These systems have certifications for  the design and construction of new buildings and the operations and  maintenance of existing buildings, among others. information on federal reviews of third-party green building certification  systems. Federal Efforts to Support Implementation of Key Green Building Requirements Include Oversight, Training, and Other Tools Provided by Several Agencies

Several agencies—CEQ, DOE, EPA, GSA, and OMB—provide oversight,  training, and other tools to support agencies’ implementation of key  federal green building requirements. OMB and CEQ provide guidance and oversight of agencies’  implementation of key green building requirements. DOE is also a resource for information for agencies with questions  about key green building requirements. EPA’s ENERGY  STAR Portfolio Manager is a web-based system for federal agencies  and other entities to measure and track data on buildings, such as  energy and water use. Agencies Use Third- Party Certification to Help Implement Key Federal Green Building Requirements

All five select agencies use third-party certification systems to help  implement key federal green building requirements for new construction  and major renovation projects. While third-party certification does not  ensure that a building meets all of the key requirements, agencies we  reviewed have developed various tools to ensure that any remaining  federal requirements are implemented at their buildings after third-party  certification and noted that there are additional benefits to using these  systems beyond helping to implement key requirements. Of the select  agencies we reviewed, none require third-party certification for existing  buildings, but three of the agencies have developed their own systems for  assessing the implementation of key requirements for existing buildings. Air Force  officials stated that the DOD policy and its crosswalk will be updated  when the Guiding Principles are revised; in the past when updating DOD  policy they used GSA guidance and customized it through the “DOD  lens.”
Officials from agencies we spoke with said that their agencies use  different tools to ensure that remaining federal requirements are  implemented at their buildings after third-party certification. In addition to helping agencies implement key federal green building  requirements, agency officials and building energy managers (DOE, EPA,  GSA, Army, Air Force, Navy, OASD EI&E, and VA) that we spoke with  mentioned other benefits of using third-party certification, including the  following:  Provides a well-established framework. In addition,  these systems offer frameworks for reducing energy and water use in  buildings, compared with design approaches and practices used for  conventional buildings, according to the National Research Council’s  review. Reduces need for additional staff. Serves as a communication tool. Officials from some agencies (Army,  EPA, and OASD EI&E) and GSA building-level officials said that  certification can be used as a tool to communicate the agencies’  sustainability efforts with its own staff, the public, and contractors. Officials from several agencies we spoke with are not certain how they  will use third-party certification systems in the future. Forthcoming revisions  to the Guiding Principles may address some of these challenges, and we  discuss them under the appropriate challenge. Special-Use Buildings (Laboratories, Hospitals, and Industrial Spaces)

According to officials from several agencies (DOD, DOE, EPA, and VA)  their building inventories include certain building types, such as  laboratories, hospitals, and industrial buildings for which some  requirements are difficult to implement. Challenges implementing the requirements for leased  space may be affected by the new Executive Order and revisions to the  Guiding Principles. Criteria for Evaluating Compliance

Officials from DOD and DOE told us that the criteria used to evaluate  compliance with the Guiding Principles—which require a building to meet  all of the dozens of requirements included in the Guiding Principles—can  be a disincentive to implementing some requirements at an individual  building because they receive no credit for implementing one requirement  if they do not implement all the requirements. CEQ officials could not comment on whether the all or nothing approach  would be reconsidered as part of the revision, but officials said that they  were aware of that issue and want to ensure that they are not providing  any disincentives for agencies to meet some of the requirements even if  they cannot meet all. We are sending copies of this report to the appropriate congressional  committees; the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality; the  Administrators of the General Services Administration and the  Environmental Protection Agency; the Director of the Office of  Management and Budget; and the Secretaries of Defense, Energy, and  Veterans Affairs. Appendix II: Select Federal Efforts to Support Implementation of Key Federal Green Building Requirements

Provides instructions to federal agencies on designing, constructing, maintaining,  and operating buildings in sustainable locations, as called for in Executive Order  13514, Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance.
Why GAO Did This Study

As the nation's largest energy consumer, the federal government spent about $7 billion in fiscal year 2014 to provide energy to over 275,000 federally owned or leased buildings. Federal law and policies for improving sustainability across the federal government include “green building” provisions—construction and maintenance practices designed to make efficient use of resources and reduce environmental impacts, among other benefits. A March 2015 executive order required CEQ to revise key green building requirements and extended the time frames for implementation in existing buildings. Third-party certification systems are used to assess how well green building elements are incorporated into a building's design and operation.
GAO was asked to review federal green building efforts and agencies' use of third-party certification systems. This report examines (1) federal efforts to support agencies' implementation of key green building requirements, (2) select agencies' use of third-party certification systems, and (3) challenges select agencies face in implementing requirements. GAO reviewed federal requirements; agency policies and guidance; and interviewed officials from agencies with supporting roles and agencies with experience implementing the requirements and using different certification systems. GAO also reviewed documentation and interviewed representatives from third-party certification organizations.
GAO is not making recommendations. CEQ, DOD, DOE, EPA, GSA, OMB, and VA reviewed a draft report and most provided technical comments that GAO incorporated, as appropriate.

What GAO Found

The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), Department of Energy (DOE), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), General Services Administration (GSA), and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) provide guidance, oversight, training, and other support to agencies implementing key federal green building requirements. For example, DOE offers training on measuring and reporting on the implementation of requirements, among other things. Also, EPA's Energy Star Portfolio Manager is a web-based tool agencies and other entities can use to measure and track buildings' energy and water use. According to officials, some federal support efforts will need to be updated when the revised requirements are issued, as called for in the March 2015 executive order.
All of the select agencies GAO reviewed—Department of Defense (DOD), DOE, EPA, GSA, and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)—use third-party certification systems to help implement key federal green building requirements for new construction and major renovation projects. While certification does not ensure that a building meets all requirements, agencies have developed tools to ensure that any remaining federal requirements are implemented at their buildings, and officials noted that there are additional benefits to using these systems. For example, officials stated that certification provides a well-established framework for documenting and ensuring compliance; serves as a tool to communicate with contractors and the public; and reduces the need for additional staff to verify that a building meets requirements. Of the select agencies GAO reviewed, none require third-party certification for existing buildings, but three have developed their own systems for assessing the implementation of key requirements for existing buildings. Several agencies stated that they are not certain how they will use third-party certification systems in the future after the revisions to key green building requirements are issued. For example, EPA and VA officials stated that they may reevaluate their requirement to certify specific projects after the revised green building requirements are issued.
Regardless of whether they use certification systems, the agencies GAO reviewed identified a variety of challenges in implementing current green building requirements, including challenges related to their building inventories, missions, and the criteria for evaluating compliance. For example, DOD officials said that the sheer number of buildings in their inventory proves challenging. In addition, according to officials from several agencies, their building inventories include certain building types, such as laboratories, hospitals, and industrial buildings for which some requirements are difficult to implement. VA cited mission concerns, including new safety requirements and extended hours to address patient backlogs, as a challenge to implementing energy and water conservation requirements. Also, some agency officials said that the criteria for evaluating compliance with the requirements can be a disincentive to implementing some requirements because no credit is received unless all of the requirements are implemented. Forthcoming revisions to key green building requirements may address some of these challenges. CEQ officials said that they were aware of the challenges and want to ensure that they are not providing any disincentives for agencies to meet some of the requirements even if they cannot meet all.