 
Included in the Acquisition Program Area are links to, and highlights from programs which enable agencies to meet these goals include: Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP), Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG), ENERGY STAR�, the Green Procurement Program (GPP), and the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP).
Executive Order 14057. Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability was signed by President Biden on 8 December 2021.
In relation to energy and environmental performance, EO 14057 states that it is the policy of the United States that the Federal Government leads by example to achieve a carbon pollution-free electricity sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy-wide by no later than 2050. Through a whole-of-government approach, the United States will demonstrate how innovation and environmental stewardship can protect our planet, safeguard Federal investments against the effects of climate change, respond to the needs of all of America's communities, and expand American technologies, industries, and jobs.
EO 14057 directs federal facilities to transition Federal procurement and operations towards a focus on clean zero-emission technologies, this includes:
- Transitioning to a Zero-Emission Fleet. Each agency's light-duty vehicle acquisitions shall be zero-emission vehicles by the end of fiscal year 2027. Each agency with a fleet comprising at least 20 vehicles shall develop and annually update a zero-emission fleet strategy that shall include optimizing fleet size and composition; deploying zero-emission vehicle refueling infrastructure; and maximizing acquisition and deployment of zero emission light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles where the General Services Administration (GSA) offers one or more zero-emission vehicle options for that vehicle class.
- Sustainable Acquisition and Procurement. Agencies shall reduce emissions, promote environmental stewardship, support resilient supply chains, drive innovation, and incentivize markets for sustainable products and services by prioritizing products that can be reused, refurbished, or recycled; maximizing environmental benefits and cost savings through use of full lifecycle cost methodologies; purchasing products that contain recycled content, are biobased, or are energy and water efficient, in accordance with relevant statutory requirements; and, to the maximum extent practicable, purchasing sustainable products and services identified or recommended by the EPA.
The Implementing Instructions for EO 14057 issued August 2022 provides instructions to Federal agencies regarding the implementation of EO 14057 including agency planning, reporting requirements, and accountability.
E.O. 14057 establishes three major areas of procurement policy: (1) achieving emissions reduction goals and greater sustainability across Federal operations by procuring sustainable products and services; (2) pursuing procurement strategies that facilitate climate resilience and reduce GHG emissions, including contractor emissions and embodied emissions; and (3) developing a Federal Buy Clean policy and procedures to reduce embodied carbon in construction materials used for federally funded projects.
Under section 303 of E.O. 14057, the Buy Clean Task Force will provide recommendations to CEQ and OMB on policies and procedures to expand consideration of embodied emissions and pollutants of construction materials, such as concrete and steel, in Federal procurement and federally funded projects to reduce embodied emissions.
Consistent with section 302 of E.O. 14057, CEQ will coordinate with GSA to develop systems and methodologies to track supplier emissions. Agencies need not track procurement-related emissions or related contractor practices at the agency level.
Agencies must ensure compliance with applicable statutory mandates for purchasing preferences and then ensure procurement of products and services identified by the required EPA programs indicated below in all contract actions and purchases.
Statutory Requirements for purchasing preference include:
- Recovered content products identified by EPA's Comprehensive Procurement Guideline (CPG) Program;
- Biobased products in categories designated by USDA's BioPreferred Program;
- Energy efficient products certified by ENERGY STAR and energy and water efficient products designated by DOE-FEMP; and
- Products made with or containing acceptable alternatives to ozone-depleting substances listed by EPA's Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program.
Required EPA programs that identify sustainable products and services include:
- WaterSense;
- Safer Choice;
- SmartWay Transport partners and SmartWay products; and
- EPA Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing ("EPA Recommendations for Federal Purchasing").
Other Priority Procurement Policies:
- Agencies should prioritize substitutes for products that contain perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and to the maximum extent practicable and consistent with statutory mandates, agencies should avoid the procurement of any PFAS-containing covered items (covered items containing perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) or perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)), as defined in section 333 of Public Law 116283, as amended. EPA
- Agencies should take actions to reduce and phase out procurement of single-use plastic products, to the maximum extent practicable.
Existing Guidance and Resources
- GSA's Federal Contractor Climate Action Scorecard summarizes public disclosure of climate risk and GHG management practices by major Federal suppliers.
- EPA's Sustainable Marketplace: Greener Products and Services website includes EPA's Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing, which identify environmentally preferable products and services, including electronics. Agencies must purchase these EPA-recommended products and services to the maximum extent practicable.
