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HHS.gov
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  1. Home
  2. About
  3. HHS Sustainability
  • HHS Family of Agencies
    • HHS Agencies & Offices
    • Regional Offices
    • Advisory Committees, Task Forces & Initiatives
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  • Leadership
  • Budget & Performance
    • FY 2024 Contingency Staffing Plan
    • FY 2024 Budget in Brief
    • FY 2024 Annual Performance Plan and Report
    • FY 2023 Contingency Staffing Plan
    • FY 2023 Budget in Brief
    • FY 2023 Annual Performance Plan and Report
    • FY 2022 Contingency Staffing Plan
    • FY 2022 Budget in Brief
    • FY 2022 Annual Performance Plan and Report
    • FY 2021 Contingency Staffing Plan
    • FY 2021 Budget in Brief
    • FY 2021 Annual Performance Plan and Report
    • FY 2020 Contingency Staffing Plan
    • FY 2020 Budget in Brief
    • FY 2020 Annual Performance Report
    • FY 2019 Budget in Brief
    • FY 2019 Contingency Staffing Plan
    • FY 2019 Annual Performance Report
    • FY 2018 Budget in Brief
  • Strategic Plan FY 2022 - 2026
    • Message from the Secretary
    • Introduction: About HHS
    • Overview: Strategic Plan FY 2022 - 2026
    • Strategic Goal 1: Protect and Strengthen Equitable Access to High Quality and Affordable Healthcare
    • Strategic Goal 2: Safeguard and Improve National and Global Health Conditions and Outcomes
    • Strategic Goal 3: Strengthen Social Well-Being, Equity, and Economic Resilience
    • Strategic Goal 4: Restore Trust and Accelerate Advancements in Science and Research for All
    • Strategic Goal 5: Advance Strategic Management to Build Trust, Transparency, and Accountability
    • Appendix: Plan Updates
  • News
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HHS Sustainability

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) focuses on sustainable and efficient operations to uphold the HHS mission of protecting the health and well-being of all Americans.

What does Sustainability mean?

Sustainability means living in such a way now that does not sacrifice the well-being of future generations; that is, to meet the needs in the present within the Earth's closed system, while restoring, protecting, and maintaining the natural systems, services, and resources that make life possible, including clean air, clean water, and clean soil. Sustainability goes hand-in-hand with the HHS mission to protect the health of all Americans.

Sustainability and Climate Reports, Progress Data

This Climate Action Plan (CAP), also referred to as Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan (CARP), represents a concerted effort to enhance resilience and adaptation to climate change throughout the activities of HHS. This is in accordance with Executive Order 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, which sets forth a government-wide approach to address the climate crisis. The 2021 HHS Climate Crisis Adaptation and Resilience Policy Statement, 2021 HHS Climate Action Plan, and 2022 HHS Climate Adaptation Plan Progress Report are now available for viewing.

HHS outlines its path towards sustainable operations and efficiency in the 2020 HHS Sustainability Report and Implementation Plan.

The previous year's HHS Sustainability Report and Implementation Plan is available for viewing at 2019 HHS Sustainability Report and Implementation Plan.

This plan puts forth specific HHS sustainability goals to improve operations efficiency, while increasing productivity and transparency. As specific program areas work toward these goals, it is important to note that becoming more sustainable is up to all of us.

By statute, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) publishes agency progress and scorecards on federal agency performance on energy efficiency and sustainability. The HHS FY 2019 OMB Scorecard for Efficient Federal Operations/Management can be viewed at HHS FY2019 OMB Scorecard for Efficient Federal Operations Management.

The Office of the Federal Chief Sustainability Officer, housed within the White House Council on Environmental Quality, graphs HHS progress toward energy and sustainability goals in the following categories: facility energy use, water use, renewable electricity, facility efficiency investments, high performance sustainable buildings, fleet petroleum and alternative fuel, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Additional Resources

Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (OCCHE)

The HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health established OCCHE on August 30, 2021 in response to President Joe Biden’s Executive Order Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. This is the first office of its kind at the national level to address climate change and health equity. The Office’s mission is to protect vulnerable communities who disproportionately bear the brunt of pollution and climate-driven disasters, such as drought and wildfires, at the expense of public health.

  • Learn more about OCCHE
  • Sign up for updates

Sustainability across HHS

  • Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) Sustainability
  • Indian Health Service (IHS) Environmental Sustainability
  • National Institutes of Health (NIH) Sustainability
  • National Institute of Environmental Health Services, Climate and Human Health (NIEHS)
Content created by Program Support Center (PSC)
Content last reviewed December 7, 2022
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