New procurement tools

To facilitate the rapid adoption of the new policy requirements, the Office of Procurement is developing a detailed Green Procurement Guidance. The April 2009 draft includes a questionnaire to be completed as part of every solicitation. It will help purchasing officials identify the relevant environmental issues to consider as part of the mandatory environmental analysis.

The form must be completed by the Commodity Specialist and signed by the Commodity Manager for every bidding opportunity. It includes space to identify environmentally preferable features available within the product or service category. It also leaves room to note any price or performance differences.

In addition, the form asks purchasers to identify any reputable third-party certifications such as EcoLogo (www.ecologo.org) or Green Seal (www.greenseal.org) or self-verification standards such as ENERGY STAR^® (www.energystar.gov) or EPEAT (www.epeat.net).

The Commonwealth provides a list of frequently cited environmental certifications and standards as part of the updated Department of General Services' Green Procurement web page. The list is available at www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/green_procurement/5247/suppliers/491345#certifications.

Like other successful environmentally preferable purchasing programs, Pennsylvania has designated a Manager of Green Procurement. Paul Wolf, an 18-year veteran of the Bureau of Procurement, was appointed in April. He is currently busy documenting the various ad hoc environmental purchasing practices throughout the Commonwealth, identifying and sharing best practices, coordinating green purchasing training for purchasing officials, and coordinating with suppliers.

"It's going to be a challenge," Wolf says, "but we have significant senior management support and a wonderfully talented and dedicated purchasing staff. I can't wait to see what we accomplish."

Sample green purchasing initiatives

There is a variety of green purchasing efforts already under way in Pennsylvania. A few noteworthy purchases include:

Thirty percent of Pennsylvania's state government electricity use comes from renewable energy sources, of which 10 percent derives from new wind power and the remaining 90 percent from existing biomass. According to Secretary Creedon, Pennsylvania's purchase of renewable electricity, which will soon increase to 40 percent, reduces pollution compared to conventional power sources while also positioning Pennsylvania better financially. "As the green power market expands and creates more competition in the open market," he explains, "green power costs are expected to decline while conventional power rates are expected to increase over the next few years."

In 2008, Pennsylvania purchased 49,841 computers meeting the EPEAT green computer standard. All of the purchases met at least the EPEAT Silver rating with 25 percent of them meeting the highest EPEAT Gold rating.

Since 2004, Pennsylvania has reduced its electricity use at state-owned buildings by 18 percent, saving taxpayers $2.2 million a year. The reductions are possible because of the strategic use of energy savings contracts (ESCOs) that improve the energy efficiency of a building without upfront costs to the Commonwealth. The energy-savings contractors fund the initial costs and are compensated from the resulting energy savings, which are split between the contractors and the Commonwealth.

Pennsylvania recently updated its commercial item description for carpeting to require all carpet to be certified to the NSF-140 (2007) carpet standard at a minimum Gold level. Proof of certification must be on file with DGS.

Its remanufactured furniture contract saves Pennsylvania taxpayers thousands of dollars every year by supplying modular office furniture that has been completely disassembled, repainted, refinished and reused.

Scot Case has been researching and promoting responsible purchasing issues for 16 years. He is vice president of TerraChoice Environmental Marketing, which manages the EcoLogo program. Contact him via e-mail at scase@terrachoice.com or in Reading, Pa., at 610-779-3770.

Read about how Pennyslvania's green purchasing expertise extends beyond the Department of Procurement.