Sustainable Procurement: Building Vocabulary To Accelerate The Federal Procurement Conversation

Briefing Papers No. 21-10 (Thomson Reuters, 2d Series, Sept. 2021).

GWU Legal Studies Research Paper No. 2021-44

GWU Law School Public Law Research Paper No. 2021-44

22 Pages Posted: 15 Oct 2021

See all articles by Steven L. Schooner

Steven L. Schooner

George Washington University - Law School

Evan Matsuda

The George Washington University - Law School; The George Washington University - Elliott School of International Affairs

Date Written: 2021

Abstract

To the extent that the federal procurement process features prominently in the Government’s plan to slow the pace of, and adapt to the effects of, climate change, this paper attempts to provide some basic building blocks for acquisition professionals to practice sustainable procurement. The paper offers a list of key sustainable procurement vocabulary and introduces a number of key concepts so that the acquisition community can build a common body of knowledge (BOK) to accelerate its progress up the learning curve of sustainable procurement implementation.

The paper also highlights a number of existing tools and resources to help translate those concepts into practice. The paper suggests a broad range of actions and initiatives for those throughout the Government contracts community to begin incorporating environmental sustainability into their procurement policies and practices.

The Federal Government neither needs to, nor does it have time to, reinvent the wheel. Fortunately, much has been done - both within the Government and throughout the private sector - that can and should inform early implementation efforts.

Keywords: Government Contracts, Public Procurement, Sustainable Procurement, Green Procurement, Environmentally Preferable Procurement, Anthropocene, Greenhouse Gas Accounting, Eco-Labels, Life-Cycle Costing, Resilience, Adaptation, Environmental Justice

JEL Classification: H11, H57, K12, K23, K32, L33, Z18, D62

Suggested Citation

Schooner, Steven L. and Matsuda, Evan, Sustainable Procurement: Building Vocabulary To Accelerate The Federal Procurement Conversation (2021). Briefing Papers No. 21-10 (Thomson Reuters, 2d Series, Sept. 2021)., GWU Legal Studies Research Paper No. 2021-44, GWU Law School Public Law Research Paper No. 2021-44, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3943341

Steven L. Schooner (Contact Author)

George Washington University - Law School ( email )

2000 H Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20052
United States
202-994-3037 (Phone)
202-994-5614 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.law.gwu.edu/steven-l-schooner

Evan Matsuda

The George Washington University - Law School ( email )

2000 H St NW
Washington, DC 20052
United States

The George Washington University - Elliott School of International Affairs ( email )

2201 G Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20052
United States

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