Global sustainability network helps local governments share green procurement practices

Written by Michael Keating

ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability is a large global network of local cities, counties and other regional or public agencies devoted to solving the world’s sustainability challenges. The group offers standards, tools and programs that can help communities reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve lives and livelihoods and protect natural resources. The group has local government members within its network. ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability USA is a U.S. nonprofit corporation responsible for meeting its own financial and legal requirements. ICLEI USA is the largest of ICLEI’s country offices and was incorporated in 1991.

Angie Fyfe, executive director of ICLEI USA, says she is seeing more cities and counties taking action on the sustainability front in 2022. She says these public agencies are including their purchasing operations within their sustainability initiatives. “Leading local governments are evaluating the environmental and social impacts of their purchases, and developing goals, policies and tracking mechanisms related to sustainable and innovative procurement.”

Fyfe says her group is ready to assist local governments. “ICLEI USA’s technical advisers support local and regional governments through quantification of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with their supply chains. They can help public agencies develop strategies to reduce GHG emissions and improve operational efficiency.” She adds that ICLEI can help facilitate the sharing of best procurement practices with an agency’s peers.

Fyfe provides the following step-by-step practices that can help governments that want to increase their sustainable buys. She urges cities and counties to start by setting up a system that identifies and focuses on the agency’s highest dollar item categories first. She says that these are often products like construction materials, fleet items, IT, office supplies and sometimes food.

Next, agencies should collaborate and coordinate with the procurement professionals and budget office to gain foundational support for sustainable procurement. The next step, says Fyfe, is for the agency to ask vendors for their input. She explains: “Many of the vendors and suppliers have sustainable products and services to offer if asked.”

The next step, Fyfe says, is for agencies to “Set goals and a system to measure your agency’s progress.” She suggests that agencies should try to make it fun and rewarding for employees to participate. In addition, Fyfe urges agencies to get familiar with widely used ratings systems, such as EnergyStar, EPEAT and Greenseal. Lastly, Fyfe urges that agencies join an organization like ICLEI to stay up to date on the latest innovations. “Through ICLEI, agencies can learn from their peers and receive recognition for their efforts,” Fyfe tells Co-op Solutions. Go here for information on how to join ICLEI

Fyfe says governments can make sustainable buys off cooperative contracts. For example, she says, “in Colorado, local governments can purchase off of standard pricing agreements negotiated by the State Procurement Office. This provides ‘bulk’ pricing and reduces the administrative burden for local governments.” Fyfe adds that through cooperative purchasing agreements, local governments can make group-buys across multiple jurisdictions for products such as electric vehicles.

This case study fact sheet shows how Fort Collins, Colo. uses ICLEI ClearPath and EPEAT to achieve the city’s sustainability goals set forth in its Municipal Sustainability Action Plan. ICLEI ClearPath is an online software platform that enables governments to develop and analyze greenhouse gas inventories and monitor projects at community-wide- or government-operations scales. The platform has enabled Fort Collins to forecast scenarios, visualize climate action plans and track progress.

The city uses the EPEAT ecolabel to screen and evaluate technology products prior to purchase. Products that meet EPEAT criteria have been shown to offer quantifiable environmental benefits to purchasers, according to the Global Electronics Council (GEC).

Another example can be found in “6 Recycling Fast Facts to Make Your Business Greener and More Secure,” by OMNIA Partners and Shred-It, which spotlights how using old paper to make new paper uses 65 percent less energy than making paper from trees. The posting also shows how using recycled paper saves trees, energy, landfill space, oil, water and more. Shred-It offers cross-cut shredding technology, as well as secure chain-of-custody and Certificate of Destruction after each service.

Michael Keating is senior editor for American City & County. Contact him at [email protected].