As outlined in Executive Order (EO) 14057, Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability, the NIH must achieve net-zero emissions across its portfolio of buildings, campuses, and installations by 2045 and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent from buildings, campuses, and installations by 2032 from 2008 levels. Electronic stewardship allows the NIH to decrease the amount of energy consumed from electronic devices, thus making it easier to achieve net-zero emissions. Promoting electronic stewardship typically includes the following:
- Ensuring procurement preference for environmentally sustainable electronic products,
- Establishing and implementing policies to enable power management, duplex printing, and other energy-efficient or environmentally sustainable features on all eligible agency electronic products, and
- Employing environmentally sound practices with respect to the disposition of all excess or surplus electronic products.
To demonstrate progress in electronic stewardship, NIH publishes an annual Sustainability Plan (SIP) and reports progress to their parent government agency, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). HHS adheres to the requirements of EO 14057 and EO 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, and publishes an annual Sustainability Plan to demonstrate overall agency progress.
NIH Progress Towards Electronic Stewardship
Procurement Progress:
At the NIH, at least 95% of acquired monitors, PCs, and laptops meet environmentally sustainable electronics criteria (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool [EPEAT] registered).
Power Management Progress:
At the NIH, 93.9% of equipment has power management enabled, with 4% of equipment exempted (scientific equipment and hospital/patient care systems that cannot be powered down).
End-of-Life Progress:
At the NIH, 100% of electronics are disposed using environmentally sound methods, including GSA Xcess, Computers for Learning, Unicor, U.S. Postal Service Blue Earth Recycling Program, or Certified Recycler (R2 or E-Stewards).