Center for a New American Security

Big news! DOD announced its greenhouse gas reduction targets (for non-combat activities, of course) today. This is great news. My follow on questions are how the responsibility for implementation will break down, and how they'll be measuring the reductions. Not impossible questions, but I think important ones. For example, will all installations have to meet a certain percentage reduction, or can facilities easily able to dramatically cut emissions compensate for those where it's more difficult because of the unique activities and personnel levels there? Will the services have different targets? I'm sure officials far more knowledgeable than I have long since thought these questions through. Can't wait to learn more details. (H/t to Tom Ricks for pinging this to us. On a Friday afternoon we were starting to slow down a bit.)

From the DOD press release:

The Department of Defense (DoD) announced today that it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from non-combat activities 34 percent by 2020.  The department set the target in keeping with a recent executive order signed by President Obama that seeks to have the federal government lead the country by example through improved energy and environmental performance.
 
Today’s announcement is part of a broader effort by DoD to improve its energy security. The target for DoD includes the department’s more than 300,000 buildings and 160,000 fleet vehicles. Buildings and fleet vehicles account for about one quarter of DoD’s energy consumption but nearly 40 percent of its greenhouse gas emissions. 
 
In addition to reducing the demand for energy at its facilities, the department is shifting to more reliance on renewable energy sources. Many installations are already well underway with energy-saving improvements.