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.

The GSA Travel Management Information Service (MIS) is offering online training webinars to assist with air business and ground business travel reporting of Scope 3 travel greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These trainings sessions are specifically focused on generating travel GHG reports using GSA's Travel MIS. The team is happy to invite you to attend a one hour training session to learn how to run emission reports in MIS and report on agency emissions for FY14. The following dates and times are available. If interested, please e-mail TravelMIS@gsa.gov with the preferred session(s). A confirmation email will be sent from the Travel MIS team.

Available sessions (all times are listed in EST):

Session 1: Thursday 12/4/2014 @ 2PM
Session 2: Wednesday 12/10/2014 @ 12PM
Session 3: Tuesday 12/16/2014 @ 1PM
Session 4: Tuesday 1/6/2015 @ 3PM
Session 5: Monday 1/12/2015 @ 11AM
Session 6: Friday 1/16/2015 @ 10AM
Session 7: Monday 1/19/2015 @ 12PM

For more information contact: TravelMIS@gsa.gov.

FINAL REMINDER - ONLY 3 DAYS LEFT TO PARTICIPATE! The White House is launching the second GreenGov Challenge! If you're a federal employee, share your idea on how the federal government can lead by example in eight different categories -- from climate change mitigation and resilience, to water conservation, to waste reduction. Submissions are open until 5 December 2014. After the submission period closes, GreenGov will release the approved submissions and all federal employees will be able to vote for their favorite ideas.

On 31 October 2014 Federal agencies released their plans for reducing their greenhouse gas emissions and preparing for climate change impacts such as flooding, sea level rise, severe weather and temperature extremes. The current agency Climate Change Adaptation Plans build on the first set of plans, which was released in February, 2013, and respond to a November 2013 Executive Order on Preparing the United States for the Impacts of Climate Change that established requirements for updating and reporting on progress on agency Adaptation plans.

EPA has released its fourth 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 2013, reported emissions from large industrial facilities were 20 million metric tons higher than the prior year, or 0.6 percent, driven largely by an increase in coal use for power generation.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a Green Infrastructure Collaborative with the support of six other government agencies at the President's State, Local, and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience. EPA joined with the U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. Department of Defense, and U.S. Department of Energy to release a Federal Letter of Support for green infrastructure and the Collaborative.

FedCenter is now on Facebook! Become a fan and follow us on Facebook, where you'll find valuable information that you need to help meet your environmental stewardship and compliance obligations. To follow us on Facebook, go to https://facebook.com/fedcenter.

This is the first education module in a series of three developed by the USDA's Climate Change Resources Center. It gives a brief overview of the climate system, greenhouse gases, climate models, current climate change impacts, and future projections. There is a 14-question activity at the end of the module, and users who complete the activity will receive a printable certificate with their name and the date completed. The expected time commitment for this module is about 20 minutes, plus the activity. Time spent exploring the many outward links and interactive features within the module will be at the user's discretion.

Developed by National Climate Assessment and Development Advisory Committee (NCADAC), the full report of the National Climate Assessment provides an in-depth look at climate change impacts on the U.S. It details the multitude of ways climate change is already affecting and will increasingly affect the lives of Americans. The report is available to download and can be explored interactively through USGCRP's website.

May is quickly approaching, and communities across the country are preparing to celebrate National Bike Month. This year, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the Pacific Northwest regions of the EPA and DOT are cranking up efforts to promote the Federal Bike-to-Work Challenge.

EPA has released its 19th annual report of overall U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, showing a 3.4 percent decrease in 2012 from 2011. The Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks presents a national-level overview of annual greenhouse gas emissions since 1990.

During each chat, EPA will have different EPA experts sharing information on climate change and what we all can do to act on climate. EPA invites you to join the conversation and ask questions.

EPA is looking for small businesses, governments, and not-for-profit organizations to participate as Small Entity Representatives (SERs) for a Small Business Advocacy Review (SBAR) Panel. This panel will focus on the agency's proposed extension of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles' greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards beyond model year 2018.

The average global temperature for 2013 tied as the fourth warmest year since record keeping began in 1880, according to NOAA scientists. It also marked the 37th consecutive year with a global temperature above the 20th century average. The last below-average annual temperature was 1976. Including 2013, all 13 years of the 21st century (2001-2013) rank among the 15 warmest in the 134-year period of record. The three warmest years on record are 1998, 2005, and 2010. This analysis is from NOAA's National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, North Carolina.

