FINAL REPORT

F E B R UA R Y 2 0 10

WHITEHOUSE.GOV

Table of Contents

GreenGov Challenge Results Final Report 1

TOP IDEAS ON “Conserving Energy” 3

What We Heard About Conserving Energy 4

TOP IDEAS ON “Conserving Water” 5

What We Heard About Conserving Water 6

TOP IDEAS FOR “Eliminating Waste” 7

What We Heard About Eliminating Waste 8

TOP IDEAS FOR “Reducing Carbon Emissions” 9

What We Heard About Reducing Carbon Emissions 10

TOP IDEAS ON “Sustainable Buildings” 11

What We Heard about Sustainable Buildings 12

TOP IDEAS ON “Sustainable Products and Purchasing” 13

What We Heard About Sustainable Products and Purchasing 14

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GreenGov Challenge Results 

Final Report

On October 19, 2009, the White House launched the GreenGov Challenge to ask all Federal and military 

personnel to share ideas about how the federal community can lead by example, green the government, and meet the goals of President Obama’s Executive Order on Federal Sustainability. The GreenGov 

Challenge generated more than 5,000 ideas and 165,000 votes from 14,000 federal employees.

This report presents the results of the GreenGov Challenge. Each category includes a list of unique ideas, 

listed by popularity as determined by the number of votes. Each idea is attributed to individuals as they 

identified themselves, with some individuals submitting multiple ideas. The total vote count for the top 

idea in each category is included, along with a “word cloud” that represents the frequency with which 

specific words and concepts appeared in submissions. Major themes that emerged from the 5,000+ 

ideas that were submitted are summarized and presented as well.

The GreenGov Challenge demonstrated that the federal community is committed to leading by example 

through transforming how they work in practical ways that have real results. Many of the ideas that were 

submitted—like eliminating cafeteria items that can’t be recycled or composted—can be implemented 

immediately. Others—like installing motion sensors to lighting systems and retrofitting bathrooms to 

conserve water—will take resources and planning over the longer term. Taken as a whole, the results of 

the GreenGov Challenge help to illuminate a course of action that will make the Federal government’s 

operations more sustainable, responsible, and efficient. And for that, the Federal community owes each 

individual who has participated in the GreenGov Challenge a debt of gratitude.

This report summarizes ideas generated by Federal employees through the GreenGov Challenge and does 

not represent ideas or suggestions advocated by the Council on Environmental Quality.
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Chart 1: Distribution of Ideas

by Agency

Chart 2: Distribution of Ideas by Region

Word Cloud of all of the results from the GreenGov Challenge
TOP IDEAS ON “ Cons erv ing Energy ”

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TOP IDEAS ON “Conserving Energy”

1. Teleworking should be an option for anyone who works in federal government as an 

employee or contractor whose job could allow for such flexibility. This falls under conserving 

a LOT of energy, but it would also reduce commuters’ carbon footprint.868 votes

−-Josh, Oakton, VA

2. Use motion activated lights in halls, bathrooms, etc.

−Kevin, MD

3. Powering down all desktop computers, locally connected printers, and other non-networked peripherals at the end of the day will reduce energy consumption.

−Aaron Helton, OPM, Washington, DC

4. Why are solar panels not installed on every agency headquarters in the Washington, DC 

area? I would cover the rooftops of every agency building. Solar panels can be used to reduce 

electric consumption and to heat water. They are very effective.

−HR Spec, OPM

5. Replace any incandescent light bulbs with Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs) or LightEmitting Diodes (LEDs).

−Katie S., Washington, DC

6. Interior stairwell doors should be unlocked in federal buildings. This would allow employees to use the stairs instead of having to take the elevator. Not only would this be green, but 

this would also encourage a healthy and active lifestyle.

−Andy, Washington, DC
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7. Insulate hot water pipes and water tanks in all federal buildings.

