The process of cutting greenhouse gas emissions from the nation’s institutional and commercial facilities is a massive undertaking, given the sheer number of buildings in question. One part of a vast sector of the facilities market – federal government facilities – now has officially thrown its vast resources into the effort.
The General Services Administration (GSA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on promoting sustainability across the federal government, according to ExecutiveGov.
DHS employs more than 260,000 workers in its facilities nationwide, most of which are managed by GSA. In total, GSA manages over 354 million square feet of space in 8,600 buildings nationwide.
Under the partnership, the agencies will share tools, technical expertise and training resources to advance the development of clean energy technologies at DHS facilities nationwide, establish sustainable buildings and promote carbon footprint reduction efforts.
The agreement aligns with GSA’s Sustainability Plan, which outlines the agency’s goals to build net-zero emissions buildings, campuses and installations and help federal agencies transition to carbon pollution-free electricity resources.
Dan Hounsell is senior editor of the facilities market. He has more than 30 years of experience writing about facilities maintenance, engineering and management.