(WASHINGTON, D.C., November 5, 2013) The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) today announced the fourth annual winners of the GreenGov Presidential Awards, which honor Federal civilian and military personnel as well as agency teams, facilities, and programs that have taken innovative steps to reduce energy use and carbon pollution, curb waste, and save taxpayer money in Federal agency operations. At a White House ceremony, senior Administration officials recognized the eight award winners for exemplifying President Obama's charge to lead by example and demonstrating extraordinary achievement in the pursuit of the President's 2009 Executive Order on Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy and Economic Performance (Executive Order 13514). Click here for the full announcement.
UPDATE Nov. 18: 2013 winner announcement with photo gallery is now available here.

In support of President Obama's Climate Action Plan and Executive Order on Preparing the United States for the Impacts of Climate Change announced today, the Implementation Plans provide detailed information about the actions EPA plans to take across the country to help communities adapt to a changing climate. All comments are due by 3 January 2014.

U.S. Energy Information Administration has released its online analysis of 2012 energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. It indicates U.S. carbon dioxide emissions from the consumption of fossil fuels were 5,290 million metric tons carbon dioxide in 2012, a decrease of almost 4 percent from the 2011 level.

To develop this report, watershed modeling was conducted in 20 large U.S. watersheds to characterize the sensitivity of streamflow, nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus), and sediment loading to a range of plausible mid-21st century climate change and urban development scenarios. The report also provides an improved understanding of methodological challenges associated with integrating existing tools (e.g., climate models, downscaling approaches, and watershed models) and data sets to address these scientific questions.

The EPA's Clean Air Excellence Awards Program is open to both public and private entities. Entries are limited to efforts related to air quality in the United States. All submissions of entries for the Clean Air Excellence Awards Program must be postmarked by 27 September 2013.

FedCenter has compiled a topical index of Federally-sponsored and non-profit mobile applications that may be of interest to the Federal environmental community. Mobile applications are those tools and information resources that have been specifically developed for your mobile devices, such as smartphone, tablet, or other Internet-connected hand-held device. The directory will be maintained daily to keep you abreast of any new and useful mobile applications the federal community releases.

President Obama lays out his vision for the steps we need to take to prepare our country for the impacts of climate change and lead the global effort to fight it. A video of the speech will be available after the speech is presented on Tuesday, 25 June 2013 at 1:55 EST.

This training series consists of three modules designed to help create a Great Lakes region that is "climate ready." Toward this end, these modules provide stakeholders and decision makers with clear information about Great Lakes climate, as well as what we need to adapt to, why, and how. This project was sponsored by the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network and the NOAA Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Team.

The 18th annual report of overall U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions showed a 1.6 percent decrease in 2011 from the previous year. Recent trends can be attributed to multiple factors including reduced emissions from electricity generation, improvements in fuel efficiency in vehicles with reductions in miles traveled, and year-to-year changes in the prevailing weather.

(WASHINGTON, D.C., February 7, 2013) – Continuing the Obama Administration's commitment to lead by example and cut waste, pollution, and costs in Federal operations, Federal agencies today released their 2012 Strategic Sustainability Performance Plans. President Obama signed Executive Order 13514 on Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance in October 2009, setting aggressive targets for reducing waste and pollution in Federal operations by 2020. The Sustainability Plans build on three years of progress under the Executive Order and provide an overview of how agencies are saving taxpayer dollars, reducing carbon emissions, cutting waste, and saving energy.

EPA has released its Climate Change Indicators in the United States 2012 report. This report updates the Agency's initial climate-indicators report, which was published in 2010. It contains information about 26 key indicators that together show what climate change looks like in the United States. The report also highlights some of the public health and environmental impacts that are already happening today.

This course provides training to individuals who wish to be involved in the implementation of clean development mechanism (CDM) projects in the technical area TA1.2: Energy generation from renewable energy sources. The course focuses on hydropower and wind energy projects.

On September 21, 2011, the Department of Energy's Federal Energy Management Program released the DRAFT Annual GHG and Sustainability Data Report, Version 2.0 for FY 2011 reporting by Federal agencies. Version 2.1, to correct spreadsheet navigation issues, was subsequently released September 26, 2011.

