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Congress has enacted a range of statutory provisions relating to high-performance sustainable buildings, as well as energy, water and environmental goals and requirements that are advanced by the implementation of sustainable federal buildings within an agency’s portfolio. These goals are reflected in the Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings and Associated Instructions [PDF], also referred to as Guiding Principles, which can help agencies meet federal mandates related to sustainable building design, construction, and operation.
A 2018 GSA study [PDF - 3 MB] found that high-performance buildings meeting the Guiding Principles save energy and water, cost less to operate, produce less waste, and have more satisfied occupants compared with typical buildings.
In 2002, a Task Force of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, adopted sustainable buildings as one of its six priority areas and published a report, “The Federal Commitment to Green Building: Experiences and Expectations.” The Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings were established in 2006 in a memorandum of understanding signed by federal agencies at the White House. The Council on Environmental Quality subsequently issued the Guiding Principles and associated instructions in 2008. The Guiding Principles as well as the associated instructions were then updated in 2016 and most recently in 2020.
The Guiding Principles issued in December 2020 consist of a base document with six appendices. The following steps are recommended to help you navigate this guidance:
Familiarize yourself with the updated Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings and Associated Instructions, December 2020 [PDF].
Determine whether your building falls under the Federal Real Property Profile or FRPP reporting requirements in Appendix E [PDF]. Note that leases are not included in the reporting requirements, though agencies may choose to track sustainability of their leased buildings in FRPP. If your building does not meet the reporting criteria, check with your individual agency for guidance.
Assess your building using the appropriate pathway:
If your building has never been assessed against any version of the Guiding Principles, start your assessment by using the appropriate checklist below:
Download this interactive version of the Guiding Principles checklist [XLSX - 114 KB], including links to relevant tools and resources, to demonstrate that a new construction or modernization project meets the intent of the Guiding Principles.
Third-party certifications may help meet certain criteria. See Appendix C [PDF]and the certification standards section below for more detail.
Buildings must be reassessed every four years. Consult Appendix D [PDF] for the reassessment criteria checklist and options for reassessment using a third-party system.
Report the results to your individual agency. Each agency is required to report sustainability status of its buildings annually via the Federal Real Property Profile Management System.
Visit the green building certification systems page to learn about the benefits of using certification systems and the requirements for federal agencies that choose to use them. We have also developed resources for how certification systems can help agencies meet the Guiding Principles and how credits may align with statutory and regulatory requirements.
The Total Workplace Scorecard [XLSX - 183 KB] benchmarks and measures quality improvements between existing and new workplace conditions. It is best if the same people complete the evaluation for both existing and new workplaces. There are 100 possible points, with extra credit available to supplement the score of facilities with limiting factors.
In Appendix B — Checklist for Existing Buildings, Guiding Principle criteria 4.9, occupant health and wellness, provides agencies with the option to demonstrate that they have met the criteria by completing section 2 of the Total Workplace Scorecard [XLSX - 164 KB]. The section consists of 74 multiple choice questions, including extra credit, with instructions and resources.
These resources for new construction and existing buildings are referenced and linked throughout the Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings and Associated Instructions, December 2020.
U.S. General Services Administration
