ART - Buying a Sustainable Future: Government Purchasers in Portland Lead the Way 2011

The document discusses the sustainable purchasing initiatives implemented by the city of Portland and Multnomah County in Oregon. The document highlights the importance of considering environmental factors, social equity, and fiscal factors when making purchasing decisions. It emphasizes the need for government purchasers to ask suppliers about the environmental impacts of their products and services in order to encourage them to make environmental improvements. The document also mentions the use of third-party environmental standards and certifications, such as GREENGUARD, EcoLogo, and BIFMA e3-2008, to ensure the sustainability of purchased goods. It further explains that buying greener products does not necessarily have to cost more and provides examples of environmentally friendly products available for purchase. The document also discusses Multnomah County's sustainable procurement policy, which integrates sustainability considerations into all purchases over $5,000 and reserves a percentage of bid evaluation points for sustainability, social equity, and supplier healthcare and benefits. The policy encourages the use of third-party environmental certifications and requires procurement officials to complete a Sustainable Purchasing Checklist for each purchase. The document concludes by stating that the policy has already helped green the county's purchases and is expected to achieve even more in the future.