WASHINGTON (August 22, 2011) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is launching a new tool to allow 28 industrial sectors to submit their 2010 greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution data electronically. Prior to being finalized, more than1,000 stakeholders, including industry associations, states and NGOs tested the electronic GHG Reporting Tool (e-GGRT) to ensure clarity and user-friendliness.

FedCenter has added a new topic to its program area lineup - Climate Change Adaptation. This area includes the latest guidance and information resources to help Federal agencies facilitate climate adaptation planning.

(WASHINGTON, April 18, 2011) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released the 16th annual U.S. greenhouse gas inventory. The final report shows overall emissions during 2009 decreased by 6.1 percent from the previous year. This downward trend was attributed to a decrease in fuel and electricity consumption across all U.S. economic sectors. Total emissions of the six main greenhouse gases in 2009 were equivalent to 6,633 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. These gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride. The report indicates that overall emissions have grown by more than 7.3 percent from 1990 to 2009. Emissions in 2009 represent the lowest total U.S. annual GHG emissions since 1995. These numbers reflect the most up to date data at the time of publication. The Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2009 tracks annual greenhouse gas emissions at the national level and presents historical emissions from 1990 to 2009. The inventory also calculates carbon dioxide emissions that are removed from the atmosphere by "sinks," e.g., through the uptake of carbon by forests, vegetation and soils.

These are instructions issued by CEQ to Federal agencies for integrating climate change adaptation into agency policies and practices, as required under Executive Order 13514. The instructions are dated March 4, 2011.

On March 4, 2011, CEQ issued a set of implementing instructions for Federal Agency Adaptation Planning. The Instructions will inform agencies on how to integrate climate change adaptation into their planning, operations, policies, and programs, as recommended by the Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force in its October 2010 Progress Report to the President. A Companion Support Document has also been issued.

(WASHINGTON, February 16, 2011) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking public comment on the annual Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2009 draft report. This report will be open for public comment for 30 days after the Federal Register notice is published.

(WASHINGTON, January 12, 2011) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing its plan to defer, for three years, greenhouse gas (GHG) permitting requirements for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from biomass-fired and other biogenic sources. The agency intends to use this time to seek further independent scientific analysis of this complex issue and then to develop a rulemaking on how these emissions should be treated in determining whether a Clean Air Act permit is required.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued its plan for establishing greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution standards under the Clean Air Act in 2011. The agency looked at a number of sectors and is moving forward on GHG standards for fossil fuel power plants and petroleum refineries-two of the largest industrial sources, representing nearly 40 percent of the GHG pollution in the United States.

GSA is offering online training webinars for reporting Scope 3 travel greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These trainings sessions are specifically focused on generating travel GHG reports using GSA's Travel Management Information Service (MIS). GSA is happy to invite federal employees and their partners to attend a one hour training session to learn how to run the reports and submit emissions. The following dates and times are available. If interested, please e-mail Leif.Waller@gsa.gov with the preferred date and time, and GSA will you forward the information required to join the live online training session.

Available sessions (all times are listed in EST):
Thursday 12/16 11AM
Tuesday 12/20 3PM
Tuesday 1/4 2PM
Monday 1/10 1PM
Wednesday 1/12 10AM
Wednesday 1/19 10AM
Monday 1/24 1PM
Wednesday 1/26 10AM

For more information contact:
Leif Waller
Program Analyst, Center for Travel Management
Office of Travel and Transportation Services
Leif.Waller@gsa.gov
703-605-9809

A custom-designed training video explaining use of the FEMP Reporting Portal v.1.6 is now available. The Greenhouse Gas and Sustainability Data Report Demonstration provides a step-by-step guide on completing each tab of the Greenhouse Gas and Sustainability Data Report (Excel 2007 spreadsheet) for inventory and reporting Federal agency greenhouse gas emissions across scopes 1, 2, and 3. This video was recorded on November 15, 2010 and is presented by John Nangle of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Individual modules cover each element of the report spreadsheet and each can be accessed separately once the player is opened.

The General Services Administration (GSA) has made available the "Advanced Methodology Commuter Survey" tool for federal agencies to use to quantify scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated from employee commuter activities. GSA is currently accepting scheduling requests for agencies that would like to use this advanced tool, which gives agencies greater insight into the commuting habits and preferences of their Federal employees. The tool provides all the information required to report on commuting emissions in the FEMP reporting tool, as well as additional information that may be valuable in designing strategies to reduce GHG emissions from employee commuting.

