DoD, GSA, and NASA are issuing a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to restructure and update the regulations to focus on current environmental and sustainability matters and to implement a requirement for agencies to procure sustainable products and services to the maximum extent practicable. Rule is effective on 22 May 2024. POC is Ms. Jennifer Hawes, Procurement Analyst, at 202-255-9194 or by email at jennifer.hawes@gsa.gov. (Federal Register 22 April 2024 [Rule] Pages 30212-30250)

Attention all public sector employees in the contracting and acquisition career field! In GSA's Market Research As a Service (MRAS) Customer Training: Effective Market Research (Fed/Military), you'll learn the importance of market research, how and when to conduct it, and how to get the best results by making your data collection methods more efficient. You'll also delve into the regulatory nature of FAR Part 10 and how it ties into other decisions such as acquisition planning, small business set-asides, commercial items, and contract type selection. More Information...

FAST 2024 is a three-day virtual conference that brings together GSA category and acquisition professionals with agency and industry partners to explore practical ways in which government and industry collaborate. This event will help government agencies access the capabilities and innovative solutions needed to stay on the cusp of emerging innovations and trends. More Information...

EPA launched enhancements to an online search tool for its Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing. The search tool makes it easier to view and sort standards and ecolabels that EPA recommends U.S. federal government purchasers use to meet sustainable acquisition goals and mandates. It allows users to identify the types of products or services covered by an ecolabel or standard, provides information on product and supplier availability, and links to product registries. The tool also includes a new feature to highlight how the standards and ecolabels address per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and plastics reduction. Consistent with the federal government's goal to avoid procurement of products containing any type of PFAS, EPA will no longer highlight ecolabels or standards that only address individual chemicals like PFOA and/or PFOS. These enhancements are an important step in the federal government's ongoing efforts to address PFAS in products and procurement and underscores the accelerated priority to combat PFAS. EPA's Recommendations for federal purchasing are an important resource for implementing the Biden-Harris Administration's Federal Sustainability Plan, which directs federal agencies to maximize the procurement of sustainable products and services and follow EPA's Recommendations.

Guidance for Federal agencies to select the most cost-effective and energy-efficient lighting systems available. Use the guide as a roadmap and reference to select the best lighting system for your facility.

This tool only checks for Section 889 representations in an entity's SAM.gov record. Only entities doing business above the Micro-Purchase Threshold (MPT) are required to register in SAM.gov. Contracts that are classified/FOUO or contractors that do not wish for their information to be publicly available will not show up in search results.

The innovative NASA Langley Research Center team developed and piloted a Section 889 compliance tool to help acquisition professionals verify compliance before purchase card transactions or contract awards. Because it could affect federal acquisitions, NASA and GSA made the Section 889 Compliance Tool governmentwide. This compliance tool supports effective implementation of Section 889, paragraphs (a) (1)(A) (Part A) and (a)(1)(B) (Part B) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Pub. L. 115- 232), Prohibition on Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment. The remarkable and practical results of the Section 889 Compliance Tool include: 1) simplifying the process of verifying vendor compliance with Section 889, Parts A & B; 2) delivering fast and dependable confirmation of a vendor's adherence to Section 889; 3) eliminating the need for acquisition professional/other users to navigate the complexities of DUNS numbers or sift through extensive FAR clauses/reps & certs on SAM.gov; 4) reducing market research time; and 5) minimizing risks associated with awarding to noncompliant vendors or contractors.

EPA is adding 10 chemicals to the Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL). The SCIL is a living list of chemicals that EPA's Safer Choice program has evaluated and determined meet Safer Choice criteria. With this update, there are a total of 1,071 chemicals on the SCIL, which are among the safest for their functional use. The SCIL provides increased transparency in safer chemistry, helps companies find safer chemical alternatives and increases innovation and growth of safer products. In support of the Administration's goals, the addition of chemicals to the SCIL incentivizes further innovation in safer chemistry, which can promote environmental justice, bolster resilience to the impacts of climate change, and improve water quality.

This fact sheet outlines new steps that will catalyze action across the federal government to account for climate change impacts in budgeting, procurement, and other agency decisions, and save hardworking families money. Specifically, the President is directing agencies to: 1) consider the Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases (SC-GHG) in the development and implementation of their budgets, 2) consider the SC-GHG in federal procurement processes, and 3) consider the SC-GHG in environmental reviews conducted pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) as appropriate.

