Green procurement

From: Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

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Actions on green procurement

We buy environmentally friendly goods and services by considering environmental performance over the entire life cycle of goods and services purchased, along with other criteria such as price, availability, quality, and performance. This is in line with the Directive on the Management of Procurement requirement that best value be considered in the procurement process.  

Canada’s Centre for Greening Government is collaborating with departments and agencies to green their procurement and meet the commitments of the Greening Government Strategy and the Policy on Green Procurement by:

  1. Implementing the procurement elements of existing greening government initiatives and commitments to reduce operational carbon (Scope 1 and Scope 2). For example:
    • net-zero construction of new buildings and net-zero or low-carbon building retrofits
    • the purchase of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs)
    • the purchase of low-carbon fuels for air and marine fleets through the Low-carbon Fuel Procurement Program (LCFPP)
    • the purchase of clean electricity for federal operations
  2. Developing, updating and implementing procurement requirements to reduce the embodied carbon (and address other environmental considerations) of the goods and services purchased by the federal government, focusing on high-value purchases and on categories with high environmental impact. For example:
    • advancing requirements in priority areas across the federal government (concrete, steel, whole building, information and communications technology (ICT), plastics (single use, packaging), supplier disclosure, life cycle assessments (LCAs) for major contracts) and other departmental procurements in categories of high environmental impact, with a focus on carbon
    • incorporating green requirements into shared procurement instruments, such as standing offers and supply arrangements (SOSAs)
    • incorporating other (non-greenhouse gas) environmental considerations related to waste, including plastic waste, water, biodiversity, and climate resilience
    • promoting circular procurement through programs such as:
    • promoting the adoption of clean technologies through the Greening Government Fund and by making links to other federal initiatives (such as Innovative Solutions Canada, Clean Growth Hub, Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security)
  3. Developing guidance, tools and training for employees on green procurement. For example:
    • Guidance: green procurement guidance, repositories of best practices and green criteria, the National whole-building life cycle assessment practitioner’s guide
    • Tools: funding for projects through the Greening Government Fund, targeted tools such as the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) tool for green vehicle purchases, life cycle assessment tools such as the Carbon Footprint Calculator for Professional Services
    • Training: targeted training sessions on specific categories of procurement or requirements, standard green procurement courses for all procurers, Green Procurement Micro-Credential program for procurement professionals across the federal government, Canada School of Public Service courses on green procurement and on climate literacy
      • Applying Climate Literacy Foundations: Offers an overview of core climate change science and solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the coming impacts. It covers critical areas such as key impacts on biodiversity, health, food, and water, and how climate governance challenges us to work together over time.
      • Contributing to a Net-zero Canada: Delves into the heart of the climate crisis. Participants will explore the energy transition, solutions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions across Canadian sectors and regions, and the policy and governance that will facilitate Canada’s net-zero future.
      • Adapting to a Changing Climate in Canada: Offers insights into climate impacts and crucial terminology for understanding adaptation and resilience. It provides a toolkit of adaptation actions and offers an in-depth exploration of Canada’s National Adaptation Strategy.
  4. Establishing cross-cutting measures such as policies, engagement and reporting. For example:

Why it’s important

Green procurement benefits the environment in several ways. It helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions from government operations and our supply chain. It cuts down on the use of hazardous and toxic substances, pollution, and plastic waste as well as supporting the Canadian economy by creating new markets for innovative products and services.

How decisions are made

Green procurement is integrated in:

For the commitments and targets related to procurement, please refer to the Greening Government Strategy.

Green Procurement is also part of the President of Treasury Board’s mandate letter, specifically in the commitment to strengthen federal procurement policies to integrate human rights, environment, social and corporate governance principles.

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