Last month Portland State University President Wiewel put his signature on the Sustainable Procurement and Life Cycle Consideration Policy after a formal vetting process by the University Policy Committee. The policy outlines required and recommended practices that lower the environmental impacts associated with campus purchasing of goods and services. We asked Jenny McNamara, PSU’s sustainability manager, to provide some background about the policy and what it means for PSU.
Question: Why does PSU need a sustainable procurement policy?
Jenny McNamara: Portland State committed to reducing its carbon footprint in 2007 when we signed the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment and reaffirmed this promise recently by signing the updated Climate Commitment. Not many realize this, but over half of our carbon footprint is actually associated with university purchases. We have a huge opportunity to reduce carbon emissions (and our environmental impact generally) by reducing unnecessary purchases and choosing products that have a smaller environmental footprint.
Beyond carbon impacts, there are a lot of other reasons to be more intentional when choosing products or deciding to buy at all. From over-extraction of resources and social injustices associated with creating new products, to impacts from using and disposing of products, “buying less and buying right” contributes to a more sustainable society. This clearly resonates with PSU’s long standing commitment to sustainability in operations, research, academics, student life, and beyond.
There are direct benefits to our campus community as well. Saving money through reduced consumption is an obvious one. A healthier campus population is another. Take green cleaning chemicals for instance. If we have a preference for less harmful cleaning solutions, this certainly benefits the environment, but it also limits exposure to toxic substances for our students, staff, and faculty.
Q: Who drafted the policy?
JM: Inspired by the city of Portland and Metro’s procurement policies, the policy was drafted by me, the campus sustainability manager, and Darin Matthews, the former director of contracting and procurement. However, we received plenty of edits and suggestions from multiple campus stakeholders and there were several iterations. The policy went through a long vetting process, including a public comment period where anyone could view and comment on our first draft. We received some very helpful input and I’m happy to say the response was overwhelmingly positive.
Q: What types of products are covered by the policy?
JM: The policy addresses all direct purchases of goods (and services where applicable) as well as large scale solicitations. It provides guidance for everything from office and janitorial supplies to contracts with suppliers and service providers (think furniture suppliers or catering services). There are required and preferred qualifications for products as well as required practices. Examples include a requirement for offices to purchase 100 percent post-consumer material and chlorine free paper and a preference for working with companies that employ sustainable delivery and shipping methods.
Q: What will change for campus employees making purchases?
JM: In some cases, this policy simply formalizes some of the best practices we’ve been doing for a long time. For example, the Office of Information Technology has purchased EPEAT GOLD certified computers for several years, but now it will now be a requirement. In other instances, employees will have to review current procedures and make different decisions or integrate new strategies.
The Campus Sustainability Office, in partnership with Contracts and Procurement, aim to make this easier by rolling out several new training resources and even assisting the decision-making process at the point of purchase where possible (referring customers to policy approved products in searches, etc.). Additionally, when a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) is issued for goods or services, a minimum of 15 percent of available points of the selection criteria will now be allotted to sustainability. Criteria may include third party certifications, sustainable product attributes, demonstrated commitment to sustainability in business practices, corporate social responsibility, and life cycle impacts of proposed goods or services.