Minister Brison announces plan to Go Green

For immediate release

OTTAWA, November 28, 2005 - The Government of Canada today committed itself to buying more green products and services under a new policy that will help make it one of the greenest governments in the world.

"The federal government is one of the biggest purchasers in Canada, buying roughly $13 billion in goods and services every year. We need to buy green if we want to protect our environment and help Canadian companies establish a competitive advantage over our trading partners based on environmental sustainability," said the Honourable Scott Brison, Minister of Public Works and Government Services.

The objective of this new Policy on Green Procurement is to advance the protection of the environment and support sustainable development by integrating environmental performance considerations into buying decisions. Environmentally preferable or "green" products and services are considered those that have less impact on the environment over their life cycle when compared to competing goods and services serving the same purpose.

The new policy is aimed at contributing to environmental objectives such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing waste and supporting reuse and recycling, improving energy and water efficiency, reducing toxic and hazardous chemicals and substances, and supporting a healthier environment for all Canadians. Public Works and Government Services Canada, Natural Resources Canada and Environment Canada are the co-signatories/key departments in terms of the implementation of this Policy.

"Our goal is to become the greenest government in the world, and this new policy will put us at the forefront of nations while encouraging Canadian firms to develop new goods and services that are less harmful to the environment," said Treasury Board Minister Reg Alcock.

"We've recently made changes to our procurement practices to help us achieve $2.5 billion in savings over five years. These changes will also enable us to strategically manage our green purchases across government and thus help green products and technologies become more viable and competitive," added Minister Brison.

Under the policy, federal government departments will ensure procurement decisions incorporate environmental performance considerations and will monitor and report annually on green procurement performance. The new policy will be phased in as the government develops appropriate standards and tools to support the policy, consistent with best practices in the public and private sectors.

The new Policy on Green Procurement builds on initiatives such as Energy Star, championed by Natural Resources Canada, and fulfills the government's commitment in Budget 2005 to implement such a policy by 2006. It is one of the many initiatives supporting Project Green, the government's set of policies and programs to support a sustainable environment, healthy population and competitive economy.

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For further information, please contact:

Renée David
Press Secretary
Office of Minister Brison
(819) 997-5421

Lise Jolicoeur
Press Secretary
Office of the President of the Treasury Board of Canada and
Minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board
(613) 957-2666

Media Relations
Public Works and Government Services Canada
(819) 956-2315

Backgrounder

Policy on Green Procurement

The Government of Canada is one of the largest purchasers in Canada, purchasing roughly $13 billion in goods and services every year. By purchasing environmentally preferable, or "green" goods and services, the government has a tremendous opportunity to:

• Reduce its impact on the environment.
• Increase the affordability and availability of green goods and services in Canada.
• Encourage companies to develop innovative goods, services and technologies.
• Help make Canadian industry become more competitive internationally.

Recognizing its responsibility to Canadians and the environment, the federal government is making major changes to its purchasing practices by implementing its new Policy on Green Procurement.

What is the Policy on Green Procurement?

Historically, when government bought goods or services it based its decisions on quality, price and performance. The new Policy on Green Procurement means it will also consider the environmental performance of the good or service before it buys it. That is, government will ask itself questions like: Is this product more or less energy efficient than similar products? Can it be reused or recycled?

Government will consider the environmental performance of a good or service over its life cycle. This may include the materials that went into producing a good, how it was packaged or transported, and how its disposal will impact the environment.

Why have a Policy on Green Procurement?

The Government of Canada purchases everything from office supplies, to construction materials, to vehicles. This policy means government will buy goods and services that are less harmful to the environment and human health than competing goods and services that serve the same purpose, where cost-effective.

Some of the government's goals in developing this policy are to:

• Reduce greenhouse gases and air contaminants.
• Improve energy and water efficiency.
• Reduce waste and support reuse and recycling.
• Reduce toxic and hazardous chemicals and substances.

How will the Policy on Green Procurement be implemented?

The policy will be implemented in phases over the short, medium and long term. Because it will have wide-reaching impact, government will be working closely with other stakeholders to ensure it is implemented fairly.

Government will carry out external consultations with suppliers and their associations to inform them of its environmental goals and expectations, and to learn from their expertise and experience. In particular, government will learn what is doable, what is practical and what will respect the principles of value for money in the short term, and in the future. It will also consult with small and medium-sized enterprises, which are important players in Canada's economy.

It will also carry out internal consultations, bringing together government experts in such areas as the environment, finance and purchasing. The goal will be to build awareness of the new environmental requirements and to start integrating environmental performance considerations into the development of commodity management plans.

Measuring progress will be an important part of implementing the policy. The Government of Canada will measure its success in green procurement to ensure that it continues to improve in reaching its environmental sustainability goals. A critical step in its reporting will be to establish accurate, credible and cost-effective baselines for green goods and services. Federal departments will report publicly on their green procurement achievements.

Effectively implementing the Policy will require tools and training

An important part of implementing the policy will be to ensure that all staff involved in the purchasing process have the training and tools they require to ensure their day-to-day activities are consistent with the goals of the policy. Guidance, tools, standards, directives and training materials will be developed and shared with program and project managers, purchasing specialists, material managers and other employees responsible for planning, buying, using and disposing of government assets.

The Policy on Green Procurement will be an important step in helping Canada meet its climate change commitments

By greening its own operations and integrating environmentally preferable considerations into its purchasing decisions, the Government of Canada is leading by example in its commitment to the Kyoto Protocol. The Policy on Green Procurement is one component of the government's Project Green. Project Green is a set of policies and programs aimed at supporting a sustainable environment, healthy population and competitive economy.