It has been well over a year now since the first state — presumed to be New York — declared the law that all state government facilities must implement green cleaning. Since that first introduction, numerous states have followed suit and even city governments have gotten on board where state regulations fell short. Today, green expands well beyond cleaning and some states are taking the legislation one step further by mandating specific green practices.

Various governments, including federal, state and city, have been practicing green initiatives — in some form or another — for more than 20 years. What many don’t understand, though, is that the various divisions or offices within the government work independently of one another when making decisions regarding the purchase and use of green products. This resulted in varying practices throughout the country, a trend some state officials are working to change.

Some government executives have expanded beyond the requirement to use green and instituted specific state-wide purchasing requirements regarding green products. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, for instance, recently introduced a comprehensive Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) criteria to help government agencies comply with the existing green requirements implemented throughout the state.

EPP is the procurement of goods and services that have a reduced impact on human health and the environment as compared to other goods and services serving the same purpose. The criteria will both simplify and unify state agencies as they purchase green products.

California’s program has already received high marks, but originally stemmed from a pre-existing government program already in place throughout the Twin Cities in Minnesota.

In addition to California’s list of approved products, Minnesota’s guide also explains the benefits to using green products, where these products and services can be purchased and tools to their proper implementation.

Currently, neither of these purchasing regulations specifically address green cleaning, but the states are expected to eventually establish criteria to assist in the identification of green cleaners. In the meantime, the guidelines that are outlined encourage state and local governments to develop green purchasing criteria and specifically references Green Seal as a source of environmentally friendly standards that can be used in creating such criteria.

More Than Green Cleaning

 

Green cleaning aside, governments of all levels have stepped up to reduce the impact facilities have on the environment. In January 2007, President George Bush implemented an executive order to improve overall facility conservation goals.

Through this order, government agencies are now required to reduce overall energy consumption by 3 percent a year, gradually increase the percentage of renewable energy used from 3 percent to 7.5 percent by 2012 and cut water consumption by 2 percent annually.

As noted by the White House Office of the Federal Environmental Executive (www.ofee.gov), 14 agencies met or exceeded these goals in 2007. Although comfortable with this result, expectations for increased conservation in 2008 are even higher.

Focus On Energy

Along with the conservation requirements, the steady rise in electricity and fuel costs have increased the demand for energy-efficient products and services used throughout all levels of government.

According to the U.S. General Services Administration (www.gsa.gov), the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood, Colo. is expected to implement solar panels that will generate one-fourth of the center’s power and generate enough electricity — when the federal buildings are not in use — to power more than 140 nearby homes.

Similarly, at the Federick C. Murphy Federal Center in Waltham, Mass., the northeast headquarters of the National Archives and Records Administration, solar panels covering the roof have generated enough energy to save 462,000 pounds of coal-fired emissions since coming online in late 2006.

Programs such as these that promote green cleaning, energy conservation and those that minimize the impact a facility has on the environment are beneficial to more than government entities. Those initiatives often spread to the private sector.

Many states have already implemented requirements that regulate the purchase and use of green products and initiatives, but many independent government entities across the country have been slow to follow suit. Reports indicate, though, that it wont be long before mandates are in place nationwide.

 




POSTED ON: 6/1/2008