
• incorporate other building-related E.O. 13693 requirements,
• increase the economic and environmental benefits of Federal investments in facilities,
• enhance occupant health, wellness, and productivity,
• include climate resilience in building design, construction, and operations, and protect Federal facilities investments from the potential impacts of climate change, and
• provide information on tracking agency green building performance.

The revised guiding principles are located here and its companion guidance "Determining Compliance with the Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings" is located here.

This new analysis by the U.S. Energy Information Administration indicates U.S. carbon dioxide emissions from the consumption of fossil fuels were 5,406 million metric tons carbon dioxide in 2014, an increase of 1 percent from the 2013 level. U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide emissions remain about 10% below the 2005 level.

The GreenGov Presidential Awards celebrate extraordinary achievement in the pursuit of President Obama's Federal Sustainability goals. They honor Federal civilian and military personnel, agency teams, agency projects, facilities, and programs that exemplify President Obama's charge to lead by example.

On November 23, the White House announced eight awards in seven different categories to individuals and teams. These honorees exemplify our Federal workforce's commitment to meeting the President's directive to create a clean energy economy that will increase our Nation's prosperity, promote energy security, protect the interests of taxpayers, combat climate change, and safeguard the health of our environment.

This version of the workbook must be used for comprehensive reporting of fiscal year (FY) 2015 energy, costs, square footage, and associated operational data. The data report is an Excel workbook that collects agency-aggregated data that are necessary for calculating scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions in the commonly used native units of energy consumption and fugitive emissions, as well as activity data for estimating scope 3 indirect emissions. It provides users with the summation of their calculated emissions, as well as the performance results for other energy and sustainability goals. The Annual Greenhouse Gas and Sustainability Data Report for FY 2015 is due on 29 January 2016.

The Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO) is offering a series of 2-day training academies to enable attendees to complete all required training CCO Training Bootcamps (including electives) for the Climate Governance Certificate. These academies will provide curriculum on topics including understanding climate science and variability, identifying climate hazards and conducting vulnerability assessments, basics of greenhouse gas accounting, the food-water-energy nexus, and fundamental governance and stakeholder engagement strategies.

(Washington, DC, April 15, 2015) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its 20th Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks today, showing a two percent increase in greenhouse gas emissions in 2013 from 2012 levels, but a nine percent drop in emissions since 2005.

Total U.S. greenhouse emissions were 6,673 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2013. By sector, power plants were the largest source of emissions, accounting for 31 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas pollution. The transportation sector was the second largest source, at 27 percent. Industry and manufacturing were the third largest source, at 21 percent. The increase in total national greenhouse gas emissions between 2012 and 2013 was due to increased energy consumption across all sectors in the U.S. economy and greater use of coal for electricity generation.

This year, EPA is publishing key data in a new, online Greenhouse Gas Inventory Data Explorer tool, which allows users to view, graph and download data by sector, year and greenhouse gas. EPA will be holding an informational webinar on April 22 at 1 p.m. EST to demonstrate the Data Explorer tool and its features, and provide a tutorial on common searches.

The latest edition of "Our Changing Planet", the U.S. Global Change Research Program's annual report to Congress, illustrates the Program's significant progress in meeting its legal mandate and fulfilling the 2012-2021 Strategic Plan. The report gives an overview of the Federal global change research enterprise and upcoming research priorities, with plain-language highlights spotlighting recent efforts to advance science and support societal needs. Among the many highlights in the report, a few examples include: new satellite missions to measure global change; progress in forecasting near-term climate; understanding natural and human factors in the carbon cycle; modeling climate impacts on agriculture and the agro-economy; delivering the 2014 National Climate Assessment; supporting climate preparedness and resilience in the federal government; and building capacity among climate change interpreters in informal education settings. To access the report, visit: http://www.globalchange.gov/browse/reports/our-changing-planet-fy-2015.

As part of an ongoing effort to modernize implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act and promote effective and transparent environmental reviews, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has released updated draft guidance for Federal agencies on how to consider greenhouse gas emissions and the impacts of climate change in their NEPA analyses, as well as final guidance on conducting programmatic NEPA reviews. These measures will increase the efficiency of environmental reviews and help agencies make informed decisions that are sound investments of taxpayer dollars and good for American communities.

On December 9, 2014, the White House held an event that brought together NASCAR, White House leadership, the U.S. Department of Transportation, tire manufacturers, and tire dealers to highlight common sense opportunities of properly maintaining tires, especially in regard to tire pressure. By enabling a driver to travel farther on a gallon of fuel, proper tire maintenance combined with the use of low rolling resistance tires could save a driver up to $80 per year, and avoid up to 560 pounds of annual carbon dioxide pollution, equivalent to nearly 600 miles of emission-free driving. For more information, please see the White House Fact Sheet (http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/12/09/fact-sheet-increasing-safety-and-efficiency-while-saving-money-pump) highlighting new executive actions and private sector commitments to increase awareness about tire safety and efficiency. You can also view the Department of Transportation's report, "Be TireWise: Save Money at the Pump, Increase Efficiency, and Protect Your Safety" at http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/tire_report_final.pdf.