- GSA's Green Procurement Compilation (GPC) is a comprehensive green purchasing resource designed for Federal contracting personnel and program managers. The GPC makes it easier to identify applicable green purchasing requirements for products and services by consolidating information from Federal environmental programs in one place.
- GSA's Sustainable Facilities Tool Product Search streamlines sustainable product procurement for buyers, specifiers and vendors, making it easier for project teams to buy, specify and document environmentally preferable products.
- GSA's Commercial Platforms provide access to e-marketplace platforms that have the ability to promote the purchase of sustainable and green products.
- EPA's Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Program identifies and evaluates substitutes for ozone-depleting substances. The program looks at overall risks to human health and the environment of existing and new substitutes, publishes lists and promotes the use of acceptable substances, and provides the public with information.
- EPA's Comprehensive Procurement Guideline (CPG) Program provides information on minimum recovered content for Federal purchasing.
- USDA's BioPreferred website provides information on minimum biobased content requirements and related reporting and acquisition tools,91 including recommended methodologies for agencies to set biobased purchasing targets.
- EPA's ENERGY STAR website and DOE-FEMP's Energy-Efficient Products93 provide information and resources for purchasing energy-efficient products and equipment.
Links to statutory requirements, reporting mechanisms, and additional CEQ guidance is provided below. Please use the links to quickly jump to the information area needed or scroll down to view all items.
|
|
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.
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.
|
|
EPA's Web site for the Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG)-- a key component of the government's "buy-recycled" program.
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.
Part 23 details the environmental and occupational safety aspects of Federal Acquisitions. This includes Sustainable acquisition policy, energy and water efficiency and renewable energy, the use of recovered materials and biobased products, contracting for environmentally preferable products and services, and ozone depleting substances and greenhouse gases.
Part 52 Contains the required contract clauses for biobased product certification, affirmative procurement, recovered material certifications, EPA-designated item recovered material content, energy efficiency, and service and construction contracts.
GSA Instructional Letter for printing management policies for GSA-furnished printers to support GSA's efforts to save money, print less by printing smarter and reducing the number of devices.
RCRA Section 6002 requires each procuring agency to establish an affirmative procurement program for maximizing its purchases of EPA-designated items.
|
|
NSF 140 was designed to establish a system with varying levels of certification to define sustainable carpet. This establishes performance requirements for public health and environment, and addresses the triple bottom line - economic-environmental-social, throughout the supply chain.
Provides a quick check off list for including biobased purchasing requirements in solicitations and contracts, including contractor reporting requirements.
Revised in December 2019, this FEMP document is an in-depth, step-by-step guide for incorporating efficiency requirements into solicitations. It covers a wide range of service and product solicitation types including information technology (IT) and electronics, appliances, lighting replacements, building renovation, design/build, operations and maintenance, food services, and laundry services. Each project type includes information on relevant covered product categories, a checklist for writing effective solicitations, and model contract language.
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 Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels help federal purchasers identify and procure environmentally sustainable products and services. In addition, they support Federal agencies in meeting their sustainability goals and requirements. The recommendations cover 25 key federal purchase categories and include over 40 private sector standards/ecolabels. The recommendations give preference to multi-attribute (i.e., life-cycle based) standards and ecolabels that address key product hotspots, and product conformance is ensured by a competent certification body.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
A template for agencies not using GSA-leased printers to develop their own policies, directives, memoranda, or guidance.
Developed through a workgroup of ninefederal agences, this is a set of voluntary best business practices that can be used to increase healthy and safe food options for employees while implementing environmentally responsible practices in federal food service venues.
EPA updated the Framework in February of 2022 to streamline and improve clarity of the December 2016 Framework (formally known as Guidelines) used in the pilot to assess standards and ecolabels for EPA's Recommendations. The updated Framework also phases in some additional criteria for standards and ecolabels to be included in the EPA Recommendations, which are described in the section below.
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 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 and the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 require Federal agencies to establish affirmative procurement programs for purchasing EPA- and USDA-designated recycled content and biobased products, respectively. One required element of these programs is annual review and monitoring of the program (i.e., compliance monitoring) This document identifies compliance monitoring options already in use within the Federal government. These options are provided solely as examples.
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.
This website provides links to the latest guidance supporting federal buyers in the purchase of energy- and water-efficient products.
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.
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 purpose of this Procurement Advisory is communicate the processes to comply with and support the federal BioPreferred program requirements, including specific roles and responsibilities.
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.
Guidance provided by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on labeling and advertising claims for "greenness."
