Executive Order 13423

Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management

FACT SHEET

The new Executive Order requires Federal agencies to lead by example in advancing the nation's energy security and environmental performance by achieving these goals:

VEHICLES: Increase purchase of alternative fuel, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles when commercially available.

PETROLEUM CONSERVATION: Reduce petroleum consumption in fleet vehicles by 2% annually through 2015.

ALTERNATIVE FUEL USE: Increase alternative fuel consumption at least 10% annually.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY: Reduce energy intensity by 3 % annually through 2015 or by 30% by 2015.

GREENHOUSE GASES: By reducing energy intensity by 3% annually or 30% by 2015, reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

RENEWABLE POWER: At least 50% of current renewable energy purchases must come from new renewable sources (in service after January 1, 1999).

BUILDING PERFORMANCE: Construct or renovate buildings in accordance with sustainability strategies, including resource conservation, reduction, and use; siting; and indoor environmental quality.

WATER CONSERVATION: Reduce water consumption intensity by 2% annually through 2015.

PROCUREMENT: Expand purchases of environmentally-sound goods and services, including biobased products.

POLLUTION PREVENTION: Reduce use of chemicals and toxic materials and purchase lower risk chemicals and toxic materials from top priority list.

ELECTRONICS MANAGEMENT: Annually, 95% of electronic products purchased must meet Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool standards where applicable; enable Energy Star® features on 100% of computers and monitors; and reuse, donate, sell, or recycle 100% of electronic products using environmentally sound management practices.

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS: Implement EMS at all appropriate organizational levels to ensure use of EMS as the primary management approach for addressing environmental aspects of internal agency operations and activities.

The E.O. consolidates and strengthens five executive orders and two memorandums of understanding and establishes new and updated goals, practices, and reporting requirements for environmental, energy, and transportation performance and accountability.

Background On Executive Order Goals
And Comparison With Past Agency Performance

Petroleum consumption: Updates expired goals of E.O. 13149. The Federal government had reduced petroleum consumption by 70% in buildings (119 to 36 trillion Btu) from 1985-2005.

Energy efficiency: The new 30% energy efficiency goal seeks to achieve in 10 years the same level of improvement that Federal agencies achieved in the last 20 years and is 50% more stringent than the goal in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The Federal government improved energy efficiency 29.6% between 1985 and 2005.

GHG emissions: Will be realized through other E.O. goals that will exceed the prior 30% goal (E.O. 13123). The Federal government reduced GHG emissions by 22.1% (14.9 to 11.6 MTCE) between 1990 and 2005, towards the E.O. 13123 goal of 30% by 2010.

Renewable power: EPAct 2005 sets a renewable energy goal but does not require that any percentage come from new sources. The prior E.O. 13123 set a goal of 2.5% for renewable power purchases. The Federal government exceeded that goal with purchases totaling 6.9% during the period 2000-2005.

Water consumption: Prior orders did not include such a goal. However, good environmental practices reduced water consumption by 19.6% from 2000-2005.

Procurement: The new E.O. and instructions require agencies to integrate four existing disparate purchasing requirements into an integrated Federal purchasing effort that applies to all types of acquisitions of goods and services. Federal purchasing of energy efficient, recycled content, biobased, and environmentally preferable products will increase as a result. The E.O. also continues the requirement that agencies purchase office paper containing 30 percent postconsumer fiber.

Buildings: The order makes mandatory the elements of the January 2006 High Performance Buildings MOU signed by 19 agencies. From 1985 to 2005, on average, building energy use decreased 12.9%, or 16.3% energy intensity (Btu/gross sq. ft).

Electronics: The order makes mandatory the elements of the 2004 Federal Electronics Stewardship MOU signed by 12 agencies and the Executive Office of the President. The Federal government spends approximately $60 billion annually on IT-related purchases.

Toxics: The order requires agencies to reduce their purchase and use of hazardous and toxic chemicals.

Environmental management systems: As a result of the new E.O. goal, it is projected that by approximately 2010, there will be at least 2,500 Federal operations that implement EMS, up from about 1,000 today.