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What does the do?

Updates published annually

The Council of Environmental Quality (CEQ) is a subdivision of the Executive Office of the President responsible for coordinating federal environmental efforts and working closely with agencies and other White House offices in the development of environmental policies and initiatives. The CEQ oversees the implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), ensuring that federal agencies meet their obligations under the Act. It also advises the President on environmental policies and initiatives. It was established in 1969.

In FY 2024,

$10M

was spent by the Council on Environmental Quality
In FY 2024,

1.0%

of Executive Office of the President spending was by the Council on Environmental Quality

How much does the Council of Environmental Quality spend?

The Council on Environmental Quality spent a net total of $10 million in fiscal year (FY) 2024. This was 1% of the $1 billion spent by the Executive Office of the President, which itself was 0.015% of all federal spending. The CEQ ranked 6th among EOP subdivisions in net spending.
Net spending is the difference between agency spending and any financial accounts generating funds from the agency’s own activities, like fees or rent. When these funds offset all spending, net spending appears negative. Some agencies tend to operate with positive net spending while others will register negative net spending sometimes or often.

The Council on Environmental Quality ranked 6th among Executive Office of the President divisions in net spending in 2024.

EOP net spending by division, FY 2024

Like the overall federal budget, agency spending may shift over time due to population growth, changes in policy and programs, and emerging problems to address. Adjusting for inflation, the Council on Environmental Quality’s federal spending has decreased from $22.2 million in 1980 to $10 million in 2024.

The Council on Environmental Quality’s federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 1980.

Yearly federal net spending by CEQ, adjusted for inflation (2024 dollars), FYs 1980–2024

Since 1980, the Council on Environmental Quality's spending has decreased 54.8%, while overall spending has increased 193.7%.
As a percentage of the overall federal budget, a positive number means agency net spending made up some positive share of total federal spending; a negative number means that net generated funds offset a portion of total spending. CEQ spending grew less than overall federal spending since 1980, which means that its share of the federal budget decreased. In 2024, CEQ accounted for 0.00015% of overall federal spending.

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Major legislation, internal or global economic conditions, and acute events like the COVID-19 pandemic can affect spending year to year. For example, the federal budget fluctuated during the pandemic, rising from $5.3 trillion (in 2023 dollars) in 2019 to $7.7 trillion in 2020 and $7.8 trillion in 2021.

The Council on Environmental Quality’s share of federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 1980.

Net spending by CEQ as a share of federal spending, FYs 1980–2024

Most federal spending can be categorized as direct or indirect. Direct spending refers to money the federal government spends on budget items such as federal programs, employee salaries, and debt interest. Indirect spending refers to federal transfers to state and local governments.
In FY 2024, all of the Council on Environmental Quality's spending was direct.
The chart below outlines all net CEQ spending.

How did the Council on Environmental Quality spend its budget in 2024?

Federal government net spending isolated to CEQ, FY 2024

How many people work for the Council on Environmental Quality?

Some 48 of the 2.31 million total civilian federal employees work for the Council on Environmental Quality as of September 2024. This is 108.7% more people than the division staffed in 2010.

The number of federal employees working for the Council on Environmental Quality has increased 108.7% since 2010.

Number of federal employees working for CEQ, September 2010–2024

The Council on Environmental Quality accounts for 0.0021% of the overall federal workforce. As the number of federal employees has changed, so too has the way the workforce is organized, with resources allocated to agencies depending on government priorities. The division constituted a larger share of the overall federal workforce in September 2024 compared to 2010 (0.0011%).
While the number of employees on an agency’s payroll contributes to that agency’s expenditures, some agencies have relatively few employees compared to their budget or vice versa, giving them an outsized share of either the budget or the workforce. According to the most recent data, the Council on Environmental Quality’s share of the workforce (0.0021%) is larger than its share of the budget (0.00015%).

Who leads the Council on Environmental Quality?

The CEQ is led by a Chair. This individual is nominated by the president and requires confirmation by the Senate. The chair of the CEQ reports directly to the president. There is no fixed term for this position.

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.

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