The goal of these reports is to provide a guide to a private sector-led, industry-wide decarbonization effort that is deeper and faster than it would otherwise be and that directly benefits fenceline communities by emphasizing environmental justice and the creation of good jobs. Key highlights from the reports: 1) The pressing need for deep decarbonization in carbon-intensive industrial sectors. 2) Current U.S. industrial strategies risk falling behind net-zero targets. 3) Potential pathways for industries to remain on track with decarbonization targets. 4) A call to action for significant capital investment and robust technological adaptation across sectors. The release of these reports underscores the DOE's commitment to providing actionable insights and strategies to drive the U.S. towards a more sustainable industrial future.

GSA has reported progress toward key sustainability goals in recent years across its buildings portfolio. In this report GSA's aggregated buildings portfolio data show it exceeded prior goals for energy efficiency, water efficiency, emissions reduction, and renewable electricity share in fiscal year 2021, however GSA officials cited lack of access to capital as a challenge it faces in meeting future federal sustainability goals. GSA officials said the scale and scope of the projects needed to achieve net-zero building emissions by 2045 will require resources beyond what has historically been available.

WASHINGTON –Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced its latest step to leverage the Federal Government's procurement power to create good-paying union jobs, advance American innovation, and build sustainable Federal supply chains. The proposed Sustainable Products and Services procurement rule will help achieve President Biden's goal of net-zero emissions from Federal procurement by 2050 by modernizing existing sustainable purchasing standards to help ensure the world's single largest purchaser prioritizes American-made sustainable products and services.

The Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels ("Recommendations") help federal purchasers identify and procure environmentally preferable products and services. Federal purchasers are directed in Executive Order 14057 on Catalyzing American Clean Energy Industries and Jobs through Federal Sustainability and the Federal Sustainability Plan to procure products and services meeting the Recommendations to meet net-zero emissions and other procurement goals.

The Government-Wide Procurement Equity Tool is now live. This tool supports Executive Order 13985 and OMB Policy Memo M-23-11 and utilizes data from FPDS and SAM to assist federal agencies with market research, with a focus on small disadvantaged businesses. Users will need to register for an OMB MAX account to access the tool.

The website provides resources to help federal agencies buy the Print Management Solution needed. This includes Benefits of GSA's Managed Print Services; Buying Guides; How to Decide Whether to Purchase, Rent or Lease; Understanding Leasing Terms & Conditions, and Sample Acquisition Documents. Click here for direct link The below link is to GSA main page

The Federal sustainability community is cordially invited to attend the 2023 Federal Environmental Symposium, a hybrid event to be attended October 23-27, 2023 either virtually or in-person. This year's theme for the Symposium "Environment: A Mission Asset" focuses on the sharing of best practices, success stories, partnerships, and challenges and achievements of the federal practitioner community as they apply to your Agency's mission. The event schedule, registration instructions, call for presentation abstracts and continuous updates to the event can be found on the Symposium website at https://www.fedcenter.gov/fes2023.

The Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) Modernization Memo was issued by the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) on Jan. 19, 2023, with the goal of modernizing the Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C). Beginning on Feb. 1, 2023, the new framework will transform how contracting professionals are managed and trained to support the federal procurement mission. The modernized FAC-C framework includes a refreshed contracting competency model, a single-level certification, updated certification requirements and the introduction of credentials which are mission-focused training packages. The new single-level FAC-C (Professional) requirements include completion of foundational training, one year of experience, a professional certification exam and an updated continuous learning requirement.

DoD, GSA, and NASA issued a proposed rule on 14 November 2022, proposing to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement a requirement to ensure certain Federal contractors disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related financial risk and set science-based targets to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The deadline for submitting comments is being extended from 13 January 2023, to 13 February 2023, to provide additional time for interested parties to provide comments on the proposed rule. For the proposed rule published on 14 November 2022, (87 FR 68312), submit comments by 13 February 2023. POC is Ms. Jennifer Hawes, Procurement Analyst, at 202-255-9194 or by email at jennifer.hawes@gsa.gov. (Federal Register 23 December 2022 [Proposed Rule] Pages 78910-7891)

Imagine if a federal agency could more easily find and buy products that are cheaper and better for the environment. That's exactly what's happening through a collaboration between GSA and the Department of Defense's Sustainable Technology Evaluation and Demonstration program, called STED. The STED program, led by Director David Asiello of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy Installations and Environment, helps to streamline the GSA acquisition process. STED connects innovative manufacturers and their products with potential users at military installations. There, users can test products and estimate their likely demand. STED then shares relevant demand and pricing data with GSA's acquisition teams, who can eventually award a Schedule contract. And, in some cases, GSA's acquisition teams can assign a National Stock Number for even faster ordering. More info....

