Obama executive order targets greenhouse gas emissions

WASHINGTON, March 19 (UPI) -- President Barack Obama will sign an executive order Thursday mandating federal government agencies reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent in the next 10 years.

In an effort "to lead by example," Obama said the move will save taxpayers as much as $18 billion from energy savings. It will also encourage federal agencies to utilize renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, the White House said.

The pledge calls for the federal government to get 30 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2025 and major emissions reductions in federal vehicles.

"We are going to stay on offense in pushing our clean-energy and climate-change objectives," Brian Deese, senior adviser to the president, told reporters. "This action today is a triple win — it's a win for the environment, a win for the economy and a win for the American taxpayer."

The White House said the new push will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26 million metric tons by 2025, the same amount emitted by 5.5 million cars in a year.

The pledge also comes with commitments from some federal suppliers, including HP and Northrop Grumman, to reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions. HP has set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2020, compared to 2010 levels. Grumman said it will reduce emissions by 30 percent from 2010 levels.