U.S. General Services Administration
During Climate Week NYC, GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan and CEQ Chair Brenda Mallory Discuss the Transition to a Zero-Emission Federal Fleet
WASHINGTON — Today, as a part of Climate Week NYC, General Services Administration (GSA) Administrator Robin Carnahan and White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Chair Brenda Mallory discussed moving to a zero-emission federal fleet in a fireside chat hosted by RouteZero and The Climate Group. Helen Clarkson, The Climate Group’s CEO, served as the moderator for the conversation.
During the chat, Administrator Carnahan and Chair Mallory discussed the role that the federal government can play in accelerating the adoption of zero-emission vehicles in a just and equitable way, including leading by example in the plans to transition to a zero-emission federal fleet, as well as addressing environmental justice issues through charging infrastructure deployment.
Carnahan underscored how GSA’s role as one of the largest managers for federal real estate and one of the largest landlords in the country presents an opportunity to rapidly expand the number of electric vehicle charging stations across the country. As the agency responsible for more than 370 million square feet of workspace and 226,000 vehicles for the federal government, GSA is working to advance the deployment and adoption of climate-ready buildings, vehicles, products and services.
“This is a powerful opportunity to leverage the buying power of the federal government to drive the zero-emission vehicle future forward and tackle the climate crisis,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. “Right now we have an opportunity through President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda to make a bold, historic, and transformational investment: the federal government is on board, the American people believe in this, state and local governments are in, and the private sector is committed. Let’s do this.”
“Creating good-paying jobs and centering equity are central to both how we are working to electrify the federal fleet and how we will support zero-emission vehicle adoption among the general public. There is great potential for the zero-emission vehicle industry to support well-paying union jobs—and we have the opportunity to deliver cleaner air in the thousands of communities where federal fleets operate,” said CEQ Chair Brenda Mallory. “Electrifying the federal fleet will deliver real, tangible, positive benefits like cleaner air to families and communities, and we are excited to reach this goal.”
GSA is developing a suite of solutions, from grid to buildings to fleet, that will demonstrate the capabilities of an integrated approach to tackling the climate crisis. The agency is guiding the transition of facilities in its portfolio to grid-interactive, efficient buildings that can dynamically flex their energy load and improve resilience of the U.S. electricity grid, using no and low-cost techniques. Coupled with an increase in clean energy, federal facilities in GSA’s portfolio and the zero-emission vehicles charging at these facilities will contribute to reduced greenhouse gas emissions and cleaner air for the surrounding communities.
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About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet and overseeing approximately $75 billion in annual contracts. GSA’s mission is to deliver the best value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services across government, in support of the Biden-Harris administration’s priorities. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.