−Katie S., Washington, DC

8. Make the day after Thanksgiving a holiday so we aren’t utilizing heat, electricity, water etc.

when only a small portion of the workforce is in the building.

−Monica, NH

9. Change the work dress code–thermostats could be a degree or 2 higher in the summer and 

a degree or 2 lower if people modified how they dressed.Skip the jacket and tie in summer / 

add a sweater in the winter.Japan is already doing this.

−Barbara J., Bangkok, Thailand

10. Encourage bicycling! All Fed buildings need to be more bike friendly. That means reasonable 

places to store bikes, as well as places to hold professional clothing and take showers.The 

federal government should lead this charge in America!

−Tom, NASA, DC

Bonus Idea: Hire herdsman with goats or sheep to maintain large grassy areas–bid out the 

contracts. They pay the government for grazing land rights. No waste of fuels, plus income to the 

installation. And sheep are no threat to security.

−K.Gordon, Columbus, OH

What We Heard About Conserving Energy

More ideas were submitted in the Conserving Energy category than any other in the GreenGov Challenge.

Overwhelmingly, the federal community wants to eliminate what they see as wasteful energy use, 

whether it’s leveraging technology to reduce travel and commutes or using “smarter” lighting systems 

that turn off when spaces are empty.

Over 120 ideas in the Conserving Energy category and more than 320 of all the ideas cited flexible working arrangements as an area the federal government should invest in to reduce energy consumption.

Over 300 of the ideas submitted in the Conserving Energy category and more than 500 of all the ideas 

addressed motion sensors and lighting improvements.

Additionally, many ideas suggested individual actions.For example, Phil from DC suggested that the 

government hold all meetings at the site which requires the fewest number of people to travel, and 

hold more meetings via tele- and/or videoconference to reduce emissions and costs.
To P i D e A s o N “ Co N s eRv i N G wAT eR ”

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TOP IDEAS ON “Conserving Water”

1. Xeriscaping–plant native species and drought tolerant plants so that irrigation can be eliminated or reduced on Federal properties.387 votes

−Adam K., Boston, MA

2. Water Conserving Bathroom retrofits–replace current fixtures with water saving toilets, 

urinals, and faucets. Research shows low flow/flush can save 500+ gallons per employee 

yielding the same functional performance w/ a 6 year payback period.

−Adam K., Boston, MA

3. Capture rain water from building rooftops and use it to water plants.

−James, Bethesda, MD

4. Stop hosing down sidewalks in front of federal buildings and sweep instead.

−Chris C., Washington, DC

5. Stop purchasing bottled water for all federal buildings.

−AP, Washington, DC

6. Set up gray water reclamation systems to maintain federal building landscaping. Filter if 

necessary.

−Aaron Helton, Washington, DC
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7. Reduce the amount of “lawns” at government facilities that require excessive water and 

maintenance. Replace lawns with sustainable landscapes that are designed to utilize rainwater and drip and micro irrigation, but still offer green space.

−Trouble, Central WI

8. Replace older hot water heating systems with instant hot water heating systems that are 

tankless and don’t use up as much electricity keeping the water hot.

−rbhallmsfc, Huntsville, AL

9. Consider permeable pavement for parking surfaces where Z to GWT allows, allowing 

storm runoff to infiltrate into subsurface. Consider sloped tin roofs (fewer contaminants in 

storm runoff) to fill cisterns used to water green roofs and landscaping.

−Half-M Walker, CA

10. Get rid of the requirement for “white” paper products and go with a paper that has not been 

bleached white.

−John V., Norfolk, VA

Bonus Idea: Gradually retrofit water fountains to better allow for cup or container fill-up and 

eliminate need for bottled water.

−EDM, Arlington, VA

What We Heard About Conserving Water

Nearly 100 ideas touched on the installation of high-efficiency, low-flow toilets and fixtures or motionactivated sensors in restrooms to conserve water.Others noted that employees can make an impact 

by changing habits, like remembering to shut off the faucets after use and encouraging people not to 

flush an empty toilet prior to using it.