This fact sheet provides information on the proposed Federal Supplier Climate Risks and Resilience Rule. This rule is part of the President's leadership to implement the first comprehensive, government-wide strategy to measure, disclose, manage, and mitigate the systemic risks that climate change poses to American families, businesses, and the economy. In addition to protecting federal supply chains, agencies are taking new actions to protect pensions and retirement plans, insurance availability, household savings and credit, state and local government programs, our financial system, and the federal budget from the financial risks of climate change.

The Acquisition Regulation Comparator (ARC) provides Acquisition.gov users the ability to compare up to three regulations side-by-side. The results are displayed in a column layout, with regulations compared at the part and subpart level and lined up by sections. FAR, GSAR and Department of Defense acquisition regulations are included in the ARC release, and all civilian agency acquisition regulations will be provided soon.

Through Buy Clean, the Federal Government will for the first time prioritize the use of American-made, lower-carbon construction materials in Federal procurement and Federally-funded projects, which will advance America's industrial capacity to supply the goods and materials of the future while growing good jobs for American workers.

(Washington, August 31, 2022) Today, the Biden Administration took a major step forward in achieving the goals of President Biden's Federal Sustainability Plan and Executive Order (E.O.) 14057 Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability by issuing E.O. 14057 Implementing Instructions to Federal agencies.

Through President Biden's historic Executive Order 14057 Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability the U.S. Federal Government leads the world by example again – transforming how it builds, buys, and manages to help make America's economy cleaner, more efficient, and more sustainable.

EPA is updating its Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL), a living list of chemicals by functional-use class that EPA's Safer Choice program has evaluated and determined meet the Safer Choice Standard. In this update, EPA is adding 22 chemicals to the SCIL. To expand the number of chemicals and functional-use categories on the SCIL, EPA encourages manufacturers to submit their safer chemicals to EPA for review and listing on the SCIL. In support of the Biden-Harris Administration's goals, the addition of chemicals to the SCIL incentivizes further innovation in safer chemistry, which can promote environmental justice, bolster resilience to the impacts of climate change, and improve water quality. Chemicals on the SCIL are among the safest for their functional use.

The federal government is the single largest consumer in the world. The Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) Program helps federal agencies purchase greener products and services. As federal purchasers, you have an opportunity to harness the power of the federal pocketbook to catalyze a more sustainable marketplace for all – reducing climate impacts, improving the health of frontline communities, preventing pollution, and increasing U.S. industry competitiveness.

The Chief Acquisition Officers Council is accepting nominations for the Acquisition, Program Management and Small Business Excellence Awards until 30 June 2022. These awards recognize acquisition professionals who have contributed to improvements in acquisition, particularly for efforts responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nominations are being solicited for Federal employees engaged in team or individual activities that led to excellent results. See website for award categories. The awards will be presented at Imagine Nation ELC 2022, 15-23 October.

This edition highlights protecting and preserving our environment, in support of Environmental Operating Principle #4. Content includes commentary from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Environmental Community of Practice leadership, discussing how our actions are directly connected to the environment and shaping a sustainable future. This issue also features initiatives from across the Army environmental community that are protecting and preserving our environment for current and future generations.
Included in this issue:
– U.S. Army Environmental Command highlights the recipients of the Secretary of the Army and Secretary of Defense environmental awards.
– USACE Honolulu District shares how they removed thousands of unexploded ordnances in Saipan.
– USACE St. Paul District discusses progress being made under the Upper Mississippi River Restoration program.
– USACE Charleston District highlights a day in the life of a USACE regulatory project manager.
– U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center shares how they are working to address energy and water resiliency.
– USACE Far East District discusses how their stormwater pollution prevention measures are keeping waterways clean.

