GSA Blog

Going Green: June Sustainability and Climate Updates from GSA

Addressing climate change is a triple win for America. For the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), tackling climate change means:

• Creating clean energy jobs
• Saving taxpayer money through reduced energy costs
• Building a cleaner, healthier, and more prosperous future for generations of Americans

Every day, GSA takes steps forward on these goals. In June, we showed our commitment to sustainability through innovations and leadership announcements, as follows:

• New Pollinator Initiative

  On June 22, we announced our new Pollinator Initiative, adding GSA’s support to the federal government’s commitment to protecting pollinators. GSA has installed honeybee hives at 11 GSA facilities across the country. The hives are part of a yearlong pilot to gather data and determine the best practices in landscaping and planning for pollinating insects in each location.

• First Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Land Port of Entry Project

  GSA completed its first project at a land port of entry funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Lukeville, Arizona, port of entry asphalt repair project took just 25 days and used GSA’s new standards to install low-carbon concrete and sustainable asphalt.

• Moakley Courthouse Climate-Change Projects

  The John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse in Boston, Massachusetts, is located “where the city meets the sea,” hugging the downtown waterfront. Because of the unique location, GSA’s Public Buildings Service facilities team considers climate in every project planned at Moakley Courthouse. The project team will soon complete the design work to install watertight doors and consider options to change landscape and flood barriers.

• GSA Administrator Statement on Executive Actions to Spur Domestic Clean Energy Manufacturing

  GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan addressed the historic executive actions the Biden-Harris administration is taking to spur domestic clean energy manufacturing, lower energy costs, and create good-paying jobs.

• Money-saving Fleet Telematics Solutions

  The GSA Fleet team recently activated more than 19,000 new telematics devices that send, receive, and store data connected with fleet vehicles. Activating and using the factory-installed devices allowed GSA Fleet to avoid about $1.46 million in installation costs. Telematics data can also help determine which vehicles are suitable for electrification by analyzing their use in greater detail.

Visit GSA’s Sustainability website to learn more.