Framework for the Assessment of Environmental Performance Standards and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing

There are over 460 standards and ecolabels in the marketplace claiming to validate environmental and human health benefits. This presents the federal acquisition community both great opportunities and challenges. The Framework  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. EPA’s Recommendations help federal purchasers identify and procure more sustainable products and services and enable progress towards the Federal Sustainability Plan. The Framework encourages continuous improvement of sustainability approaches and other criteria within standards and ecolabels and the products and services that they address.

EPA has updated the Framework to streamline and improve clarity of the December 2016 Framework (formally known as Guidelines) used in the pilot to assess standards and ecolabels for EPA’s Recommendations. The updated Framework also phases in some additional criteria for standards and ecolabels to be included in the EPA Recommendations, which are described in the section below. 

Learn more about the 2022 update to the Framework.

Executive Order 14057 on Catalyzing American Clean Energy Industries and Jobs through Federal Sustainability and accompanying Federal Sustainability Plan direct the federal government to purchase sustainable products and services identified or recommended by EPA.  In addition, the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) at 48 CFR 23.703(b)(1) directs Agencies to "Maximize the utilization of environmentally preferable products and services (based on EPA-issued guidance)." The Framework serves as the basis for developing the recommendations to federal purchasers. The ability to evaluate and use private sector standards to meet federal policy and procurement objectives aligns with the mandates in the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA) (Section 12d) and OMB Circular A-119.

Learn more about the Framework development process.

What does the Framework Address

The Framework includes questions to determine the scope of the assessment and eligibility, as well as 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.

Supplementary Materials

• Executive Order 14057 on Catalyzing American Clean Energy Industries and Jobs through Federal Sustainability 
• Federal Sustainability Plan
• Learn more about the Framework development process.
• Final Pilot Framework for the Assessment of Environmental Performance Standards and Ecolabels (pdf) (12/29/2016)  used in 2016 to test the criteria in the furniture, paints/coatings, and flooring categories.