DOE's Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) has released a survey tool for federal agencies to use to quantify scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated from employee commuter activities. This tool is a part of a larger set of information and tools developed by FEMP to help federal agencies comply with the GHG reporting requirements outlined in Executive Order 13514. For more information about GHG inventory reporting and FEMP reporting resources, go to http://www.fedcenter.gov/ghginventoryreporting.

WASHINGTON (October 25, 2010) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today announced the first national standards to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improve fuel efficiency of heavy-duty trucks and buses. This comprehensive national program is projected to reduce GHG emissions by about 250 million metric tons and save 500 million barrels of oil over the lives of the vehicles produced within the program's first five years.

WASHINGTON – The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) today released Guidance on Federal Greenhouse Gas Accounting and Reporting that establishes Governmentwide requirements for measuring and reporting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with Federal agency operations. The Guidance serves as the Federal Government's official Greenhouse Gas Protocol and will be used by Federal agencies to develop their first GHG inventories. Federal agencies will submit GHG inventories annually beginning in January of 2011, as called for in the Executive Order on ederal Leadership in Environmental, Energy and Economic Performance (Executive Order 13514) signed by President Obama on October 5, 2009. The press release can be found here. The guidance can be found here.

The Department of Energy's Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) has released the consolidated Annual GHG and Sustainability Data Report, Version 1.0, coincident with the White House Council on Environmental Quality's release of the Federal Greenhouse Gas Accounting and Reporting Guidance and Technical Support Document. This Excel workbook provides electronic reporting capability for the Federal agency compiled comprehensive GHG inventory for fiscal year 2010 and the base-year 2003 GHG inventory for the purpose of measuring progress toward the goals established under Executive Order 13514. The file can be downloaded from FedCenter at http://www.fedcenter.gov/programs/greenhouse/inventoryreporting/fempceqresources/. Other resources are also available at this site for assisting agencies in compiling their GHG inventories.

WASHINGTON, DC (September 9, 2010) – Continuing a commitment to lead by example, the White House today announced the release of Federal Agency Strategic Sustainability Performance Plans, which work to achieve the environmental, economic and energy goals called for in the Executive Order on Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy and Economic Performance (Executive Order 13514) signed by President Obama on October 5, 2009. This announcement marks the first time agencies have developed and submitted Sustainability Plans, now available at www.whitehouse.gov/ceq. The full announcement is available here.

(Washington, DC – July 20, 2010) President Obama announced today that the Federal Government will reduce greenhouse gas pollution from indirect sources, such as employee travel and commuting, by 13% by 2020. This commitment expands beyond the Administration's greenhouse gas reduction target from direct sources set in January, 2010, such as Federal fleets and buildings, by 2020. Cumulatively, greenhouse gas pollution reductions from Federal government operations will total 101 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent to the emissions from 235 million barrels of oil.

May 21, 2010, this document was prepared to assist Federal agencies in implementing Executive Order 13514, Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance. This document outlines the recommended steps for cost-effective creation of a bicycle-friendly environment for employees at and visitors to Federal facilities, thereby reducing the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG). This document was developed by the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive with assistance from the Inter-Agency Task Force on Bicycling and Active Transportation.

The Commerce Department's Economics and Statistics Administration has issued two new reports on the green economy. The first, "Measuring the Green Economy," presents definitions and estimates of the size of the green economy. The report finds that the green economy makes up about 1 to 2 percent of the total economy and is poised for strong growth. The second report, "U.S. Carbon Dioxide Emissions and Intensities Over Time: A Detailed Accounting of Industries, Government and Households," analyzes energy-related CO2 emissions and intensities for 349 industries, the government, and households for the 1998 to 2006 period. This report shows how energy efficiency has changed over the past decade across industry sectors, indicating that some areas of the economy have shown substantial decreases in their CO2 emissions while others have made less progress. The methodology of the report provides a way to measure changes in energy efficiency over time as policies change.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released the 15th annual U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report, which shows a drop in overall emissions of 2.9 percent from 2007 to 2008. The downward trend is attributed to a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions associated with fuel and electricity consumption. The full EPA announcement can be found here. The Report can be found here.

Executive Order (E.O.) 13514 requires Federal agencies to reduce petroleum fuel use by 2 percent each year from 2005 through 2020, for a total 30 percent reduction. This new fleet guidance highlights a number of ways Federal agencies can reduce petroleum consumption by reducing vehicle miles traveled, increasing fleet fuel efficiency and switching to lower GHG-emitting and alternative fuels.

