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The Army adopted a sustainability policy in the early 2000’s in order to make military bases, and the force as a whole, more resilient and less dependent on fossil fuels. Considering that the US military as a whole is one of the largest institutional energy consumers on the planet, this would have a significant impact on reducing waste, improving efficiency, and ensuring that public resources are being used effectively.

The Army has developed and adopted its own triple bottom line framework shifting from the traditional “People Planet, and Profit” to "Mission, Community, and Environment". In order to meet these new sustainability targets, the Army has implemented regulations such as designing all new projects to meet the LEED silver standard. Additional regulations are detailed in the Sustainable Design and Development Policy.

The 2017 revision to the Sustainable Design and Development Policy outlines the updated goals and requirements that the Army established in an effort to successfully complete the sustainability mission. Most of these requirements result in stricter regulations for the planning, design and construction of new projects and major renovations:


 * Siting and site development
 * Energy performance and security
 * Indoor and outdoor water use
 * Metering, monitoring, and subsystem measurement
 * Indoor environmental quality
 * Waste and recyclables management
 * New and underutilized technologies
 * Commissioning and plans for operation

Many of these Army-wide goals fall directly onto USACE as the organization oversees a majority the construction and maintenance of Army bases and infrastructure. To embrace the branch’s movement toward sustainability, USACE added sustainability as an overarching mission with several specific focus areas:


 * Gaining expertise and becoming a leader in industry technology and advancement; primarily in areas surrounding construction and energy to enable high performance buildings and civil works projects, as well as energy security.
 * Planning and implementing a number of approaches to mitigate the potential environmental changes due to the climate crisis specifically with regards to the nation’s water infrastructure.
 * Focusing on purchases that further the sustainability mission and prioritizing designs/technology that are recycled, bio-based, or benefit the environment.
 * Releasing annual Sustainability Report and Implementation Plans for accountability and to track progress toward achieving energy goals. (USACE Website)

Taking on this challenge is not without its own difficulties. The first report issued in 2008 showed that 78% of new projects were built to the LEED silver standard (without actually getting the certification) instead of the 100% required. In addition, there was an 8.4% and 32% reduction in energy use intensity and water use respectively while there was a 35% increase in hazardous waste production.

Later reports show some improvement toward resilience and sustainability. The 2020 Sustainability Report and Implementation Plan show a further 12% reduction in water use as well as 35% total reduction in energy use intensity since 2003. Future projections show that USACE intends to continue to build on these focus areas and ultimately drive the organizations demands in areas such as fuel, electricity and water down.