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.
|
|
Back to Top 
|
|
GSA Advantage Green Aisle offers thousands of products and services to meet your environmental purchasing goals. This Environmental page is designed to give you easy access to the wide variety of environmental products and services offered by GSA.
USDA's BioPreferred® Program Catalog is designed to assist users in identifying products that qualify for mandatory federal purchasing, are certified through the voluntary labeling initiative, or both. If a product meets or exceeds the minimum biobased content requirements for one or more product categories that have been identified by USDA for mandatory federal purchasing, USDA considers the product to be "qualified." If a product achieves third-party verification of its biobased content for one or more product categories, USDA considers this product to be "certified." Companies with biobased products voluntarily submit their product information for inclusion in this Catalog, so not all biobased products available in the marketplace are represented. Although you cannot purchase a product directly from this Catalog, sourcing information, such as product details and company websites, is provided.
|
|
Use this toolkit to lower the greenhouse gas emissions from the purchases of your public institution. The toolkit was developed to help government target their efforts on the most significant GHG emissions in their institution's supply chain, or the production of goods and services. You can learn from the efforts of other organizations to help identify high-leverage categories, or you can conduct your own survey. This toolkit also provides guidance on specific purchasing strategies on how to reduce an organization's carbon footprint.
This page is designed to give you easy access to the wide variety of environmental products and services offered by GSA.
The United Soybean Board's Resources page with links to The latest on biobased products and activities in the federal, state, and local sectors. Across the nation, U.S. companies are now offering hundreds of biobased products, ranging from cleaning supplies to carpet backing to energy efficient roofing materials, made with ingredients grown right here on American farms
|
|
This Federal program aims to increase the purchase and use of renewable, environmentally friendly biobased products while providing "green" jobs and new markets for farmers, manufacturers, and vendors. The BioPreferred program offers three major benefits: Climate Change Impact Reduction, Energy/Environmental Security, and Economic Development. There is easy access to a current list of biopreferred items designations.
BIFMA is a non-profit organization that develops voluntary product and industry standards to support safe, healthy, and sustainable environments. The association publishes key industry statistics and collaborates with legislative or regulatory bodies on issues that have a direct impact on the industry. Specifically, this organization has developed a Furniture Sustainability Standard and third party certification program known as "level" ( http://levelcertified.org). The organization has also issued standards for measuring VOC emissions, with requirements for Formaldehyde, TVOC and other VOC emissions of Low-emitting Office Furniture Systems and Seating.
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 Carpet and Rug Institute provides information and resources related to "greening" all aspects of carpet manufacture, procurement, installation, and maintenance.
The Center helps Americans consume responsibly to protect the environment, enhance quality of life, and promote social justice. It is a coalition of educational organizations, environmental organizations, citizen groups, the National Resources Defense Council, Consumer Federation of America, the Public Utility Law Project, and the Environmental Protection Agency. It addresses issues such as institutional purchasing, development of more sustainable products, living sustainably, and buying wisely.
DoD's SPP strives to enhance and sustain mission readiness through cost-effective acquisition that achieves compliance and reduces resource consumption of solid and hazardous waste generation. As the single largest buyer of supplies and services throughout the government, DoD strives to ensure that every procurement meets the requirements of applicable Federal green procurement preference programs. DoD's SPP is focused not only on the procurement function but also on the roles and responsibilities of each member of the Department and recognizes that every person has a role to play.
To assist federal agencies in meeting energy reduction goals, FEMP designed the ENABLE program to encompass a standardized and streamlined process for small federal projects to install targeted energy conservation measures (ECMs) in six months or less. The program provides facilities an opportunity to implement specific ECMs, including lighting; water; simple heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) controls; HVAC system replacement; and solar photovoltaics. FEMP uses a set of pre-established procurement and technical tools to administer projects through the GSA Federal Supply Schedule 84, SIN 246-53. Note that this schedule comprises numerous highly qualified small business energy service firms federal agencies can utilize to meet small business goals.
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.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) supports Federal agencies in identifying energy- and water-efficient products that meet Federal acquisition requirements, conserve energy, save taxpayer dollars, and reduce environmental impacts. This is achieved through technical assistance, guidance, and efficiency requirements for energy-efficient, water-efficient, and low standby power products.
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).
This is a voluntary EPA program that supports the organizational procurement of green power by offering expert advice, technical support, tools and resources.
This site helps government customers meet buying green requirements when procuring products, services, and vehicles.
GSA's CPES BPA helps agencies achieve their energy, greenhouse gas, and water conservation goals using a streamlined acquisition process.
