Executive Order 13423 Technical Guidance - EMS Integration

Technical Guidance

Under Executive Order 13148, Greening the Government Through Leadership in Environmental Management , federal agencies are to develop environmental management systems (EMS) to manage facility environmental impacts for continuous improvement. The E.O. requires that an EMS be implemented at appropriate Federal facilities by the end of 2005, based on a facility's size, complexity, and environmental aspects. To facilitate awareness and acceptance of the EMS concept at the facility level, agencies were required to initiate EMS pilots at agency facilities in early 2002. In addition, each agency was required to prepare and endorse a written agency environmental management strategy to achieve the requirements and goals of the Order. Management system accounting concepts, such as life cycle assessment, environmental cost accounting, and return on investment, are also supported by the Order. Additionally, the Order requires Federal agencies to have a program in place to periodically audit facilities' compliance with environmental regulations. Findings from those audits are to be included in the budget and planning activities of the agency—this will be key in achieving continued high performance of facilities, as well as providing a valuable measure of Federal progress.

Recommendations

Federal agencies should seek to use existing EMS programs as a tool to structure and track green building objectives across an agency's portfolio of buildings and at the facility level.

Major Resources

• Environmental Management System Performance Measure Certification with MOU Components, FWS.
• Constructing an Environmental Management System - Guidelines and Templates for Contractors, The Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America.