AF Energy Strategy: The Air Force’s use of energy creates a substantial direct and indirect impact on our environment. AF energy use relies on imported, fossil fuel. The Air Force seeks to: 1) Reduce energy demand, 2) Increase renewable energy supply and 3) Create a culture where energy (and the environment) are a consideration in everything we do. Click here to read the full document. (PDF)

Earth Day – 22 April – serves as a reminder to Airmen of the Air Force’s commitment to environmental management. This commitment requires active participation from all functions and organizations in the Air Force and it is critical every Airman understands and takes action to minimize the harmful impact to the environment. We are committed to complying with energy and environmental laws and regulations, reducing environmental risk through waste/pollution reduction activities, re-thinking and re-shaping the way we use energy and ensuring the sustainability of our mission and operations by continuously improving management and conservation of the resources we need.

• Instituting periodic self-inspections as a proactive way to ensure sustained compliance.
• Using the Plan-Do-Check-Act framework of the Environmental Management System (EMS) to identify compliance and ensure units meet objectives.

• Reduce Risk: Pollutant and waste generation create environmental risk. Nearly all AF operations are candidates for achieving efficiencies by eliminating or reducing pollutants and waste.
  
  • The installation’s EMS provides the framework to identify and prioritize activities which most impact the environment, and can help prioritize risk reduction efforts.
  • Use of end-of-process controls or disposal, or personal protective equipment, is the least preferred way to reduce pollutants and risk—unless there are no alternative methods.
  • AF policy is to use the “pollution prevention hierarchy” to reduce pollutants:
    
    • First: Seek to eliminate or reduce pollution at its source by adopting less hazardous or “green” alternatives and by finding innovative ways to change the way we do business.
    • Second: Airmen should recycle or reuse materials to reduce pollution, waste and risk.
• Continuously Improve: We are continually improving and transforming processes to make more efficient and effective use and better manage natural and other resources. We can and must do this while sustaining our mission, and modernizing our installations and weapons systems. We can…Conserve Today. Secure Tomorrow.