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.
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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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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
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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
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