The Federal government released the second round of scores charting individual agencies’ progress toward their energy and sustainability goals. Many of the 24 tracked agencies saw improvements in one or more of the categories, but there were also a number of red marks, meaning an agency did not achieve at least half of its goal in 2011, or it did not provide a plan to reach the set goal by 2020.

Under Executive Order 13514, issued by President Barack Obama in October 2009, agencies are required to improve their environmental, energy, and economic performances by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, conserving water, and reducing waste, among other goals.

Some standout agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency and the General Services Administration, received green scores in every area. Others, such as the Department of Defense and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, didn’t fare so well, scoring mainly yellow and red marks.

“Making smarter choices about energy use across the Federal government reduces pollution while also cutting costs for taxpayers,” Jeffrey Zients, acting director of the Office of Management and Budget says. “Investments in energy efficiency over the last four years alone are expected to save as much as $18 billion in energy costs over the life of the projects.”

Releasing reports on the Federal agencies’ energy and sustainability progress is a part of the Obama administration’s effort to lead by example. By increasing energy efficiency within its approximate 500,000 buildings, the government is looking to reduce the amount of tax dollars devoted to operational building costs.

To see individual agency report cards, visit http://sustainability.performance.gov/.