GHG Reduction Programs & Strategies

A wide range of strategies are available to help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and meet emissions targets. Below are a list of resources and guides to help identify and implement GHG reduction opportunities.

On this page:

Energy Efficiency
Renewable Energy
Supply Chain
Waste Reduction and Diversion Strategies
Reduce Methane Emissions
Increase Fuel Efficiency in Transportation and Logistics

Energy Efficiency

U.S. EPA’s ENERGY STAR Program: Through its partnerships with more than 15,000 private and public sector organizations, ENERGY STAR delivers the technical information and tools that organizations and consumers need to choose energy-efficient solutions and best management practices.

Buildings & Plants: ENERGY STAR certifies top performing commercial buildings and industrial plants and provides an innovative energy performance rating system which businesses have already used for more than 96,000 buildings across the country. ENERGY STAR's Portfolio Manager is an online tool to measure and track energy and water consumption, as well as greenhouse gas emissions. Use it to benchmark the performance of one building or across an organization's entire portfolio of buildings.
Small Businesses: ENERGY STAR offers tools and resources to help small businesses improve their financial performance by reducing energy waste and energy costs.
Products: ENERGY STAR certifies products in approximately 80 categories that use less energy, save money, and help protect the environment.
ENERGY STAR tips to save energy at work.

U.S. EPA’s Combined Heat and Power Partnership (CHP) Resource Center provides tools, resources, and information to help evaluate CHP as a means to reduce the environmental impacts of power generation, increase a facility's operational efficiency, and decrease energy costs. U.S. EPA’s State and Local Climate and Energy Program helps state, local, and tribal governments develop policies and programs that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower energy costs, improve air quality and public health, and help achieve economic development goals. EPA provides proven, cost–effective best practices, peer exchange opportunities, and analytical tools.

Renewable Energy

U.S. EPA’s Green Power Partnership (GPP) is a voluntary program that encourages organizations to use green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with conventional electricity use. The Partnership currently has more than 780 Partner organizations voluntarily using billions of kilowatt-hours of green power annually. GPP supports the organizational procurement of green power by offering expert advice, technical support, tools, and resources. Green power is electricity produced from a subset of renewable resources, such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, and low-impact hydro. Partnering with EPA can help your organization reduce its carbon footprint and communicate its leadership to key stakeholders. EPA’s Green Power Markets website provides tools and resources to understand and engage with green power in the U.S.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) Innovations in Voluntary Renewable Energy Procurement: Methods for Expanding Access and Lowering Cost for Communities, Governments, and Businesses (pdf) explores five innovative options for voluntarily procuring renewable energy generation or systems. These methods can be replicated by a variety of stakeholders—including local governments, not-for-profit organizations, businesses, and utilities.

Supply Chain

U.S. EPA’s Green Suppliers Network works with large manufacturers to engage their suppliers in low-cost technical reviews to identify strategies for improving process lines, using materials more efficiently, and reducing waste. Working in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Commerce (DoC) National Institute of Standards and Technology's Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST MEP), the Green Suppliers Network helps small and medium-sized manufacturers stay competitive and profitable while reducing their impact on the environment.

Additional resources listed on the Supply Chain webpage.

Waste Reduction and Diversion Strategies

U.S. EPA’s Resources for Waste Reduction and Recycling provides resources related to waste reduction and recycling in the workplace, including guidance on starting or expanding a recycling collection program, initiatives to reduce everyday trash, and frameworks for food recovery programs.

U.S. EPA’s WaterSense program partners with manufacturers, retailers and distributors, and utilities to bring WaterSense labeled products to the marketplace and make it easy to purchase high-performing, water-efficient products. WaterSense also partners with professional certifying organizations to promote water–efficient landscape irrigation practices.

Reduce Methane Emissions

U.S. EPA’s AgSTAR program promotes the use of biogas recovery systems to reduce methane emissions from livestock waste. AgSTAR assists those who enable, purchase, or implement anaerobic digesters by identifying project benefits, risks, options, and opportunities. AgSTAR provides information and participates in events to create a supporting environment for anaerobic digester implementation.

U.S. EPA’s Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) promotes the use of landfill gas as a renewable, green energy source. Landfill gas is the natural by-product of the decomposition of solid waste in landfills and is comprised primarily of carbon dioxide and methane. LMOP forms partnerships with communities, landfill owners, utilities, power marketers, states, project developers, tribes, and non-profit organizations to overcome barriers to project development by helping them assess project feasibility, find financing, and market the benefits of project development to the community.

U.S. EPA’s Natural Gas STAR Methane Challenge Program recognizes oil and natural gas companies that make specific and transparent commitments to reduce methane emissions.

Increase Fuel Efficiency in Transportation and Logistics

U.S. EPA’s SmartWay is a public/private collaboration between EPA and the freight transportation industry that helps freight shippers, carriers, and logistics companies improve fuel-efficiency and save money. Acquiring U.S. EPA Certified SmartWay light-duty vehicles can help improve the overall fuel economy performance of a light-duty fleet.