(CNSNews.com) – President Barack Obama signed an executive order earlier this month requiring federal agencies to set a 2020 greenhouse gas emission reduction target within 90 days – and he followed up by asking “our brave men and women in uniform” and government employees to compete in the GreenGov Challenge.
“As the largest consumer of energy in the U.S. economy, the federal government can and should lead by example when it comes to creating innovative ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase energy efficiency, conserve water, reduce waste, and use environmentally responsible products and technologies,” Obama said when he signed the order on Oct. 5.
“This Executive Order builds on the momentum of the Recovery Act to help create a clean energy economy and demonstrates the Federal government’s commitment, over and above what is already being done, to reducing emissions and saving money,” he added.
Details of the contest are given on the Whitehouse.gov home page:
“If you're a Federal employee or one of our brave men and women in uniform, this is your chance to positively impact how your department or agency will meet its 2020 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target,” the announcement launching the program said on Monday. “Get your clean energy ideas ready and go take the
GreenGov Challenge!”
The contest is open only to government employees and members of the military, not to federal contractors or the general public. The best ideas will be shared with the committee responsible for carrying out the president's executive order.
“Some of the top ideas will be presented to the Steering Committee on Federal Sustainability – a group comprised of a senior official from each agency who is responsible for delivering among other things, each agency’s sustainability plan,” the contest announcement says.
The announcement said the contest is meant “to harness the collective wisdom of the more than 1.8 million civilian employees and our men and women in uniform.”
The
executive order said the federal government occupies nearly 500,000 buildings, operates more than 600,000 vehicles, employs more than 1.8 million civilians, and purchases more than $500 billion per year in goods and services.
The executive order “builds on and expands the energy reduction and environmental requirements of Executive Order 13423 by making reductions of greenhouse gas emissions a priority of the Federal government, and by requiring agencies to develop sustainability plans focused on cost-effective projects and programs.”
“This your chance to positively impact how your agency will meet its 2020 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target,” the contest announcement says. “Be part of the GreenGov Challenge and help green our government!”