The mission of the IGPN is to: globally promote the spread of environmentally friendly product and service development and Green Purchasing activities; share information and know-how internationally on Green Purchasing and environmentally friendly products and services; and harmonize the efforts of Green Purchasing and the development of environmentally friendly products and services from a global viewpoint
This organization works to develop and promote legislation and voluntary initiatives so that manufacturers are responsible for recycling or safely disposing of their products once consumers are done with the product. Their website includes a list of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws for electronics and other products in the U.S.
The Responsible Purchasing Network (RPN) is a member-based network of procurement stakeholders dedicated to improving human health and the environment through best practices, superior products, improved supply, purchasing tools, market education, and peer networking.
This EPA website provides information from EPA and GSA on how to becomes a vendor of green products to the federal government.
The mission of the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership is to encourage and promote participation in the worldwide movement to reduce environmental impact and increase social responsibility of the print and graphic communications industry through sustainable green printing practices. SGP Partnership recognizes the following sustainable business practices as guiding principles to ensure continued viability and growth: (1) Employ, wherever and whenever possible, materials derived from renewable resources or with low environmental impact, maximizing recycling and recovery efforts with efficient utilization of renewable energy; (2) Encourage the adoption of changes within the supply chain by strongly recommending the use of raw materials that do not threaten or harm future generations; and (3) Educate the customer and ultimate consumer regarding the benefits of a restorative economy. Printers can be listed as a certified SGP Printer by meeting a set of criteria to establish performance standards. Certified SGP printers can be identified through the SGP website.
This document describes the affirmative procurement program referred to in the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976, as amended. It provides guidance on purchasing recycled products, biobased products, computers and other electronics or appliances, energy efficient products, water efficient products, products containing refrigerants, less toxic chemicals, and other products and services that have a reduced environmental impact.
This council is a non-profit organization whose mission is to support and recognize purchasing leadership that accelerates the transition to a prosperous and sustainable future. The Council's programs and community of practice will help institutional purchasers to: prioritize opportunities to influence the social, environmental and economic life cycle impacts of purchased goods and services; identify existing leadership standards and approaches that address these priorities; benchmark progress toward goals; and receive recognition for advancement.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system, and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment.
|
|
FGC awards are given in two categories - data driven and narrative. Data driven awards are in the wares of Waste, Electronics, and Purchasing, Water, and Transportation. Narrative Awards are given in the categories of Innovation, Education and Outreach, and Leadership.
Co-sponsored by EPA and the Center for Resource Solutions (CRS), these annual awards serve to recognize the leading actions of organizations, programs, suppliers, and individuals that significantly advance the development of green power sources.
Participating DOE sites can qualify for GreenBuy Awards at three levels --Gold, Silver, or Bronze-- by meeting goals of product types in the Sustainable Product List. The awards become progressively more challenging over time, encouraging participants to transition to more and more sustainable products. Awardees will be recognized for the same or higher level in subsequent years but not a lower level. The Sustainable Products List changes each year. Check out this website for the current Sustainable Product List, the rules, and information on past winners.
The Leadership Awards recognize organizations that have demonstrated or actively supported the kind of leadership envisioned in the SPLC's Principles for Leadership in Sustainable Purchasing. Collectively, they focus the powerful market influence of institutional purchasers–in public and private sectors alike--to advance a socially just, ecologically robust, economically prosperous future. The winners of SPLC's Leadership Awards exemplify, encourage, and support a constructive cycle of innovation that will define the global marketplace of tomorrow. SPLC's Leadership and Outstanding Case Study Awards are based on detailed case studies submitted by the candidate organizations.
|
|
A collection of projects and practices which Federal agencies have implemented to achieve green building goals. Information is categorized by the headings "Policies and Strategies," Tools and Training," and "Best Practices and Case Studies." Subjects covered within these categories include, but are not limited to: water conservation, energy efficiency, metering, NetZero, lighting, green leasing, sustainable acquisition, and design.
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.
Domestic Delivery Services (DDS), under Transportation, Delivery and Relocation Solutions (TDRS) Schedule 48, provides Domestic Expedited and heavy weight delivery services. These services offer a variety of options for an agency to receive express shipments between any two points within the 50 States and Puerto Rico. With more delivery services and contractors available, from which agencies may choose, coupled with the ease of ordering from a Multiple Award Schedule, this program will help an agency meet all its Domestic Expedited and heavy weight shipping needs.
