The Foreign Service Journal, October 2021

42 OCTOBER 2021 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL experience from around the federal government. Partnering with the Department of Energy, the General Services Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency and other departments will help ensure we are modernizing our operations and imple- menting best practices to meet our goals. Cooperation and coordination will be especially important with the Department of Defense and the U.S. Agency for Inter- national Development to mirror efforts in all our international work and take advantage of economies of scale where possible. Leveraging the best available scientific support from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will also help us integrate the most advanced climate data into our decision-making processes. Achievements and Challenges The State Department is on its way to meeting some of the sustainability goals and priorities of the new administration. Since 2008, State has reduced GHG emissions in its U.S.-based operations by more than 46 percent, and more than 35 percent of our domestic electricity needs now come from renewable energy, thanks to an offsite wind farm in New Jersey. Overseas, more than 50 U.S. embassies and consulates are U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified, and more than 40 have renewable energy installations on site. Six domestic buildings and 98 diplomatic posts have integrated MeterNet, the State Depart- ment’s smart metering system, to track real-time data on energy demand and identify energy conservation measures. The depart- ment is also partnering with universities under the Embassy 2050 initiative to identify and evaluate emerging technologies, innovations and best practices to respond to long-term drivers of change. There are also considerable challenges. Capturing relevant environmental data and developing the data infrastructure to baseline and set goals will be a complex undertaking. But as Janice deGarmo, director of M/SS, observes: “The importance of data cannot be understated for helping the department priori- tize where to expend its limited human capital and financial resources to get the biggest climate impact.” In recognition of the importance of the issue, the Center for Analytics in M/SS will focus on data as one of its strategic themes in the department’s Enterprise Data Strategy. While State ranks number one among federal agencies for domestic renewable energy use and has significantly reduced water consumption, according to the department’s annual sus- tainability scorecard produced by the Office of Management and Budget, we lag behind federal domestic goals in energy intensity, sustainable buildings and fleet management. Overseas, host- government or local regulations, and the lack of availability of environmentally friendly products and services, make full imple- mentation difficult. To address some of these challenges, State is investing in new technologies. In 2021 the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations rolled out EnergyCAP, an automated system to capture utility bill data, a process which had previously been done manually. This new system, currently integrating data from 180 posts worldwide, will help us develop baseline energy and water usage and costs, evaluate and prioritize locations for conservation projects, and track progress of conservation efforts. As guests in nearly 200 countries, the State Department must act to both reduce our impact on the climate and address climate resilience. In some locations, we may have to enhance preparedness for increased wildfires or drought, and in others adopt measures to tackle heavy rain and flooding. The critical nature of our operations means that we need to identify and pre- pare for the whole gamut of climate impacts around the world and ensure we are mitigating the risks associated with those vulnerabilities. The United States strives to demonstrate leadership and inno- vation globally. As we look to the future, the State Department and the federal government are integral to meeting our climate objectives, both at the policy and operational level. All our employees—Foreign Service, Civil Service, LE staff, EFMs and contractors—will need to act together. Policy and management, both in Washington and at all our diplomatic posts, must work toward a common goal and with a common voice to ensure that we are tackling the climate crisis effectively. n We will also work with diplomatic partners to advance the Eco-Capitals Forum, an avenue for diplomatic missions to support the sustainability goals of host and local governments.