Survey reveals Federal Government agencies falling behind on sustainability

Here at The Refinishing Touch, we believe sustainability is a crucial step towards a better tomorrow and should be embraced by individuals and industries alike. So when we read a blog post yesterday and discovered that more than 36 percent of federal employees said they don’t have enough resources for sustainability programs at their agency, we were stunned.

According to the post in The Federal Times, over half of federal employees said their agency couldn’t act on sustainability efforts because focus was placed on short-term goals, rather than more rewarding, long-term objectives. In the survey conducted by LMI, a nonprofit organization that helped develop greenhouse gas reporting protocols, over half of respondents admitted that short-term tasks, such as construction and budgeting, were taking up more time than goals such as energy efficiency and sustainability.

The survey, which aimed to quantify President Obama’s executive order that requires federal agencies to reduce greenhouse gases by 28 percent by 2020, also produced these statistics:

– 34% said sustainability was fully or mostly integrated into procedures
– 51% said sustainability was only somewhat integrated
– 14% said sustainability integration was slight or non-existent
– 17% said sustainability was fully or mostly integrated into the budget process

While the survey reveals some short falls within federal agencies, we are optimistic that the statistics also prove we are headed in the right direction. Sustainability, especially in government, is not a quick-fix, but with dedication, commitment and forward-thinking, our country is sure to continue leading the way in sustainability and environmental-friendliness.