This is a set of voluntary best business practices that can be used to increase healthy and safe food options for employees. The standards in the Food Service Guidelines for Federal Facilities are designed to achieve three primary goals: 1) Healthier foods and beverages are available and encouraged at federal facilities; 2) Environmentally responsible practices are conducted in federal food service venues; and 3) Food safety practices are followed to minimize the risk of foodborne illnesses. The Food Service Guidelines for Federal Facilities are intended to be used by federal facilities in their food service concession and vending operations.
Case study of a governmental office in Illinois that lowered printing costs by 15% through the use of multi-functional devices (MFD).
This 2012 UNEP publication examines the implementation an approach for implementing sustainable public procurement (SPP) known as the "MTF Approach to SPP" which was developed by the Marrakech Task Force on Sustainable Public Procurement.
NGDS is a government-wide, Best-in-Class contract for domestic and international express small package delivery services, and domestic ground small package delivery services. The contract represents the Federal Government's acquisition approach to consolidate federal package delivery contracts into one government-wide contract under the purview of DoD's U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), a specialized buyer of transportation services on a global scale. The contract is a result of collaborative efforts of an interagency team of DoD and executive agency representatives, working together to design a government-wide solution based on the principles of category management.
This 2015 document provides an overview on how to improve the integration of sustainability requirements into federal e-procurement systems.
This community of practice (COP) is a place for sharing great things being done in green purchasing and post and answer questions and useful information. Plan to join this community and share it with the acquisition folks in your agency. You need an OMB MAX account plus your PIV card to access the Gateway. Once you log-in, on the right-hand side of the homepage, you will see "Community". Click on the word "Community" to see the list of all the communities of practice, then scroll down in the "Groups" column to the Sustainable Acquisition community.
This June 2009 document is a joint collaboration between the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council on Sustainable Development (WBCSD). This publication is an information and decision-making tool to help customers develop their own sustainable procurement policies for wood and paper-based products. It also has information on existing approaches to procurement from legal and sustainable sources
|
|
This USDA website provides contract templates with model biobased product purchase language for solicitations and contracts. Sample Biobased Contract Language is available for: custodial services; food services/cafeteria; grounds maintenance; minor construction; operations and maintenance; vehicle maintenance.
Revised in December 2019, this FEMP document is an in-depth, step-by-step guide for incorporating efficiency requirements into solicitations. It covers a wide range of service and product solicitation types including information technology (IT) and electronics, appliances, lighting replacements, building renovation, design/build, operations and maintenance, food services, and laundry services. Each project type includes information on relevant covered product categories, a checklist for writing effective solicitations, and model contract language.
Specifications buying guidance on a variety of energy-star appliances, lighting, office equipment, building products, commercial food service equipment, and electronics.
This table dated October 2017 summarizes the Energy star requirements for GSA-leases.
The model language aids Federal agencies to incorporate the performance criteria used for ENERGY STAR®-qualified and FEMP-designated products into procurement contracts for energy consuming products and systems. These include guide and project specifications; construction, renovation and service contracts; and the evaluations of offers. Products for which model language is available include: compact fluorescent lamps, exit signs, refrigerators, freezers, dish washers, clothes washers, heat pumps, air conditioners, furnaces, water heaters, chillers, ice machines, griddles, fryers, faucets, showerheads, toilets, computers, monitors, printers, roof products, and windows.
RSL 2010-2 implements the Energy Star® requirement of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2010 for lease acquisition.
EPA has partnered with the Federal Environmental Executive and the Whole Building Design Guide (WBDG) to develop the Federal Green Construction Guide for Specifiers. The intent of the document is to address the need for a comprehensive guide for procuring green building products and construction services within the Federal government.
With funding from the Roy A. Hunt Foundation, NERC developed model EPP specifications and purchasing guidelines for monochrome toner cartridges, copy and multipurpose paper (20lb), and office supplies. Type "EPP" into the search box.
Developed by FEMP, this document is intended to reduce project development and operational risks while increasing the speed at which projects are completed; two necessary components to reach the scale required to meet mandates and achieve cost savings for taxpayers. This guide is intended to act as a living document where lessons learned from the increasing number of projects can be incorporated and provide guidance for efforts.
Federal agencies are required to purchase energy-efficient products. To help buyers meet these requirements, the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) maintains acquisition guidance for numerous product categories which are covered by programs such as ENERGY STAR, FEMP, EPEAT, Low Standby Power, and Watersense.
