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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2012. Sustainability Considerations for Procurement Tools and Capabilities: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13476.
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SUSTAINABILITY
CONSIDERATIONS

FOR PROCUREMENT TOOLS AND CAPABILITIES

SUMMARY OF A WORKSHOP

Dominic A. Brose and Lynette I. Millett, Rapporteurs

Committee on Fostering Sustainability Considerations into
Public and Private Sector Procurement Tools and Capabilities

Science and Technology for Sustainability Program
Policy and Global Affairs

Computer Science and Telecommunications Board
Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

               OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, D.C.
www.nap.edu

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2012. Sustainability Considerations for Procurement Tools and Capabilities: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13476.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

This summary report and the workshop on which it was based were supported by Contract No. xx001-xx972 between the National Academy of Sciences and the U.S. General Services Administration. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the agency that provided support for the project.

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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2012. Sustainability Considerations for Procurement Tools and Capabilities: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13476.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.

www.national-academies.org

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2012. Sustainability Considerations for Procurement Tools and Capabilities: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13476.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2012. Sustainability Considerations for Procurement Tools and Capabilities: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13476.
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COMMITTEE ON FOSTERING SUSTAINABILITY
CONSIDERATIONS INTO PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR
PROCUREMENT TOOLS AND CAPABILITIES

Dara O’Rourke (Chair), Assistant Professor, University of California, Berkeley

Peter Graf, Chief Sustainability Officer, SAP

Patrick Mallet, Founder, Credibility Director, ISEAL Alliance

H. Scott Matthews, Research Professor, Carnegie Mellon University

Teresa Neal, Senior Purchasing Manager, Church & Dwight, Co., Inc.

Staff

Marina Moses, Director, Science and Technology for Sustainability Program

Jon Eisenberg, Director, Computer Science and Telecommunications Board

Dominic Brose, Program Officer, Science and Technology for Sustainability Program

Lynette I. Millett, Associate Director, Computer Science and Telecommunications Board

Jennifer Saunders, Program Officer, Science and Technology for Sustainability Program

Dylan Richmond, Research Assistant, Science and Technology for Sustainability Program

Pat Koshel, Senior Program Officer, Science and Technology for Sustainability Program

Emi Kameyama, Senior Program Assistant, Science and Technology for Sustainability Program

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2012. Sustainability Considerations for Procurement Tools and Capabilities: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13476.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2012. Sustainability Considerations for Procurement Tools and Capabilities: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13476.
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Preface and Acknowledgments

In December 2011 the National Research Council’s Science and Technology for Sustainability Program, in collaboration with the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board, held a workshop organized by the Committee on Fostering Sustainability Considerations into Public and Private Sector Procurement Tools and Capabilities. As sustainable purchasing becomes increasingly important in both the public and private sectors, tools that can facilitate the sustainable acquisition of goods and services will play a critical role in meeting sustainability objectives. Participants at the workshop (listed in Appendix B) assessed the current landscape of sustainable procurement tools, identified opportunities and emerging needs for enhanced or new tools, identified potential barriers to progress (such as interoperability), and explored potential solutions. Participants also considered the procurement workforce and associated training required to realize the full benefits of these tools. Workshop participants included users of procurement tools (including federal, state, and local government and industry), experts in sustainable procurement, developers and users of various types of data, and individuals from companies that develop and provide procurement tools and related software.

This document was prepared by the workshop rapporteurs as a factual summary of what occurred at the workshop. The examples and topics discussed in this report are limited to what was discussed at the workshop. For instance, although there are many examples of sustainable purchasing efforts in private industry and the public sector, the report describes only those that were explicitly discussed at the workshop. The

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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2012. Sustainability Considerations for Procurement Tools and Capabilities: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13476.
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statements made in this volume are those of the rapporteurs and do not necessarily represent positions of the workshop participants as a whole, the steering committee, the Science and Technology for Sustainability program, or the National Academies. This workshop summary is the result of substantial effort and collaboration among several organizations and individuals. We wish to extend a sincere thanks to each member of the steering committee for their contributions in scoping, developing, and carrying out this project. The project would not have been possible without financial support from the General Services Administration (GSA).

This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Academies’ Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for quality and objectivity. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the process.

We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report: Leonardo Bonanni, Sourcemap; Scot Case, UL Environment; Wendy Gordon, Natural Resources Defense Council; and Verena Radulovic, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the content of the report, nor did they see the final draft before its release. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the rapporteurs and the institution.

Dominic A. Brose
Lynette I. Millett
Rapporteurs

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2012. Sustainability Considerations for Procurement Tools and Capabilities: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13476.
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Federal laws, regulations, and executive orders have imposed requirements for federal agencies to move toward the sustainable acquisition of goods and services, including the incorporation of sustainable purchasing into federal agency decision making. Since the federal government is such a significant player in the market, its move to incorporate sustainable procurement practices could have a profound impact on the types of products being developed for the market as a whole.

The General Services Administration (GSA) has played a key role in furthering sustainable procurement practices throughout the federal government. GSA is responsible for formulating and maintaining government-wide policies covering a variety of administrative actions, including those related to procurement and management. GSA has several ongoing activities related to sustainable procurement to assess the feasibility of working with the federal supplier community - vendors and contractors that serve federal agencies to measure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the supply chain while encouraging sustainable operations among suppliers. GSA has also been actively developing programs to assist federal agencies in making sustainable procurement decisions. As federal agencies cannot directly fund the development of sustainable procurement tools, they are particularly interested in understanding how to foster innovation and provide incentives for collaboration between developers and users of tools for sustainable purchasing throughout the supply chain. The training of procurement professionals is also a priority for these agencies.

To assist efforts to build sustainability considerations into the procurement process, the National Research Council appointed a committee to organize a two-day workshop that explored ways to better incorporate sustainability considerations into procurement tools and capabilities across the public and private sectors. The workshop was designed to help participants assess the current landscape of green purchasing tools, identify emerging needs for enhanced or new tools and opportunities to develop them, identify potential barriers to progress, and explore potential solutions. The workshop provided an opportunity for participants to discuss challenges related to sustainable purchasing and to developing new procurement tools. Sustainability Considerations for Procurement Tools and Capabilities reviews the presenters' recommendations and tools currently used in sustainable procurement, such as databases for ecolabels and standards, codes, or regulations and other nontechnological tools such as policies, frameworks, rating systems, and product indexes.

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