Federal and military personnel also see room for improvement in the landscape and structure of federal 

buildings.More than 80 submissions asked the federal government to reconsider its irrigation practices 

and look at more sustainable landscaping options around federal buildings.Many of the submissions 

called for the use of native plants in landscaping practices as well as finding ways to utilize empty roof 

space to collect water for use as an irrigation supply.Kristy from Colorado suggested using a new irrigation standard for the selection of plants used at federal facilities: she thinks that if a plant needs to be 

watered by humans more than once week, it doesn’t belong there.
To P i D e A s F o R “ eli m i NAT i N G wA s T e ”

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TOP IDEAS FOR “Eliminating Waste”

1. Digital Signatures. All federal computers should have approved digital signature software 

installed that will sign a pdf or word document with the digitized signature of the employee.

No more printing out forms/evals/memos to sign, it’s all digital.559 votes

−S. A. Shira, Washington, DC

2. Only offer reusable, recyclable, or biodegradable food serviceware in cafeterias.

−AP, Washington, DC

3. All government cafeterias should give discounts for bringing your own cup when buying 

coffee or other drinks. Some private coffee shops do this; it does not require new technology, 

and it is easy to implement.

−Carboncito, Chicago, IL

4. Put recycle bins in ALL public buildings. Have separate bins for newspapers, Styrofoam cups, 

et. Encourage private sectors business to install recycle bins with a tax credit. This will reduce 

our dependence on foreign oil at relatively little cost.

−Howard, Boston, MA

5. STOP the printing and distribution of hard copies of all internal newsletters, pamphlets, 

brochures, etc.Electronic versions or nothing!

−D, Bethesda, MD

6. Make it a policy to only buy recycled paper and greener office supplies.

−Katie S., Washington, DC
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7. Require all government employees to print double sided from their printers, and also only 

allow the purchase of duplexing printers (double sided capable)

−CPT Bow, Fort Bliss, TX

8. Reduce the amount of times garbage can liners are replaced or used.It is not necessary to 

use/replace a liner when there is nothing in the trash that gets the receptacle dirty.

−Charee, Shiprock, NM

9. Recycle construction/building demolition waste as a requirement.Material such as drywall, 

wiring, metals, and plastics can be reused.Research shows that a 360,000 sq/ft facility can 

divert over 20 tons of material annually

−Adam K., US DOT, Boston, MA

10. Install energy efficient hand dryers in the restrooms to save millions of trees and reduce 

waste resulting from the disposal of paper towels.

−Katherine, Bethesda, MD

Bonus Idea:Use ecofonts AND draft settings when printing; cuts down on the amount of ink 

used per sheet.

−BullGator, At lanta, GA

What We Heard About Eliminating Waste

According to the results of the GreenGov Challenge, Federal employees are ready and willing to 

transition to a more electronic way of doing business.Two hundred ideas were submitted during the 

GreenGov Challenge related to improving e-business throughout the government, includingencouraging all agencies to use electronic systems for submitting, signing, and tracking standard business forms.

An employee from Huntsville, AL suggested changing office culture to discourage printing hardcopies 

of all internal communications by giving recipients the offer to print only if needed.

Nearly 100 ideas submitted in the Eliminating Waste Category, and more than 170 overall, related to 

getting rid of Styrofoam and making our cafeterias more sustainable.

Federal cafeterias can make some small changes that would offer big benefits.Simple solutions submitted to the GreenGov Challenge included eliminating plastic water bottles for purchase from cafeterias.
To P i D e A s F o R “ R eD u C i N G C A R b o N em i s s i o N s ”

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TOP IDEAS FOR “Reducing Carbon Emissions”

1. Stop using Styrofoam containers and plates in federal cafeterias. 541 votes

−Aaron Helton OPM, Washington, DC

2. Get rid of all bottled water in the cafeteria’s and offer filtered water for free.

−Katie S., Washington, DC

3. Allow employees to work remotely from home for a set amount each week/month. This 

reduces gasoline consumption and carbon emissions.

