Framework for the Assessment of Environmental Performance Standards and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing
Overview
There are over 460 standards and ecolabels in the marketplace claiming to help purchasers identify and procure more sustainable products and services. This presents the federal acquisition community both great opportunities and challenges. The Framework for the Assessment of Environmental Performance Standards and Ecolabels (Framework) (pdf) provides a transparent, fair and consistent approach to assessing marketplace standards and ecolabels for environmental sustainability and for potential inclusion into EPA’s Recommendations of Specifications, Standards and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing (Recommendations). The Framework encourages continuous improvement of sustainability approaches and other criteria within standards and ecolabels and the products and services that they address.
Learn more about the Framework development process.
Assessment Against the Framework
EPA last completed assessments against the Framework in December 2024 and expanded the Recommendations to include an additional 14 private sector standards and ecolabels in the new purchase categories of healthcare, laboratories, clothing & uniforms, and the expanded category of cafeteria and food service.
EPA has not yet determined when the next opportunity will be to assess standards and ecolabels against the Framework and is not accepting volunteers at this time. EPA will notify the public of the next assessment opportunity via a Federal Register Notice.
Join the email list for EPA’s Environmentally Preferable Purchasing program to stay up to date on the latest news.
For More Information:
- Read the November 2022 Federal Register Notice that announced the opportunity to be assessed against the Framework.
- Read the August 2023 press release announcing which categories were selected for assessment.
- Read the September 2024 Federal Register Notice of EPA's proposed updates to the Recommendations.
Additional Resources
- Read a timeline of the changes to the Recommendations, 2015-Present.
- Learn more about the 2022 update to the Framework (pdf).
- Learn more about the Framework development process.
Contact Us
Email epp@epa.gov.
The Framework: Sections I – IV
In addition to the scoping questions, the Framework includes four criteria sections:
- Section I: Process for Developing the Standard — Is the standard a voluntary consensus standard? If not, are the procedures to develop, maintain, and update an environmental standard transparent? Do they allow for a balance of different stakeholder interests? Is there an appeals process for disputes?
- EPA indicates in the Recommendations when a standard is not found to be a voluntary consensus standard per OMB A119, but standards and ecolabels that follow other development processes are included in the Recommendations.
- Section II: Environmental Effectiveness of the Standard — Do the environmental criteria in the standard/ecolabel meaningfully and measurably address the issue? Does the standard address key stages in the product lifecycle that may pose environmental and human health risks?
- Standards and ecolabels must meet the baseline criteria within this section in order to be included in EPA’s Recommendations. The criteria also determines the tiering/preference based on whether a standard is multi-attribute or single attribute.
- Section III: Conformity Assessment — For example: Are the procedures and practices by which products are assessed transparent? Are there provisions for independent verification that products meet the standard, if necessary?
- Standards and ecolabels have until December 2023 to demonstrate that their label complies with this section of the Framework, at which point, compliance will be required for inclusion in EPA’s Recommendations.
- Section IV: Management of Ecolabeling Programs — For example: Do the organizational and management practices provide for dispute resolution? Are the practices and fees transparent?
- It is not required to meet this Section to be included in the Recommendations. Where applicable, responses to this section are encouraged to inform potential federal users and other interested parties about the governance and implementation of the ecolabel.