Sustainable Purchasing Program Guidance: A Landscape Scan of Available Resources

Recognizing the many environmental, social, and economic benefits of sustainable purchasing, more and more organizations are taking steps to understand their spending and supply chains and make the shift toward more responsible buying practices.

But where should you start? An internet search will reveal that there are many “How To” guides and recognition programs responding to the demand for support in launching and running a sustainable purchasing program. Some are brief checklists, while others offer hundreds of pages of advice, tips, examples, and reporting templates.

To help you find the resource that is right for your organization, EPA conducted a scan of the landscape and developed summary profiles of some of the leading sources of sustainable purchasing guidance around the globe.

Summary of Guidance Reviewed by EPA

Organization	Guidance	Region	Target Audience for Guidance (Type of Organization)
Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Highter Education (AASHE)	Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS)	International	Universities
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)	DEFRA Guidance to the flexible framework DEFRA National Sustainable Public Procurement Programme (NSPPP) Modules DEFRA Sustainable procurement e-learning modules DEFRA Prioritization tool	UK	National and State Government Agencies
ICLEI& European Commission (EC)	EC Buying Green Handbook EC Buying Social GPP Green Public Procurement, a collection of good practices	Europe	National, State and Local Government Agencies
International Green Purchasing Network (IGPN)	IGPN Starter Kit	International	National and State Government Agencies
National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO)	NASPO Green Purchasing Guide	U.S.	State Government Agencies
Practice Greenhealth (PGH)	PGH 10 Step Guide	U.S.	Hospitals
Responsible Purchasing Network (RPN)	RPN Green 101 Purchasing Guides RPN 10 Step Guide	U.S.	Local Government Agencies
Super-efficient Equipment and Appliance Deployment Collaborative Labeling and Appliance Standard Program (SEAD)	SEAD Guide for Monitoring and Evaluating Green Public Procurement Programs SEAD Procurement Best Practices Guide	International	National, State and Local Government Agencies
Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC)	SPLC: Leadership in Sustainable Purchasing Guidance v1.0	U.S.	Any
United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)	UNEP Sustainable Procurement Implementation	International	National Government Agencies
U.S. Green Buildings Council (USGBC)	Pilot Credit Resource for LEED v4 Materials and Purchasing Credits LEED Sustainable Purchasing Policy	U.S.	Any - Building owners and designers