−Dana, Kansas City

4. Stop throwing out perfectly good furniture in government offices, in favor of newer items.

This is a waste of resources. When discarding old furniture, donate it to under-funded public 

schools and libraries, which need desks, chairs, computers.

−Amanda V Rockville, MD

5. Maximize the use of modern video conferencing to minimize and eliminate unnecessary air 

travel. Up front capital costs will be repaid many fold within 3 years.

−Steve Zornetzer, NASA Ames

6. Provide lockers and clothes hanging space for cyclists to store their ‘work clothes’. Also 

more ‘covered cycle racks/sheds’ for poor weather conditions.

−BB, Bethesda, MD
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7. Work with local transit authorities to provide services between major commuting hubs and 

high capacity federal installations.Act now.FDA is relocating 9,000 employees to a heavily 

congested location lacking adequate public transportation options

−Steven R., Bethesda, MD

8. Just as some agencies provide parking or public transportation stipends, allow employees to 

apply those same funds to bicycle purchases.

−JD

9. Replace all government vehicles with fuel efficient models.

−LBF, August, ME

10. Convert Federal buildings across the Nation into alternate energy usage. Transition buildings to use solar and/or wind generated energy dependant on location of building.Offer 

budget incentives for transition based on reduction of power grid usage.

−Anthony F., Albuquerque, NM

Bonus Idea: Transportation subsidies for users of mass transit should also be provided for 

bicycle commuters to help cover the cost of outerwear, lights, increased bike maintenance, etc.

−Robyn, Seattle, WA

What We Heard About Reducing Carbon Emissions

Many of the ideas submitted in the GreenGov Challenge applied to multiple categories, particularly in the 

area of reducing Carbon emissions.Employees identified with greening their commutes, particularly by 

making bike commuting a viable and attractive option for federal employees.Programs which provide 

incentives to cyclists, like offering benefits for bike commuting similar to existing transit benefits for 

parking and public transit—as well as offering lockers and shower facilities—were of especial interest.

Joan R.from Bethesda encouraged all of her fellow employees to make one change a week like biking 

or walking to work to do our individual part to reduce carbon emissions.
To P i D e A s o N “ s u s TA i NA b le b u i lD i N G s ”

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TOP IDEAS ON “Sustainable Buildings”

1. Federal agencies should set an example of efficient energy creation by installing solar 

panels on their buildings and using the electricity generated to power their operations. 

393 votes

−Nathan

2. To decrease the energy consumed by federal buildings, flex-time arrangements that enable 

working from home should be made available to all federal employees.

−Nathan

3. All federally-owned buildings should be audited to identify energy wasted due to poor 

insulation, then renovated to address identified inefficiencies.

−Nathan

4. Use natural lighting as much as possible. In order to enhance the effects of natural light, 

paint the walls in light colors.

−Katie S., Washington, DC

5. Motion sensors for lights, throughout the building (Ronald Reagan Building). Simple and 

effective.

−mh
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6. Transportation diversity when selecting sites for new Federal buildings–Select sites that 

allow for a broad range of alternative modes (methods) of commuting such as bus, train, 

walking, and biking.

−Adam K., Boston, MA

7. Require all new constructions to meet minimum LEED standards.

−JD

8. Create roof-top gardens on government buildings. This would help insulate the buildings, 

lowering costs.Water the garden by retaining and storing rainwater in a covered reservoir/

cistern.Create a farmers market for employees from garden produce.

−BDN, Baltimore, MD

9. Old windows should be replaced with double paned windows to conserve heat.

−Nate, Washington, DC

10. Green Cleaning–adopt a comprehensive set of custodial practice guidelines that ensure 

clean facilities while protecting the health of building occupants & cleaning staff.