DoD, GSA, and NASA are issuing a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement an Executive order addressing domestic preferences in Government procurement. Effective Date: 25 October 2022 POC is Ms. Mahruba Uddowla, Procurement Analyst, at 703-605-2868 or by email at mahruba.uddowla@gsa.gov.(Federal Register 7 March 2022 [Rule] Pages 12780-12798)

On 7 March 2022, the FAR council published FAR Rule 2021-008, which included substantial and complex changes to the requirements of the Buy American statute. The Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI) created a five-minute micro-learning video to help contracting professionals understand the changes which take effect on 25 October 2022.

FHWA website providing an overview of sustainability pavement, training webinars, repository for literature, examples of cases studies and other link provided by the Sustainable Pavements Technical Working Group (SPTWG).

Life-cycle assessment (LCA) is a structured evaluation methodology used to analyze and quantify the environmental impacts of existing products or processes, and to evaluate differences in impacts between alternatives. It gives agencies the ability to investigate areas where they can improve. LCA Pave is a Microsoft® Excel® based tool developed by FHWA that can be used to assess environmental impacts of pavement material and design decisions. The tool is intended to be used as a training and informational product only and for voluntary use by agencies and individuals with an understanding of fundamental LCA principles. Its use is not required by Federal statute or regulation.

REMINDER: Registration to attend the 2022 Federal Environmental Symposium is now open! Federal employees and sponsored contractors are invited to attend the Symposium, hosted by NIH as a virtual event on March 28-31, 2022. The theme of this year's event is "Mission, Environment and Our Community". The event is FREE and registration will end Friday, March 18, 2022, so mark your calendar and register now. For more information, please see the Symposium website at https://www.fedcenter.gov/fes2022.

A series of webinars for federal contractors on managing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is now available on YouTube. The webinars were developed by EPA and the General Services Administration (GSA) to help federal contractors aid the federal government in meeting its goal of net-zero emissions from procurement by measuring and publicly disclosing their GHGs, setting science-based targets and identifying opportunities to reduce climate impacts. Read more about the Biden-Harris administration's goals for sustainable procurement in Executive Order 14057 and the accompanying Federal Sustainability Plan.

In this fact sheet the Administration is announcing new actions across agencies to support American leadership on clean manufacturing. The industrial sector is also central to tackling the climate crisis, as it is currently responsible for nearly a third of domestic greenhouse gas emissions. By helping manufacturers use clean energy, efficiency upgrades, and other innovative technologies to reduce emissions, the Administration is supporting cleaner industry that can produce the next generation of products and materials for a net-zero economy. These same manufacturing improvements will also protect public health, by reducing releases of air and water pollutants and toxic materials that disproportionately harm low-income households and communities of color.

The Framework provides a transparent, fair and consistent approach to assessing marketplace standards and ecolabels for environmental sustainability and for potential inclusion into EPA's Recommendations of Specifications, Standards and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing. EPA's Recommendations help federal purchasers identify and procure more sustainable products and services and enable progress towards the Federal Sustainability Plan. The Framework encourages continuous improvement of sustainability approaches and other criteria within standards and ecolabels and the products and services that they address.

The chart on this page characterizes how standards/ecolabels included in EPA's Recommendations of Specifications, Standards and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing address Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). The recommendations help purchasers identify and use private sector environmental performance standards and ecolabels within federal procurement to help them meet various sustainability goals and requirements.

ABSTRACT SUBMITTAL DEADLINE EXTENDED TO FRIDAY JAN. 14th:The Federal sustainability community is cordially invited to attend the 2022 Federal Environmental Symposium, March 28-31, 2022. This year's theme is Mission, Environment, and Our Communities, and will be conducted via webinar-format only. The four day event will focus on Federal sustainability initiatives over the past year while encouraging partnerships, sharing of information, and best practices amongst Federal facilities. The event schedule, registration instructions, call for presentation abstracts (now open until Friday, January 14th), and continuous updates to the event can be found on the Symposium website.

GSA's IT Acquisition University (ITAU) offers an Artificial Intelligence in Federal Procurement video. This training provides an overview of artificial intelligence (AI) and what to consider when procuring emerging technologies that include AI.

Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability
December 8, 2021
President Biden has signed an Executive Order that demonstrates how the United States will leverage its scale and procurement power to lead by example in tackling the climate crisis. The executive order will reduce emissions across federal operations, invest in American clean energy industries and manufacturing, and create clean, healthy, and resilient communities.

