ABSTRACT
Greener government purchasing is an important component of the Government of Canada's larger strategy to advance sound environmental management for government policies and operations. Greener government procurement can result in many environmental, economic and social benefits. Some of the environmental and economic advantages of purchasing environmentally friendly products and services include: Increased savings from buying goods that can be re-used or remanufactured; Lower costs due to efficient waste and hazardous materials management; Cost savings from employing energy-, water- and fuel-conserving devices and so on. Limited time and financial resources also pose challenges to increasing greener government procurement. Use of eco-labelling programmes, such as the Environmental Choice Program (ECP), is an effective means of identifying greener procurement options. Environmental management systems (EMSs) will enable Environment Canada to manage strategically its environmental risks and opportunities, including greener procurement. Procurement and management of the federal fleet represents an important opportunity area for greener procurement.
