Letter from the President of the United States

To the dedicated and hard-working employees of the Federal Government:

Today, I signed an Executive Order to help our nation create good-paying jobs and lead the world on clean energy by issuing the Federal Sustainability Plan. As public servants, we owe it to the American people to be good stewards of government resources–and each and every one of you has a critical role to play in that effort.

The Federal Sustainability Plan will help our country meet the challenge of the climate crisis in a way that grows good jobs and industries, and makes us more economically competitive. We will lead the world by example – transforming how we build, buy, and manage to help make our economy cleaner, more efficient, and more sustainable.

To accomplish our goals, we will transition our Federal infrastructure to zero-emission vehicles and energy efficient buildings, powered by carbon pollution-free electricity. We will improve the Federal Government's preparedness and resilience to the effects of our changing climate. And we will do so in ways that promote economic and environmental equity for all Americans.

This transition will help accelerate the development of the clean energy industries of the future – right here in America. That will mean more good-paying union jobs for American workers, and a strong foundation for American businesses to compete and win globally in the 21st century economy.

Extreme weather events, exacerbated by climate change, cost our nation $99 billion in economic damages last year – a record we are poised to break this year. The time is now to take bold action to make our entire nation more resilient and sustainable. Some of this work will be difficult – but I know that, together, we will be up to the task.

I invite you to read the Federal Sustainability Plan, and look forward to working alongside you to seize this once-in-a-generation opportunity to protect American communities, create good jobs, and build a strong economic foundation for years to come.

Sincerely,