“Despite many available tools for addressing climate change, government efforts are falling short.” —Analysis from EY
While progress on sustainable development has so far been led by non-governmental organizations and research/academic institutions, surveys show that more people rate federal, state, and local governments as poor when it comes to making progress on climate change mitigation.
There's significant room for improvement when it comes to government participation in reducing carbon footprints. Here are several ways that government entities at all levels can step up and be a bigger part of carbon reduction efforts.
Provide detailed action plans with clear accountability
More than half of government entities do not report on their climate impact. To drive real progress, governments need to develop comprehensive climate action plans with specific targets. For example, the federal government has set a goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 with interim steps like:
- Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 50% of 2005 levels by 2030
- 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035
- Net-zero emissions across federal buildings, campuses, and installations by 2045
- 100% zero-emission vehicle acquisitions by 2035
Responsibility for achieving targets should be delineated across agencies and departments. Regular progress reports should track performance, showcasing greater transparency and accountability.
Incentivize the market and mandate change
Around 60% of those surveyed by the Pew Research Center say that climate change is a major threat. Two-thirds say that the government needs to play a more prominent role in creating sustainability solutions.
Governments have a range of policy tools at their disposal to steer markets and mandate reduced carbon footprints across the economy. For example, green taxes can make harmful environmental activities more expensive. Tax rebates can incentivize meeting new standards for energy use and emissions.
Efforts need to be accelerated to meet aggressive sustainability goals. Government entities should evaluate zoning and other regulatory barriers that are slowing efforts.
Boost innovation through increased funding
Governments have a significant role in fostering innovation through funding for research and the development and demonstration of new technologies. To overcome the high cost of investment in electric vehicles (EVs), charging infrastructure, and renewable resources, subsidies incentivize government entities and private businesses to speed up deployment.
Expanded government grants and partnerships with academic institutions support the critical basic research needed. Loan guarantee programs can help bring novel technologies to market by reducing risks for private investors. Sustained public funding for clean-tech innovation can enhance research-based applications across all sectors of the economy.
Improve the design and delivery of green initiatives
Too often, government sustainability programs are narrowly focused on obvious areas like energy sources. They lack a holistic lifecycle approach to maximizing carbon reductions across the full supply chain. For example, emphasizing renewable power while ignoring supply chain emissions can limit the impact.
Sustainability programs need to take an end-to-end view, from the production of goods and transportation logistics to waste and recycling.
Act as a role model for other parts of the economy
The U.S. government is the largest energy consumer in the country. By setting ambitious goals for its own operations, it can move private sector suppliers toward the adoption of sustainable operations.
Investing in EV fleets, retrofitting existing fleets, and installing charging infrastructure for government buildings and vehicles help demonstrate feasibility and develop best practices for others. Adapting procurement strategies to include strong “green criteria” can also influence corporate and consumer purchasing.
Leveraging this scale, governments at all levels can drive transformation well beyond their own walls.
Pursue public-private partnerships
Partnering with private enterprises can help governments fund and execute complex sustainability programs while spurring business model innovation.
Public-private partnerships, like green investment banks, can mobilize capital at scale for energy efficiency, renewable energy, resiliency, and other projects that reduce emissions. These programs provide a way to blend public purpose with private sector agility.
Partnerships with technology companies can also help design smart city systems that reduce energy use across urban infrastructure. Utilities are natural allies for electrification efforts and will need to be part of the solution to develop robust grids to deliver electricity for EV charging.
How Sourcewell can help
Sourcewell is a self-supporting government organization offering cooperative purchasing agreements to education and government agencies across North America. With hundreds of competitively solicited contracts for EVs, charging infrastructure, renewable energy, and green building products, Sourcewell can assist government entities in efforts to improve sustainability.
By leveraging its cooperative purchasing power, government agencies can easily acquire the equipment and services that they need with all the full legal and regulatory compliance that they require. Sourcewell provides turnkey procurement strategies to help the public sector lead on carbon reduction.
By leveraging data and telematics, a fleet manager can identify areas for sustainability improvement by reducing a fleet's energy consumption and carbon emissions. Sourcewell contracts ensure that government entities can take the first step in supporting these initiatives. See how Sourcewell can help with your cooperative purchasing.
