Government's Sustainability Moment - CGI Initiative for Collaborative ...

Middle East politics. The current unrest in that regionhighlights this dangerous dependence. At the sametime, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf Coastand the nuclear power plant crisis in Japan serveas reminders that domestic energy production carriesits own challenges. And while support is buildingfor cleaner fuels and alternative energy sourcesthat protect human health and the environment, thesealternatives must prove themselves cost-effective incomparison to current energy sources.Consequently, whether a person believes that energyconsumption and greenhouse gas emissions arecontributing to climate change doesn’t really matterfrom this perspective. People recognize that energyis a scarce, costly resource, and so they are trying toconsume it as efficiently as possible.“Green Government” Gets HotAs citizens and businesses became more environmentallyaware and pursued sustainable practices,federal leaders also became more aware of the government’sown activities, not as a regulator but asa consumer of natural resources and energy—oneof the world’s largest, in fact. And so, over the pastfew years, “Green Government” became hot. Wehad Green IT, Green Purchasing and Green Buildings.Government vendors labeled their products andservices as green. Gradually, the government startedtaking a more comprehensive approach, such asPresident George W. Bush’s Executive Order 13423(Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, andTransportation Management) and President BarackObama’s Executive Order 13514 (Federal Leadershipin Environmental, Energy and Economic Performance)mandating ambitious, government-wide reductions inenergy usage.Overall, federal agencies have responded well to thegreen goals and mandates. They are reducing energyusage through data center consolidation and greenbuilding programs, reducing gas usage through teleworkand innovative fleet programs, and encouragingthe acquisition of green products and services.Greening the government is generating cost savingsand conserving resources. It’s also starting to dosomething else. As innovative green technologies areput in place, they are also laying the foundation fortransformative change—in government operations, inhow public employees perform their work, and in howcitizens are using ostensibly environmental or greendata to enhance both their personal lives and economicactivities. In fact, the beginnings of this transformationare already taking shape.U.S. GoverNMeNT eNergy CoNSUMPTIon by AgeNCyTotal and U.S. Department of Defense, Fiscal Years 1975 - 2009TOTALDEFENSE DEPARTMENTSOURCE: U.S. EnERGYInfORMATIOn AdMInISTRATIOn,AnnUAl EnERGY RevIEw 20096 Leadership | CGI INITIATIVE FOR COLLABORATIVE GOVERNMENT | S P R I N G 2 0 11