Buy Green Services
When federal purchasers hear about “green services,” they usually have one of two things in mind.
- Services that directly address environmental issues, such as waste management or energy metering services.
- Any services performed in an environmentally friendly manner (i.e., green accounting services or green conferences).
Procuring these types of services is more important than ever since Executive Order (EO) 13514 required 95 percent of new contract actions, including task orders, to be green.
The good news is that GSA has a wide array of contractors to provide this first type of green services. And though agency Contracting Officers are responsible for ensuring the second type of services are “green” at the task order level, GSA provides suggestions on how to effectively green the vendor selection process.
In 2009, federal agencies were mandated to increase environmental performance by Executive Order (EO) 13514 [PDF, 113K] on Federal Sustainability. The order requires that 95 percent of new service contracts meet sustainability requirements. GSA offers agencies guidance on how to meet these requirements by assessing both the direct environmental impact of their service contracts, as well as a potential vendor’s commitment to sustainability.
Through GSA’s Multiple Awards Schedules, agencies can contract with environmental services providers to plan for strategic sustainability performance, manage greenhouse gases, develop sustainable buildings, manage water efficiently, maintain green fleets and transportation, prevent pollution, and reduce waste. These Schedules include:
| Schedule 899 | Schedule 03FAC | Schedule 84 |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Services | Facilities Maintenance and Management | Total Solutions for Law Enforcement, Security, Facilities Management, Fire, Rescue, Clothing, Marine Craft and Emergency/Disaster Response |
| Hire industry experts to meet agency environmental requirements in pollution prevention, HAZMAT, electronics stewardship, and other areas, including environmental consulting, environmental management training, materials and waste recycling and disposal, geographic information systems services, remediation and reclamation. | Maintain and manage greener facilities with comprehensive energy management, water conservation and support services, including building commissioning, energy audits, energy management planning and strategies, energy program support, innovations in energy, introduction of new services, metering services, resource efficiency management, training on energy management, water conservation. | Total solutions for law enforcement, security, fire, rescue, clothing, marine craft and emergency/disaster response, including facility management, facility and energy solutions including energy saving performance contracts, management systems. |
Other Tools to Help Agencies Go Green In addition to Multiple Award Schedules, GSA provides agencies with the following contract vehicles and tools to help them meet their environmental goals.
Comprehensive Professional Energy Services BPAs The CPES BPA has been crafted in response to a long list of recent environmental legislation, most recently the Recovery Act and Executive Order 13514. CPES BPAs help agencies meet recurring energy, greenhouse gas, and water conservation needs using a streamlined acquisition process. Using this BPA, agencies get discounts, save administration time and reduce paperwork.
Personal Property Disposal GSA can help federal agencies dispose of personal property that is no longer required to perform the agency's mission. Agencies declare excess property to GSA who, in turn, records, tracks and exchanges or sells the property to federal, state, or local governments, eligible organizations, and citizens, minimizing waste going into the nation’s landfills and saving taxpayers’ money.