(12/08/2021) President Biden has signed an executive order that demonstrates how the United States will leverage its scale and procurement power to lead by example in tackling the climate crisis. The executive order will reduce emissions across federal operations, invest in American clean energy industries and manufacturing, and create clean, healthy, and resilient communities. The President is building on his whole-of-government effort to tackle the climate crisis in a way that creates well-paying jobs, grows industries, and makes the country more economically competitive.

This collection of resources enables state and local communities to benefit from the experience of partners who have successfully established and implemented performance contracting. It includes best practices and innovative approaches that states, cities, and K-12 schools have used. Users can easily find the information they need at each stage of their ESPC decision-making process.

This 3.5-hour training course is a condensed version of the ESPC comprehensive course that is typically provided over a period of three days. The 3.5-hour course is often presented as a prerequisite course to other ESPC training, but also can stand-alone. Training sections cover a high-level understanding of what an ESPC is and how it is used to accomplish energy improvements, task order ordering procedures, contractor selection, risk and responsibility, measurement and verification, applicable financial schedules, pricing and financing aspects of the project, and post award contract administration including FEMP's Life of Contract services. This on demand training is organized into four modules that present an overview of the ESPC process during each phase of project development. Registration is open to all.

This course introduces attendees to the basics of energy savings performance contracts (ESPCs). It consists of an overview of the authority agencies have to use ESPCs for their energy and water projects and covers key features, benefits, and budget allocation of this important project financing tool. Attendees will understand how to get started with ESPC using the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) IDIQ contract at their site or facility. This course also covers acquisition planning, ESCO selection, the preliminary assessment, and energy security through resilience planning. The course is sponsored by DOE's Federal Energy Management Program and is taught by experts in the field of performance contracting, including former federal contracting officers, federal project executives, DOE national laboratory experts, and other consultants with extensive backgrounds in ESPCs

This collection of solutions provides guidance on establishing a green revolving fund to overcome a lack of dedicated capital. A green revolving fund is an internal capital pool dedicated to funding energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainability projects that generate cost savings. A portion of those savings is then used to replenish the fund, establishing an ongoing funding vehicle to help drive energy efficiency and sustainability investment over time.

This package of materials is intended to guide users through the specification, procurement, and selection of an Energy Management and Information System (EMIS) or related building performance monitoring and diagnostic technology. It includes a Request for Proposals (RFP) Template that can be filled out to create an organization- and project-specific RFP for vendors.

A government-wide acquisition knowledge management portal, to share business practices and technologies used across the Federal government. Use the samples and artifacts in the Periodic Table to help re-imagine the next acquisition in a more innovative way.

The Professional Services Category hosts monthly virtual office hours to address federal customer agency questions about professional services acquisitions. Office Hours are open forum question and answer webinar sessions connecting contracting officers at federal customer agencies with GSA professional services contracting subject matter experts. Register to get answers to your questions and find the right contract solution for your complex professional services acquisition needs.

Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad
January 27, 2021
The EO has three overarching objectives 1) promote safe global temperature, 2) increase climate resilience, and 3) support financial a pathway toward low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development. The EO reinstates the Presidential Memorandum of September 21, 2016 (Climate Change and National Security), establishes the Climate Policy Office within the Executive Office of the President and establishes a National Climate Task Force. In addition, the EO aims to use Federal procurement to support robust climate action including a carbon pollution-free electricity sector, no later than 2035 and clean and zero-emission vehicles for Federal, State, local, and Tribal government fleets.

The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Aviation Hazardous Minimization and Green Products Branch in coordination with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment and Department of Defense (DoD) stakeholders demonstrated biobased multipurpose greases for use in non-tactical DoD and civilian federal agency equipment. USDA has designated biobased multipurpose grease for Federal use, with a minimum 72% biobased content. Multipurpose grease products were evaluated in vehicles and equipment at Military installations and civilian Federal Agency facilities. This demonstration validated biobased greases' performance and facilitated awareness of sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based greases and resulted in the assigning of National Stock Numbers (NSNs) for these sustainable products, thereby making them available for DoD and civilian Federal Agency procurement.

Learn more about the USDA BioPreferred Program, biobased products, or federal purchasing requirements for biobased products through the USDA BioPreferred website. Several web-based courses are available on-demand and free of charge. These courses allow you to learn at your own pace and to participate in learning activities to increase your mastery of the content.

