Federal Environmental Executive Michelle Moore Addresses Alliance Associates

On Jan. 12,, Michelle Moore, the federal environmental executive to President Barack Obama, joined Alliance Associates for the first Policy Perspectives breakfast of the New Year, hosted and sponsored by AT&T.

Environmentally-conscious Executive Orders

Speaking with Alliance Associates at AT&T's Washington, D.C. headquarters, Moore discussed the history of the Federal Office of the Environment,  which was established by Executive Order 13101 under former President Bill Clinton. President Obama has since called on the Federal Office of the Environment to strengthen the federal government's environmental initiatives. Obama's Executive Order 13514 on Federal Sustainability sets sustainability goals for federal agencies and encourages them to lead by example.

Obstacles to Implementation and Plans for Success

Moore elaborated on the challenges of encouraging new, sustainable behaviors, measuring energy and green house gas emission savings and creating an atmosphere of accountability across the federal government's diverse range of agencies.

Many of those challenges are similar to ones faced across the energy efficiency industry, but the sheer size and impact of the federal government makes implementation more difficult. However, the Federal Office of the Environment, which works in collaboration with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), uses scorecards to monitor individual agencies' progress.

“You wouldn’t believe how influential a big red blotch is from the OMB,” Moore teased. 

Leading by Example

Moore spoke openly to Associates about her high expectations for her office, as well as her hopes for the federal government to serve as a role model for the rest of the country. She noted that only 15 percent of all federal employees are in Washington, D.C., so this effort extends across the nation. One key focal area for all offices is the need for employees to spearhead professional education in sustainability.

Alliance intern Bethany Alvare contributed to this article.