President Issues Executive Order Revoking Federal Sustainability Plan

President Trump issued an Executive Order Regarding Efficient Federal Operations. The order requires federal agencies to comply with statutory requirements related to energy and environmental performance “in a manner that increases efficiency, optimizes performance, eliminates unnecessary use of resources, and protects the environment.” Under the order, agencies are directed to “prioritize actions that reduce waste, cut costs, [and] enhance the resilience of Federal infrastructure and operations.”

The order revokes Executive Order 13693: Planning for Federal Sustainability in the Next Decade (signed by President Obama on March 25, 2015), which set a goal of cutting the federal government’s greenhouse gas emissions by forty percent over ten years. It required federal agencies to develop plans for reducing emissions and periodically report on their progress.