Wisconsin Office of Sustainability & Clean Energy State Lead by Example

State Lead by Example

In 2019, the Governor created the Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy to lead the state’s transition to 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050 and fulfill the carbon reduction goals of the 2015 Paris Climate Accord. State governments can be leaders in efforts to reduce emissions, conserve energy, and transition to new technologies. These efforts are often referred to as “Lead-by-Example” (LBE), where government entities analyze and transition their facilities and fleets to realize substantial cost savings, reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), improve energy supply, build resilience, and procure more sustainable products. Wisconsin’s Lead-by-Example program was first defined in the Governor’s Task Force on Climate Change Report (Strategy #11) and restated in the Clean Energy Plan (page 87-88).

To organize and create action for our LBE efforts, we have developed a State Agency Technical Team comprised of subject matter experts (SMEs) from each agency. These SMEs will help the OSCE to address sustainability measures for a multitude of categories including procurement, fleet, energy use, waste, water use, environmental justice, and state agency GHG emissions.

SMEs are using the guidance provided in the Governor's Task Force on Climate Change Report and the Clean Energy Plan to create change in their agencies, whether that's installing renewable energy at State facilities, transitioning to alternative fuel vehicles, or implementing energy efficiency upgrades. Actions taken by the agencies will help the State fulfill the Governor's commitment made upon joining the U.S. Climate Alliance in 2019:

Contribute to the fulfillment of carbon reduction goals of the new U.S. nationally determined contribution (NDC) as part of the Paris Agreement (50-52 percent economywide net GHG emissions reductions below 2005 levels by 2030),

Track and report progress to the global community in appropriate settings, including when the world convenes to take stock of the Paris Agreement, and

Accelerate new and existing policies to reduce carbon pollution and promote clean energy deployment at the state and federal level.

To read more about the goals of the Lead-by-Example program, we invite you to read the Clean Energy Plan and the Governor's Task Force on Climate Change Report.