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Green Procurement

How is your organization planning to meet the objectives of the Policy on Green Procurement?

 In June 2007, the Public Service Commission (PSC) developed and communicated to its employees a sustainable development policy and related guidelines. It should be noted that the PSC is not considered a Category 1 department and as such is not required to table a sustainable development strategy in Parliament. In addition to providing recommendations to employees on ways to go "green" within their office environment, the policy identified corporate "greening" initiatives to take effect immediately upon release of the new policy. These initiatives include the recommended use of refillable/remanufactured cartridges for all printers and photocopiers, the return of used cartridges for recycling, the purchase and use of recycled paper products as well as the reduction of paper use through the implementation of duplex printing (setting default on printers to duplexing).

The PSC also has in place a Hardware Evergreen Plan which ensures that computer hardware is replaced on a continual basis according to an established schedule. The plan establishes an acceptable hardware standard and allows for central budget planning. The plan also ensures that Information Technology (IT) hardware stays current and functional. All PSC IT equipment no longer in use is disposed through the "Computers for Schools" Program.

Has your organization established green procurement targets?

In light of the PSC's buying patterns, the PSC has not established its own specific green procurement targets since it relies on already established Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) Standing Offer arrangements for the acquisition of a majority of its goods and services.

Describe the green procurement targets that have been set by your organization and indicate the associated benefits anticipated.

As previously mentioned, the PSC has not established specific targets but is achieving green procurement commitments through a combination of initiatives, including government-wide commodity management initiatives and procurement services of PWGSC.

The PSC has implemented several initiatives to address environmental issues associated with the procurement of goods and services:

• All PSC's solicitation documents include the following clause regarding green procurement and services:
  • "5.13  Green Procurement and Services: The contractor should make every effort to ensure that all documents prepared or delivered are printed double-sided on Ecology certified recycled paper or on paper with equivalent post-consumer recycled content to the full extent to which it is procurable."
• The PSC does not provide paper versions of its General Conditions, Supplementary Conditions and Terms of Payment of the resulting contract within the solicitation documents.
• These documents are available on-line: http://www.psc-cfp.gc.ca/abt-aps/bus-aff/index-eng.htm
• All of the PSC contractual documents are printed double-sided.
• Whenever possible the PSC posts its solicitation documents online (MERX), which provides the option to bidders to download the document on their computers.
• The PSC purchased several goods using Standing Offers established by PWGSC which relate to Green Products/Services (i.e. re-manufactured and virgin toner, cartridges for various type of printers and facsimile machines, automatic data processing supplies, desktop and network printers including accessories, supplies and services; cabinets, lockers, bins and shelving).

The PSC Headquarters is located at L'Esplanade Laurier where the major tenant are Finance Canada (FIN) and Treasury Board Secretariat (TB). FIN/TB have developed a number of greening of operations commitments, complete with specific targets. As co-tenant with FIN/TB, the PSC has been working with FIN/TB in trying to achieve these targets. Some of these commitments include decreasing greenhouse emissions; improvement of waste management programs; improvements in green procurement as well as increasing green stewardship.

The PSC continues to be an active participant in the Green Citizenship Network, a group of like-minded environmentally conscious employees from the PSC, Finance, Treasury Board and the Canada Public Service Agency who meet on a regular basis to discuss ways to promote environmental stewardship within the L'Esplanade Laurier complex.

Over the past three years, the PSC has undertaken a number of small internal space reconfiguration projects with a view to making more efficient use of existing space by reconfiguring floor layouts to conform to the new Government of Canada space allocation and fit-up guidelines. Investments in furniture and furniture systems have been limited to improving areas where space can be used more efficiently. Based on operational priorities approved by senior management, replacement green office furniture/furniture systems is acquired and installed based on these set priorities and the availability of funds.

It should also be noted that the PSC continues to work with PWGSC in its efforts to improve building efficiency. The latest project completed on PSC floors was the replacement of existing lighting with a new fluorescent technology allowing for 50% less power requirements to operate and still be able to provide better lighting levels. In addition, the new lamps last four times longer and use far less mercury than conventional lamps, thereby greatly reducing the amount of hazardous waste.

The PSC has also been a cooperative partner with PWGSC in times of city wide high energy consumption by adjusting temperature levels appropriately to reduce energy consumption.

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