−Adam K.US DOT, Boston, MA

Bonus Idea: Make stairwells large and the focal point of new buildings, instead of just basically 

off to the side, like fire escape stairs. Similar to grand staircases of old buildings which encourage 

people to use them.

−MS, TX

What We Heard about Sustainable Buildings

The “greening” of federal buildings generated many ideas, from improvements in building design, to 

reducing wasted energy with audits and smarter systems, to promoting teleworking as a way to reduce 

the amount of office space the government owns and maintains.Looking for ways to use renewable 

energy to power offices was a highlight, with hundreds of submissions calling for solar and wind energy 

projects on Federal buildings.

Small changes in how employees use offices spaces were also suggested.Karen in Winedale, WY, suggested using a more “natural” system of climate control by opening windows when possible to moderate 

temperature changes instead of cranking up the air conditioning.From Riverdale, MD, Andrew suggested 

that buildings and offices provide maps of which lights are operated by which switches to encourage 

people to turn off lights that don’t need to be on (without leaving anyone to work in the dark).
To P i D e A s o N “ s u s TA i NA b le P Ro D u C T s A N D P u RC h A s i N G ”

★ 13 ★

TOP IDEAS ON “Sustainable Products and Purchasing”

1. In Cafeterias, use biodegradable “to-go” containers made from recycled papers and corn, 

rather than plastic and Styrofoam.293 votes

−LH, Houston, TX

2. I think all government agencies should purchase 100% recycled paper to reduce greenhouse effects.

−Cheri V., Silver Spring, MD

3. Federal contracting should have a set-asides or preference for green businesses when 

procuring products or services. Should be a separate category in the same vein as woman/

minority/native American/etc owned businesses.

−S. A. Shira, Washington, DC

4. Completely redesign cafeterias: 1) remove all disposable items (e.g.: utensils, Styrofoam 

containers and napkins), 2) wash dishes and silverware, 3) install composters for appropriate 

waste and 4) sell only glass returnable’s (e.g.: for soda and milk).

−Lynn, Maryland

5. To cut down on electronic waste, purchase computers that can be upgraded easily and 

frequently with new memory and processors.

−I. Frommer, New London, CT
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6. Stop completely redoing offices each time a new political is appointed. Does there need to 

be new carpet and furniture installed every 6 months to a year?

−Laura S.

7. Request vendors to send only e-catalogs or catalogs on CD.

−J, CA

8. Low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)–specify that all furniture, flooring, carpets, paints, 

and partitions are either low-or-no VOC.Use 3rd Party Validation (e.g.Green Seal, Scientific 

Cert.Systems, etc.) to verify.

−Adam K., Boston, MA

9. Eliminate paper forms, making all forms electronic, and reducing paper consumption.

−Chris P., Alexandria, VA

10. Install self-limiting faucets which control water pressure and flow in the restrooms of our 

government facilities would conserve this precious resource.

−Lee, Baltimore MD

Bonus Idea: Build green into government contracts and grants. Mandate awarded contractors 

and grantees pursue energy sustainable/ renewable practices for project, and weight RFP submissions for their “green” factors.

−Tom W., Washington, DC

What We Heard About Sustainable Products and Purchasing

Federal employees definitely see room for improvement in products and purchasing, particularly 

regarding paper products.More than 500 ideas targeted overuse of paper.Nearly 100 of those ideas 

were in the sustainable purchasing category, where employees suggested more recycled content and 

less bleach used in paper products for the office and the restrooms.

CR from DC suggested that each office create a ‘Freecycle’ system to help reuse and recycle unwanted 

products (both from work and home) within each agency campus to reduce waste.The project’s goal is 

to redistribute existing supplies to meet the needs of employees rather than purchasing new products.

Many ideas were inspired by the desire for more transparency about the products they use every day.

David J.in Seattle submitted an idea to create a label, similar to the EnergyStar program, which allows 

you to see the environmental benefit of using that product.He highlighted this system as one that all 

employees could easily understand and incorporate into their decision-making without previous training 

or background knowledge of the system.