2Sustain

The General Services Administration (GSA) wants government contractors to track their greenhouse gas emissions or risk losing out on new contracts, according to a recent article at FederalTimes.com .

Under the GSA’s plan, vendors that create an inventory of their overall greenhouse gas emissions will get preferential treatment when bidding on contracts. In addition, companies would get extra credit for tracking emissions throughout their supply chains and getting third-party verification of their findings.

GSA’s 65-page report is currently being reviewed by the Obama administration.

Analysts in the article say the GSA plan could be the public sector equivalent to Walmart’s sustainable product index, which is being developed so that the retail giant can measure the sustainability of every product it sells.

The GSA plan reportedly acknowledges that tracking GHG emissions will be an enormous task for many suppliers –many of whom are not prepared to begin calculating their environmental impact.  The GSA says it will work with vendors, helping to provide the necessary tools and leading efforts to train workers on new greenhouse-gas reporting requirements and procedures.

Back in October, President Obama issued an executive order directing agencies to find ways to cut their emissions. Last week, GSA Administrator Martha Johnson told the White House Clean Energy Economy Forum on Sustainable Buildings that the federal government will be champions of sustainability.

“The economy of the 21st century will be renewed and built on pillars of sustainability,” she said. “To that end, the president is keen on building a green federal government that innovates and works with the best of the private sector.”