Sustainable Procurement Policies and Practices at the State and Local Government Level

Abstract

Sustainable procurement generally focuses on identifying and prioritizing the purchase of goods and services that pose a minimal negative effect on human health and the environment when compared with the purchase of other goods and services that serve the same purpose. This chapter examines state and local government efforts to promote sustainability through procurement policies and practices; discusses the implementation of sustainability throughout the procurement process; and addresses the future of sustainability by emphasizing the importance of leadership and training at every level of the acquisition workforce. The concept of this chapter is to promote sustainable procurement at the highest levels of the acquisition workforce in order to ensure success in achieving widespread acceptance and strategic implementation of sustainable procurement policies and practices at the state and local government level.

Keywords: environmental, green government, sustainable, sustainability, procurement, government contracts, state and local government, acquisition, public policy, green technology