This GSA website contains generic solicitation/contract language that can be used to incorporate minimum sustainability requirements into contracts for products. Contract language is provided for the following programs: Biopreferred, CPG, Energy Star, EPEAT, FEMP, Safer Choice, and WaterSense.
Provided by EPA, this sample is from a state contract to secure freight services; the relevant sections are pages 7, 9 and 19. An agency can put the SmartWay language in RFQ's for any procurement, not just freight services, since if a vendor participates, it can bring along it's freight service carriers which is how GHG tons get reduced, by the shipper and its carriers (including 3PLs) working together to implement fuel-saving, GHG reduction strategies. The strategies are up to the individual companies but can include: materials and packaging strategies, logistics optimization (e.g., reduction of empty miles, route optimization through siting of sourcing, distribution and retail facilities and better management of shipping/receiving time, carrier and mode selection, cleaner and more efficient vehicles and technologies, lower carbon fuels, and a range of operational strategies (e.g. fuel efficient driver training, reduction of unnecessary truck and locomotive idling, speed management), to name just a few.
GSA promotes government-wide efforts to incorporate sustainable standards and practices in leased space that federal agencies occupy. GSA provides their policies, templates, and alerts regarding sustainability policies and procedures on this website.
This compilation of samples and templates was developed to help contracting officers implement task orders for utility energy service contracts (UESC) under existing General Services Administration (GSA) area-wide contracts. The samples and templates are provided to users in an easy-to-modify format that allows contracting officers to address their agency's unique acquisition process. In addition, the General Information section contains information on FEMP contacts, resources, and tools available to assist with UESC projects.
|
|
The EPA's website with purchasing guidance for federal purchasers. Including information on the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT), the Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program, and Recommendations of Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels for specific product categories.
Search for energy-efficient covered product categories. Includes a link to download a full list of covered product categories and the related programs.
Whether you are a meeting host, planner or service supplier, you can use this site to find the tips, tools and resources to make environmentally responsible choices.
This 2012 document provides an overview of why compostable food service ware can be feasible and how to approach its acquisition. This document was prepared for Washington State Department of Enterprise Services (DES) . It was funded by the National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO). The research and writing was done by the Responsible Purchasing Network.
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 pamphlet developed by NIH reviews the Environmentally Preferable Procurement (EPP) requirements and provides guidelines for purchasers of scientific supplies, equipment and services.
Each year, AFVs are bid to GSA and offered for purchase or full-service leases through GSA Automotive Vehicle Solutions site, AutoChoice.
A summary of information about several categories of products and services, including: Environmental attributes to consider, how to buy and useful resources. Categories include building construction, operations, and maintenance, carpet, cleaning, electronics, fleets, food service, insulations, landscaping, meetings and conferences, paints and coatings, paper and wood products.
This guide produced by the National Association of State Procurement Officials helps procurement officials develop their own environmentally preferable purchasing programs.
Federal agencies can purchase copier paper containing 30% postconsumer fiber from the General Services Administration's Schedule 75, Part XI. The Schedule information is on GSA Advantage, found at https://www.gsaadvantage.gov/.
Responsible Purchasing Network (RPN) is an international network of buyers dedicated to socially responsible and environmentally sustainable purchasing. Website provides purchasing guides for a variety of items (bottled water, paint, food service ware, rechargeable batteries, etc.) designed to save money, conserve resources, reduce waste, and improve efficiency.
Developed by Practice Greenhealth, this is a tool which can be used to guide the identification, selection and procurement of environmentally preferable medical products. The tool is intended to serve as a template with a common set of standardized questions on key environmentally preferable attributes of medical products that can be used by all stakeholders, including Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs) and healthcare purchasers in their supply chain procurement process and manufacturers and suppliers in their entire product life cycle process.
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.
|
|
Back to Top
|
|
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.
Training and Resources from the USDA BioPreferred program. This includes general training for contracting officers, contractors, as well as training on specific sectors.
This Defense Acquisition University (DAU) course describes key developments in the field of energy and sustainability planning, and emphasizes the importance of master planning to integrate energy and sustainability factors.
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.
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.
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 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 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.
Part of the training for Account Holders/AOs, Chapter 6 of GSA SmartPay Purchase Training discusses regulations and resources for green purchasing.
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.
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.
This spreadsheet is a compilation of sustainable acquisition training resources developed or hosted by federal agencies that are available to government employees, businesses and non-governmental organizations. The courses listed have been compiled by the interagency Federal Sustainable Acquisition & Materials Management Practices Workgroup (SAMM) as of August 2020.
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.
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.
|
|
Back to Top
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Until 05/16)