As part of the USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Services, the USDA BioPreferred Program online catalog lists a range of supplies that are all certified biobased. This catalog will help you buy products that are derived from plants and other agricultural, marine, and forestry materials to support the business and economic development efforts of USDA Rural Development customers.

The COR Toolkit provides a comprehensive set of links to policies, resources, training, and communities of practice for acquisition community members, all in one place and in an easy to use format.

Established in 1976 under the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act, the Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI) has been charged with fostering and promoting the development of a federal acquisition workforce. FAI facilitates and promotes career development and strategic human capital management for the acquisition workforce.

The Federal Acquisition Institute provides resources to acquisition professionals at every stage of their career. Through their online training, classroom training, and partnerships with accredited institutions, acquisition professionals are able to obtain the skills necessary to further their professional career.

U.S. EPA announces it is seeking comment on the current list of items that are or can be made from recovered materials and its recommendations to federal agencies on purchasing these items. Since 1995, EPA has designated 61 items made from recovered materials in eight product categories.

GSA recently updated their leasing documents, including the sustainability requirements. The Leasing Alert briefly describes background for the sustainability modifications. The updated leasing document can be found under Contract/Procurement Language in the Acquisitions Program area on FedCenter (look under Green Lease Policies and Procedures for Lease Acquisition, GSA Realty Services Letter, RSL-2007-12)

USDA published a rule designating 30 additional product categories for preferred federal procurement, bringing the total number of product categories to 139. These 30 categories contain finished products that are made from the intermediate ingredients that have been designated. Additionally, many of these categories are made up of products that already participated in the Program's voluntary labeling initiative. By designating these product categories, USDA is taking a step toward merging the two initiatives of the Program, with an eye towards ultimately making all products certified through the BioPreferred Program qualify for preferred federal procurement.

The presentations from the 2019 Federal Environmental Symposium held on October 30-31, 2019 at the NIH campus in Bethesda, MD, are now available for viewing or download at https://www.fedcenter.gov/symposium2019-proceedings.

A free web-based system for entering and tracking energy savings performance contracting (ESPC) data through the life of a project. Developed by FEMP, eProject Builder produces ESPC task order schedules and provides a secure online system for easily accessing, tracking and reporting ESPC project data through the life of the contract for your portfolio of projects. Will introduce energy service companies, their customers, and other interested parties to ePB, covering the benefits of using ePB, project workflow, a walk-through of the data template, and a live demonstration.

EPA has updated its Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Eco-labels to help federal agencies efficiently and effectively identify environmentally preferable products and services. EPA will continue to coordinate across the federal government to increase access to information and resources on sustainable acquisition and assist with incorporating sustainability requirements and specifications into federal purchasing practices and contracts.

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have received USDA's Excellence in BioPreferred Procurement Awards for Fiscal Year 2018 for testing and adopting biobased products within their operations. See the press release for details on the steps taken at these labs.

The Green Electronics Council (GEC) has launched a mobile phone module, the first in a series of expansions and updates to the existing EPEAT Environmental Benefits Calculator, to support public and private sector purchasers in calculating the environmental benefits of purchasing EPEAT registered mobile phones. The mobile phone module of the EPEAT Environmental Benefits Calculator helps organizations quantify impacts such as reductions in energy use, greenhouse gases and water consumption, as well as cost savings. The EPEAT Environmental Benefits Calculator results can be used by organizations as part of their CDP and GRI reporting.

The Green Electronics Council (GEC), the organization that manages the EPEAT ecolabel, announced its 2018 EPEAT Purchaser Award winners on May 14th at a ceremony in Minneapolis, MN. The awards program honors organizations that show leadership in the procurement of sustainable IT products. This year's awardees include national and local governments, financial institutions, healthcare organizations, K-12 schools, institutions of higher learning, and businesses from around the globe. Multiple federal agencies were honored across the product categories: PCs and Displays, Imaging Equipment, Mobile Phones, and Televisions.

(WASHINGTON, April 20, 2018) The Defense Department is honoring nine winners with the 2018 Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards for exceptional environmental achievements and innovative, cost-effective environmental practices. The department has honored individuals, teams and installations each year since 1962 for remarkable achievements in these environmental management strategies that successfully support mission readiness, Ellen M. Lord, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, said in the memorandum announcing the recipients.

