White House Puts Federal Purchasing Power to Work for Health, Jobs and the Climate

“The Executive Order on Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability, which President Biden signed today, means the federal government – the world’s largest buyer – will be investing in the practices and technologies we need to protect the health of all Americans, provide cleaner air and a safer climate, and build American jobs and a stronger economy.“

This order commits to a number of sustainable investments and will result in a federal government entirely powered by carbon-free electricity by 2035. It means all new federal cars will be zero-emission by 2027 and all new federal vehicles – including heavy-duty trucks – will be zero-emission by 2035. The order will cut the government’s climate pollution by 65 percent by 2030, launch a ‘Buy Clean’ initiative so the government prioritizes buying products that are made and shipped with the lowest possible levels of climate pollution, and improve climate resilience for all federal operation and buildings. All of this will spur actions that can serve as a model for state and local governments, businesses and private citizens.

“This Executive Order includes some of the most important priorities for addressing the climate crisis. The purchasing power of the federal government makes it a powerful step toward protecting the health and safety of all Americans.”

- Michael Panfil, EDF Director of Climate Risk Strategies