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Green Procurement
Approach
The Office’s approach to implementing green procurement is to target the use of Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) procurement instruments and to train key management and procurement personnel.
Our main contribution to green procurement is the influence that our audit work and our recommendations for improvement have on the actions of federal departments and agencies and Crown corporations.
Management processes and controls
The Office’s procurement needs are predominantly for commodity goods, such as computers, printers and copiers, office supplies, and furniture, and for professional services, including (at times) construction services. For all significant purchases, the Office maximizes its Green Procurement by taking advantage of PWGSC’s procurement instruments, such as National Master Standing Offers or Departmental Standing Offers. In so doing, the Office achieves the levels of Green Procurement that have been negotiated by PWGSC.
The use of PWGSC procurement instruments allows the Office to incorporate environmental performance considerations in its procurement planning:
- Since 2010–11, the Office has followed PWGSC’s Federal Electronic Waste Strategy for electronic and electrical equipment (for example, for acquiring ENERGY STAR high efficiency appliances and equipment, and for the disposal of electronic equipment and appliances).
- In 2012–13, the Office will review Statement of Work templates, contract review checklists, and contract templates to ensure that they include language that encourages contractors to offer green solutions, use environmentally preferable goods, or use green practices (such as remote work, teleconferencing, videoconferencing, trains, buses, and public transit) to reduce or eliminate travel.
Green Procurement targets
The Office is committed to the following targets:
- Ensure that all purchases of notebook computers, servers, and software are made through PWGSC consolidated procurement instruments, where available.
- Ensure that all purchases of paper contain post-consumer fibre, are certified by Eco-Logo and processed chlorine free, are certified as Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) recycled, and are manufactured using biogas energy.
- Ensure that all acquisitions of electronic equipment and appliances are ENERGY STAR-rated high efficiency.
- Ensure that the Auditor General’s vehicle (Office vehicle fleet) is replaced using the PWGSC National Master Standing Offer, when required. The Executive Vehicle Policy states that executives’ vehicles will be hybrid-electric; factory-equipped for natural gas, propane, or E-85 ethanol fuel; or factory-equipped, four-cylinder, with a conventional engine emitting below 4,200 kg of CO2 emissions per year.
- Promote the increasing acquisition of eco-friendly products (such as binders, pens, staplers, hole punches) from companies with a “green catalogue” when it makes economic sense to do so.
Training
In support of the standing offers negotiated by PWGSC, all material management and procurement personnel will continue to attend green procurement training, as recommended in Greening Government Operations, published by PWGSC.
Meeting targets
The Office will report against Green Procurement targets in its Performance Report.
