Jun 8, 2011

by Tracey de Morsella, Green Economy Post. Tracey is the co-editor of The Green Executive Recruiter Directory. Follow Tracey on Twitter @greeneconpost

The Federal Acquisition Regulations Council is requiring that all new purchases by government agencies be energy efficient, water efficient, bio-based, environmentally preferable or non-ozone depleting and that all federal contractors to support the government’s goals in environmental management.

Two days ago, the Federal Acquisition Regulations Council released an interim rule on green procurement, requiring that the head of each agency ensure that 95 percent of new contract actions are for products and services that are energy efficient, water efficient, bio-based, environmentally preferable or non-ozone depleting, adhering to criteria set out by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Agriculture Department. The agencies also must aim to procure items that contain recycled content and are nontoxic.

Spearheaded by the Defense Department, NASA and the General Services Administration, this new policy, is part of the Obama administration’s campaign to lead by example in sustainable purchasing. The policy also requires all federal contractors to support the government’s goals in environmental management, and includes new requirements for electronic or other paper-saving methods for submitting documents required by contracts.

The interim rule on green procurement it is a follow-up to President Obama’s 2009 executive order on green management that sets sustainability goals for Federal agencies and focuses on making improvements in their environmental, energy and economic performance.

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