The move was announced by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan and Deputy National Climate Adviser Ali Zaidi during a visit to the Cleveland-Cliffs direct reduction steel plant in Toledo.
Today, as the U.S. manufacturing recovery continues, the Biden-Harris administration announced new actions under the Toledo, Ohio, Clean Federal Buying Initiative to spur the development of low-carbon, American-made building materials while supporting higher wages. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, U.S. General Services Administrator Robin Carnahan, and Deputy National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi announced the federal government will prioritize procuring critical low-carbon building materials, covering 98 percent of federally procured % materials during a visit Cleveland – Cliffs Direct Steel Works in Toledo. The Cleveland-Cliffs Direct Reduced Steelworks represents the future of cleaner manufacturing in the United States, producing a low-carbon intermediate product that is incorporated into steel plate for a variety of federal government-procured products, including automobiles, power transformers, bridge decks, offshore wind power platforms, and naval submarines and railroad tracks. The Clean Federal Buying Initiative is part of President Biden’s economic plan, including the bipartisan Infrastructure Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the Chip and Science Act, aimed at starting a manufacturing boom in the United States. The initiative ensures that federal funding and power purchases create high-paying jobs, protect public health, increase America’s competitiveness, and enhance national security. Today’s federal procurement cleanup builds on procurement cleanup commitments made earlier this year, including the creation of the first-ever federal procurement cleanup task force, and complements the rebuilding of U.S. factories since President Biden took office by adding 668,000 manufacturing jobs. The federal government is the world’s largest direct purchaser and major sponsor of infrastructure. Using the purchasing power of the US government, President Biden ensures competitiveness and outpacing US manufacturing while stimulating the market and accelerating innovation across the country. In addition to historic funding under the President’s bipartisan Infrastructure Act, his Inflation Reduction Act provided $4.5 billion for the federal Clean Buying initiative for the General Services Administration, the Department of Transportation, and the Environmental Protection Agency. The purpose and use of buildings that produce materials and products. which significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The Inflation Reduction Act also provided the Department of Energy with billions of dollars in tax credits to upgrade industrial facilities and produce clean technologies. US-made materials are vital to rebuilding and strengthening the nation’s infrastructure, but they account for almost a third of greenhouse gas emissions from US industrial processes. For the first time, the federal government provided market differentiation and incentives for low-carbon materials through the Biden-Harris administration’s Federal Initiative and Task Force. Companies across the country will be rewarded for reducing their carbon footprint in their value chains by supporting good US manufacturing jobs. Biden-Harris Administration:
What agencies are doing to implement Buy Clean: The Buy Clean Task Force will lead by example and expand to 8 additional agencies: Department of Commerce, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Health and Human Services, Home and Public Administration, NASA, and Veterans Administration. These members join the Departments of Agriculture, Defense, Energy and Transportation, as well as the Committee on Environmental Quality (CEQ), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the General Services Administration (GSA), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). ), and the White House Climate Policy Office. Expanded Task Force Agencies collectively account for 90 percent of all federally funded and procured building materials. The Purchasing Clean Materials Task Force will continue to conduct pilot projects to expand the scope of industrial contaminants and materials, engage industry, and establish mechanisms for data collection and disclosure. Building on previous clean buying efforts, the agencies continue to implement the federal Clean Buying Initiative:
We’ll stay tuned for updates on how President Biden and his administration are working to benefit the American people and how you can get involved and help our country recover better.