The OGP Federal Supplier Energy and Risk Management Tool combines federal contract data with data about federal suppliers' and contractors' corporate-level sustainability practices. Contracting, procurement, and sustainable acquisition professionals can research existing practices and performance when designing contracting mechanisms to encourage additional cost-effective energy and risk management. Federal suppliers and contractors can benchmark versus peers. Other sustainability professionals and organizational leaders can benchmark existing or planned sustainability programs. Plus, the public can learn how the federal government spends money, and how federal contractors are working to reduce costs, avoid risks, and protect the environment.

The overall design of both product and service pages have been improved. Photos have been added for each product improving the visual appeal of the pages. In addition, product descriptions have been provided for each GPC product giving users a better understanding of each product. In particular, for products with EPA Recommended Standards, Specifications and Ecolabels, the "Procurement Info" section has been updated with the additional tiered requirements; the schedules listed under "Where to Buy" are now hyperlinked allowing you to go directly from the GPC to GSA eLibrary where you can find additional procurement information; mobile phones have been added to the GPC under "Office Electronics" with an EPEAT requirement; and you can now find Products by Environmental Program via the Environmental Programs page

DOE's Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) has announced the winners of the 2017 Federal Energy and Water Management Awards. Winners will be invited to Washington, D.C., to receive their awards at a ceremony to be held on November 2, 2017. Click for the winners.

EPA recognizes the efforts of federal facilities that took steps to improve efficiency, save resources and reduce costs as part of the Federal Green Challenge (FGC). Through their involvement, FGC participants reduced the federal government's environmental impact by reducing fuel oil consumption by more than 500K gallons, sending 310 tons of end-of-life electronics to third-party recyclers, saving 9.2 million gallons of industrial water, and diverting over 336K tons of waste from landfills. FGC awards are offered in two categories – data driven and narrative. Data driven awards, given in the six target areas of Waste, Electronics, Purchasing, Energy, Water and Transportation, are based on the greatest percentage of change over the previous year. Narrative awards are self-nominating and are given in the categories of Innovation, Education and Outreach, and Leadership.

Under a new government-wide Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) GSA provides seven brands of EVSE charging stations, encompassing a wide range of commercially-available options for level 1, 2 and DC fast charging stations. Additionally, networked, non-networked, gateway, non-gateway and sub-metered stations were awarded.

In this report EPA identifies the chemical substances that will undergo risk evaluation during 2017, those for which risk evaluation will be initiated and those for which risk evaluation will be completed, including status and schedules.

It's now easier to buy computers and other IT hardware, save money, AND meet green purchasing requirements. The new content tags identify shared acquisition contract vehicles that meet or exceed all current sustainability requirements. For IT Hardware, these tags mean energy efficiency and environmental preferability. These tags are now visible in the Solutions Finder to help acquisition professionals identify IT Hardware contract vehicles that are consistent with Federal Sustainability requirements.

The White House has announced the winners of the 2016 GreenGov Presidential Awards, honoring those who have gone above and beyond to implement innovative sustainability projects within the government. Senior Administration officials will recognize the 12 individuals and team winners September 8, 2016 in a ceremony at the White House. Winners include EPA, NASA, DHHS, VA, and USACE.

Identify the purpose and benefits of federal sustainable acquisition goals and mandates. Develop a purchasing strategy as part of an Environmental Management System (EMS). Build internal agency programs, processes, and tools to support sustainable acquisition. Integrate sustainable acquisition best practices into contracts and purchase agreements. Locate and buy designated products and services to meet reporting requirements. This is a no-cost, online, open access 24/7, self-paced, 2 hour training course where you can earn continuing education credits. See attached flyer for more info.

Federal agencies are required to purchase energy-efficient products. To help buyers meet these requirements, FEMP maintains acquisition guidance product categories, covered by various efficiency programs. In August 2016 the following categories were updated: various types of boilers, various types of water heaters, and light commercial heating and cooling equipment.

This courses provides staff involved in specifying and purchasing with a thorough introduction to compliance requirements, processes, and tools for procuring sustainable products and services. Learners will receive specific guidance in how to meet executive order and Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) requirements and understand how sustainable acquisition benefits their agency, community, and the environment.

