(G06) Decarbonizing the U.S. Department of Defense Building Portfolio

Executive Order (EO) 14057 sets a goal for Federal agencies to achieve a net-zero emissions building portfolio by 2045, including a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2032 from 2008 levels, prioritizing energy efficiency and the elimination of on-site fossil fuel use. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is the largest single energy-consuming entity in the United States and DoD’s real property portfolio of over 280,000 buildings representing 2.31 billion square feet accounts for about 30% of DoD’s total energy use. DoD’s total Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions were equivalent to 1% of total U.S. emissions in 2020. Meeting the goals of EO 14057 presents a daunting challenge. This session will include the following topics of discussion: *DoD Building Decarbonization and Electrification: Overview of DoD’s approach to achieving a net-zero emissions building portfolio and plan for electrifying and decarbonizing existing buildings, as well as how this approach aligns with DoD's Sustainability Plan and EO 14057 goals and how DoD is seeking partnership and support from the private sector. *DoD Building Decarbonization Pilot Projects: Example implementation of DoD decarbonization strategies. *DoD High Performance Sustainable Buildings Working Group: Overview of how DoD shares best practices and implements sustainable buildings policy across independent Military Departments. *DoD Engagement with the Interagency Buy Clean Task Force: Actions to reduce the embodied emissions and pollutants of construction materials. *DoD Buildings Strategic Plan Data Analysis: Overview of building data and methodology used to support DoD's decarbonization strategies. Attendees will learn about developing a strategic plan for decarbonizing a large building portfolio, how enterprise policies support sustainable construction practices, how those policies can be implemented across independent components, how federal procurement of clean construction materials is being advanced to reduce Scope 3 emissions, and how building data analysis is being used to prioritize decarbonization actions.