One hearing will be held in Arlington, Virginia on April 19, 2010. It will cover the proposed rule "Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases: Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems"and the proposed rule "mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases: Injection and Geologic Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide."he other hearing will be held in Washington, DC, on April 20, 2010. It will cover the proposed rule "Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases: Additional Sources of Fluorinated GHGs."

Under the first step to its' phase-in approach to GHG permitting, EPA issued a final decision that no stationary sources will be required to get Clean Air Act permits that cover greenhouse gases (GHGs) before January 2011.

EPA is proposing to collect emissions data from the oil and natural gas sector, industries that emit fluorinated gases, and from facilities that inject and store carbon dioxide (CO2) underground for the purposes of geologic sequestration or enhanced oil and gas recovery. Under these proposals, newly covered sources would begin collecting emissions data on January 1, 2011 with the first annual reports submitted to EPA on March 31, 2012.

On October 19, 2009, the White House launched the GreenGov Challenge to ask all Federal and military personnel to share ideas about how the federal community can lead by example, green the govern­ment, and meet the goals of President Obama's Executive Order on Federal Sustainability. The GreenGov Challenge generated more than 5,000 ideas and 165,000 votes from 14,000 federal employees. The top ideas are summarized in the GreenGov Final Report.

The GreenGov Collaborative, an online discussion group hosted by FedCenter.gov, is your opportunity to work with colleagues across the government to put these ideas into action. This private community offers various discussion forums for you to share your best ideas and strategies, ask questions, and recruit allies in your efforts to create a more sustainable Federal Government.

Participation in the forums is offered to all Federal employees.

Click here to view the President's GreenGov Collaborative message.

Go to Join GreenGov to learn more and sign up!

Developed by NASA, this site presents the vitals signs for the planet. Vital Signs include measurements of arctic sea ice, carbon dioxide, sea level, global temperature, and the size of the ozone hole. The site also discusses evidence, causes, effects, and solutions to climate change. Disclaimer: This material is being kept online for historical purposes. It is no longer being updated.

WASHINGTON (February 3, 2010)– President Barack Obama today announced a series of steps his Administration is taking as part of its comprehensive strategy to enhance American energy independence while building a foundation for a new clean energy economy, and its promise of new industries and millions of jobs. At a meeting with a bipartisan group of governors from around the country, the President laid out three measures that will work in concert to boost biofuels production and reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign oil.

WASHINGTON, DC (January 29, 2010) – President Barack Obama today announced that the Federal Government will reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution by 28 percent by 2020. Reducing and reporting GHG pollution, as called for in Executive Order 13514 on Federal Sustainability, will ensure that the Federal Government leads by example in building the clean energy economy. Actions taken under this Executive Order will spur clean energy investments that create new private-sector jobs, drive long-term savings, build local market capacity, and foster innovation and entrepreneurship in clean energy industries.

This emission modeling system estimates emissions for on-road and nonroad mobile sources, cover a broad range of pollutants, and allows multiple scale analysis.

WASHINGTON (December 7, 2009) After a thorough examination of the scientific evidence and careful consideration of public comments, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that greenhouse gases (GHGs) threaten the public health and welfare of the American people. EPA also finds that GHG emissions from on-road vehicles contribute to that threat.

This report, published in November 2009, provides data on the fuel economy, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and technology characteristics of new light-duty vehicles (cars, minivans, sport utility vehicles, and pickup trucks) for model years 1975 through 2009.

DOE Office of Health, Safety and Security safety bulletin No. 2009-01, providing information on the environmental and sustainable management of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) at DOE sites. SF6 is an extremely potent greenhouse gas.

President Obama has issued the new Executive Order 13514 on "Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance", which sets sustainability goals for Federal agencies and focuses on making improvements in their environmental, energy and economic performance. The Executive Order requires Federal agencies to set a 2020 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target within 90 days; increase energy efficiency; reduce fleet petroleum consumption; conserve water; reduce waste; support sustainable communities; and leverage Federal purchasing power to promote environmentally-responsible products and technologies.

EPA has issued the Final Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Rule. The rule requires reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from large sources and suppliers in the United States, and is intended to collect accurate and timely emissions data to inform future policy decisions.