Biden Commits Federal Government to Carbon Neutrality

An article by Anna Phillips for The Washington Post broke the news on Wednesday before President Biden signed the executive order, but details were already available. Biden aims to leverage the federal government's buying power to lower emissions, creating a fleet of electric vehicles, upgrading federal buildings, and changing the government's practices for buying electricity.

"Under the new approach, federal operations would run entirely on carbon-free electricity by 2030. By 2035, the government would stop buying gas-powered vehicles, switching to zero-emission heavy-duty trucks and cars. A decade after that, most of the buildings owned or leased by the government would no longer contribute to the carbon pollution that’s warming the planet," writes Phillips.

"The order also instructs the government to launch a 'buy clean' initiative, prioritizing products produced and transported with low greenhouse gas emissions."

According to experts cited in the article, the effort to lower emissions generated by the government could move the needle in the broader economy as well—because of the size and scope of the federal government's buying power.

The article also notes that the plan put forth in the executive order will face substantial obstacles, including production delays, opposition from industries and the other side of the political aisle, and the cost to upgrade facilities.