The Department of Defense (DoD) has announced the winners of the 2016 Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards. Each year since 1962, the Secretary of Defense has recognized individuals, teams, and installations for their outstanding achievements and innovative work protecting the environment while sustaining mission readiness. Military Services and Defense Agencies may submit one nomination for each of the nine award categories. A diverse panel of judges representing federal and state agencies, academia, and the private sector select the winners.

The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has issued a revised "Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings", per Executive Order 13693 "Planning for Federal Sustainability for the Next Decade." This guidance updates and replaces the "High Performance and Sustainable Buildings Guidance", issued by CEQ in December 2008 to:

• reflect the evolution of sustainable building design, construction, and operating practices since 2008,
• incorporate other building-related E.O. 13693 requirements,
• increase the economic and environmental benefits of Federal investments in facilities,
• enhance occupant health, wellness, and productivity,
• include climate resilience in building design, construction, and operations, and protect Federal facilities investments from the potential impacts of climate change, and
• provide information on tracking agency green building performance.

The revised guiding principles are located here and its companion guidance "Determining Compliance with the Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings" is located here.

The Green Leasing task group is part of the Green Building Advisory Committee and is tasked with providing "recommendations to improve federal government leasing language and requirements regarding . . . sustainability goals.' The Green Leasing task group will hold recurring, weekly conference calls on Tuesdays beginning 1 March 2016 through 26 April 2016 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., (EDT).See the Federal Register Announcement for details on how to attend in person or virtually any or all of the meetings.

The GreenGov Presidential Awards celebrate extraordinary achievement in the pursuit of President Obama's Federal Sustainability goals. They honor Federal civilian and military personnel, agency teams, agency projects, facilities, and programs that exemplify President Obama's charge to lead by example.

On November 23, the White House announced eight awards in seven different categories to individuals and teams. These honorees exemplify our Federal workforce's commitment to meeting the President's directive to create a clean energy economy that will increase our Nation's prosperity, promote energy security, protect the interests of taxpayers, combat climate change, and safeguard the health of our environment.

On Friday, September 25th, a Federal Register Notice was published announcing EPA's issuance of Recommendations for Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels For Federal Procurement. These Recommendations were issued per direction given to the EPA in the Executive Order 13693 Implementing Instructions. The Federal Register Notice explains this direction, the approach used to develop the Recommendations, the process for continually updating these Recommendations, and more.

The link to the Federal Register Notice and the Recommendations are located here.

Please note that this website will be replaced with a vastly improved version this week, so please check back later to see the new improved version. For now, to get to the FR Notice and the Recommendations, please go to the top box at http://www.epa.gov/greenerproducts, titled "EPA Recommendations of Standards and Ecolabels". The Recommendations are also being added to the GSA's Green Procurement Compilation.

Please feel free to reach out to Holly Elwood at Elwood.holly@epa.gov with any questions.

As part of GSA's effort to be a leader in sustainable acquisition, GSA has integrated new and improved sustainability policies into their procurement regulations. This new guidance includes specific procedures that must be followed during the pre-award, award, and post-award stages of a procurement. In addition, the guidance incorporates best practices and tools that the acquisition workforce can utilize as needed. The new guidance can be found in the GSA Acquisition Manual (GSAM), Part 523, Subpart 523.1, Sections 523.101 - 523.106 and Part 570, Subpart 570.1, Section 570.117.

The 2015 symposium was the platform for releasing the new implementing instructions for EO 13693 as well as providing updates on numerous other sustainability efforts by Federal Agencies. See the website for a full list of presentations and speakers. The symposium was held on 10 June 2015 and hosted by the White House Council on Environmental Quality and George Washington University.

This April 2015 guide outlines how to ensure compliance with the sustainability requirements included in a contract. It provides best practices that can be used during both pre-award and post-award stages of a procurements to help ensure contractors deliver the sustainable products enumerated in a contract or purchasing agreement. In addition, it provides guidance and resources to check whether a contractor or lessor has provided acceptable documentation to show compliance for many of the commonly used sustainable requirements (e.g. WaterSense, EPEAT, Green Seal, SNAP).

Need help understanding Executive Order (EO) 13693? Want to know more about how to take action and turn your building into a high-performance building? The Sustainable Facilities Tool can walk you through EO 13653. Click through the annotated text for definitions, strategies, and links.