Regulation Database – Department of Defense
Federal Acquisition Regulations
Federal Acquisition Regulations
Public Disclosure of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Reduction Goals
This final rule, proposed by the Department of Defense (DoD), General Services Administration (GSA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), amends the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to establish a requirement for contractors to indicate whether or not they publicly disclose greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and greenhouse gas emission reduction goals or targets; if they do disclose such information, then it also must be posted on a publicly accessible website. This rule applies to contractors that receive more than $7.5 million in contract awards (around 2,700 in total) from the Government during the previous fiscal year, and is optional for all contractors that receive less than $7.5 million.
Importantly, this rule is not meant to regulate the industry, and thus does not mandate that these companies must report GHG emissions or have GHG emission reduction goals. Nor does this rule affect the evaluation criteria for source selection decisions, meaning it will not put companies without such public disclosure at any competitive disadvantage. Instead, the information obtained from the companies will help agencies develop strategies to engage with contractors to reduce supply chain emissions, as directed in the Executive Order 13693, Planning for Federal Sustainability in the Next Decade.
Rule Documents:
- Final Rule (Nov. 18, 2016)
- Proposed Rule (May 25, 2016)
Great Green Fleet Program
The Great Green Fleet (GGF) is an initiative started by the former Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, as part of his ambitious goal to bring the Navy’s total use of alternative energy sources to 50% of its total energy consumption by 2020. The Great Green Fleet first sailed in 2012, with vessels powered by nuclear, and a mixture of biofuels and conventional fuels; it fully deployed in 2016, albeit with a much lower biofuel to petroleum ratio blend than the original goal. While the motivations cited for creating the GGF are mainly ones of energy independence and strategic benefits, initiatives such as the GGF nevertheless have a positive impact on climate change mitigation.
The Department of Defense (DoD) is the single largest fossil fuel consumer in the United States, taking up 80% of the federal government’s usage profile; much of the DoD’s consumption comes from operating its enormous fleet of motor vehicles, watercrafts, and aircrafts. Thus, programs that aim to reduce fossil fuel use in these areas can have a tangible, large-scale impact.