Environmentally Preferable Procurement CAPPO Capitol City Chapter Conference Sacramento – October 8, 2009 Linden Skjeie, M.S. - Environmentally Preferable Procurement Steering Committee Co-Chair City of San José San Jose’s experience

2 What is Environmental Procurement? Refers to identifying the environmental impacts associated with current purchases and then identifying and procuring alternatives with improved environmental performance.

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4 Why do EP 3 ? “Human activity is putting such strain on the natural functions of the earth that the ability of the planet’s ecosystems to sustain future generations can no longer be taken for granted.” - US Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

5 Government Spending/GPD Total Government spending: 46% Spending by States: 9% Spending by local governments: 15%

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7 San Jose Green Initiatives San Jose Green Vision 10 goals designed to move us towards sustainability Urban Environmental Accords –21 Actions designed to reduce a city’s environmental impacts Climate Action Plan

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9 EP3 Role EP3 is foundational to everything we do. Products and packaging are responsible for 44% of US GHG emissions. Big impacts to resources, pollution, waste, etc. Product choices have great environmental potential.

10 How San José does EP 3 EPPP - Purpose Set a standard and commitment for EP 3 products and services Elicit change in the markets for EP 3 products and services Positive environmental impact Support Sustainability efforts

11 EPP History 1990 – Source Reduction and Recycling Procurement Policy 2001: Environmentally Preferable Procurement Policy (EP 3 ) Amended in 2007 and 2009

12 What the Policy covers Toxics, Pollution prevention Climate change Vehicles and air emissions Resource conservation Local organic food Durability Extended producer responsibility

13 What it covers, continued Eco-labels Vendor environmental performance Support LEED certification Packaging minimization Requires all City contractors and grantees to conform to policy

14 How we implement it Steering Committee –Overall guidance –Members Implementation Committee –Does the work Implementation Plan Partnership

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16 EP3 Implementation Strategies - Incorporate EP 3 into procurement processes -Education Individual consulting with individual departments LEED Support Extended Producer Responsibility Identify performance measures

17 Incorporate EP3 into procurement processes Developed boilerplate EP3 language that can go in many solicitations: –RFB: addresses environmentally preferable product attributes –RFP: “Specifically address how the proposer will support the goals and objectives of the City’s Environmentally Preferable Procurement Policy (EP3) (Section 28). Areas that may be addressed include, but are not limited to:”

18 Incorporate EP3 into procurement processes Create a contract rotation schedule Commodities Review Model Specification development

19 Education Who needs to be educated? What do they need to know? How do you tell them?

20 Department-specific Procurement Not all procurement goes thru the Purchasing Division –Some Procurement can be dealt with City- wide –Some need to be dealt with by individual departments Strategies are different for each

21 What does Purchasing Buy? Janitorial Landscape Staffing Services Training Services Printing Services Painting Security Maintenance Automotive Parts Audio/Visual Equip. Electrical Equip. Plumbing Equip. Signs and Labels Sand and Gravel Safety Equipment Furniture Office supplies

22 What does Purchasing not Buy? Food Services Professional Services Technical Services Consulting Services Construction Department & CMO Dept of Public Works

23 LEED Points and EP 3 8 points possible out of 110 Requires SOP development and ongoing performance measures San Jose part of Portfolio Pilot Program City Hall LEED Platinum

24 Extended Producer Responsibility A strategy to reduce the end of life impacts of the products we buy Removes responsibility from the municipalities and returns it to the producers Incentive to do “Design for Environment”

25 Performance Metrics Utilize Benefits Calculators Percentage of total purchases with improved environmental performance

26 Successes/Benefits Paper Janitorial products Green fleet Computers and Copiers Batteries Printing services Office supplies

27 How “Green” Products Can Save Money Lower upfront costs Conserve energy or water Reduce paper or fuel use Lower maintenance costs Reduce replacement costs Avoid disposal/cleanup costs Create local “green collar” jobs Offset environmental & health program costs

28 EPEAT Benefits San Jose’s FY EPEAT purchase benefits: – 879,680 kWh, –1,572,600 kg in primary materials, –169,139 kg in GHG emissions, –3,633,509 kg in air emissions, –7,600 kg in water emissions, –85 kg in toxic materials, –83 kg of lead, –3,000 kg of hazardous waste, and –$83,000 in operating costs

29 Recognition Green Electronics Champion – 10/07 Green California Leadership Award - 4/08 French language Green IT Book

30 Challenges Performance Measurement Lifecycle Analysis Staff time to address EP 3

31 Tools for Eco Purchasing

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33 What helps in doing EP3 Use climate protection plans, zero waste, less toxic programs to help get EPP going Work on what people are interested in Start with centralized purchase points/people Educate: Understand that purchasing staff may not be aware of the drivers associated with your green purchasing program Cultivate the expectation that green considerations are considered from the start Build EPP criteria into RFP/RFQ process and checklists

34 Low-hanging fruit Antibacterial soaps PCW Paper Janitorial Products Integrated Pest Management Printing Services Biodiesel

35 Eco-labels An eco-label attempts to provide relevant, accurate and meaningful information that allows purchasers to incorporate human health and environmental considerations into routine purchasing decisions.

36 Legitimate Eco-labels: Third party generated (not solely by industry), Verifiable, Created in an open and broad stakeholder process, and Represent specific and meaningful leadership criteria for that product category.

37 Greenwashing: the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service Sin of the Hidden Trade-off Sin of No Proof Sin of Vagueness Sin of Irrelevance Sin of Fibbing Sin of the lesser of two evils Sin of illegitimate ecolabel

38 EPP Resources ABAG EPP Conference: ml ml Green Purchasing Institute State of Calif. Dept of General Services EPA NERC EPP Net King County, WA Portland, OR

39 More Resources Center for a New American Dream –Responsible Purchasing Network –Benefits Calculators Biodiesel,, Paper, EPEAT, etc. City of San Francisco –Approved Green Product Catalog California Product Stewardship Council

40 More Resources NIGP: Green Knowledge Community US Communities TerraChoice

41 What’s ahead for San Jose Morph EP3 into a SPP? What others have done: –No sweatshop labor –Precautionary Principle –Avoidance of persistent, bio-accumulative or toxic constituents –Extended Producer Responsibility –More Outreach –EPR Workshop in December –Agency Collaboration

42 Questions?

43 More info: Linden Skjeie (Shay) City of San Jose Office of Sustainability