Colorado State University
OP-11: Sustainable Procurement

The purpose of the Environmentally and Socially Responsible Procurement Policy (#5-6010-003) at CSU is to support campus sustainability at Colorado State University and to provide guidelines, information, and resources in procuring products that will minimize negative impacts on society and the environment to the greatest extent practicable. This policy will guide CSU employees who wish to purchase goods and services for CSU to finding more environmentally sound products, and may require the use of environmentally preferable products in many instances. Procurement Services incorporates environmentally beneficial specifications in competitive solicitations. Purchasing has the ability to conduct competitive procurement which includes environmental requirements and Colorado State University Policy #5-6010-003 allows a five percent preference for the purchase of environmentally preferable products. In some cases, the preference may exceed five percent if a cost of ownership life cycle analysis establishes that long term savings will result as well. http://policylibrary.colostate.edu/policy.aspx?id=513

Colorado State University applies LCCA through our internal engineering staff, project manager, facility managers, design teams, and retro commissioning teams when designing campus projects and replacing/sourcing equipment & systems. Partners in developing our LCCA include the Governor’s Energy office, Fort Collins, efficiency works programs, and other rebate programs. As a Colorado state institution we are bound by state statutes: This statute has been revised in 2017. Colorado Statutes : : PART 13 STATE BUILDINGS : 24-30-1304. Life-cycle cost - legislative findings and declaration. 24-30-1304. Life-cycle cost - legislative findings and declaration. (1) The general assembly hereby finds: (a) That state-owned real property has a significant impact on the state's consumption of energy; (b) That energy conservation practices adopted for the design, construction, and utilization of this real property will have a beneficial effect on the state's overall supply of energy; (c) That the cost of the energy consumed by this real property over the life of the real property must be considered, in addition to the initial cost of constructing such real property; and (d) That the cost of energy is significant, and facility designs must take into consideration the total life-cycle cost, including the initial construction cost, the cost, over the economic life of the real property, of the energy consumed, replacement costs, and the cost of operation and maintenance of the real property, including energy consumption. (2) The general assembly declares that it is the policy of this state to ensure that energy conservation practices are employed in the design of state-owned real property. To this end the general assembly requires all state agencies and state institutions of higher education to analyze the life-cycle cost of all real property constructed or renovated, over its economic life, in addition to the initial construction or renovation cost. Source: CO Rev Stat § 24-30-1304 (2017) 24-30-1305. Life-cycle cost - application - definitions. (1) The general assembly authorizes and directs that state agencies and state institutions of higher education shall employ design and construction methods for real property under their jurisdiction, in such a manner as to further the policy declared in section 24-30-1304, insuring that life-cycle cost analyses and energy conservation practices are employed in new or renovated real property. (2) The life-cycle cost analysis must include but not be limited to such elements as: (a) The coordination, orientation, and positioning of the facility on its physical site; (b) The amount and type of fenestration employed in the facility; (c) Thermal performance and efficiency characteristics of materials incorporated into the facility design; (d) The variable occupancy and operating conditions of the facility, including illumination levels; and (e) Architectural features which affect energy consumption. (3) The life-cycle cost analysis performed for real property with a facility of twenty thousand or more gross square feet with significant energy demands must provide but not be limited to the following information: (a) The initial estimated cost of each energy-consuming system being compared and evaluated; (b) The estimated annual operating cost of all utility requirements, including consideration of possible escalating costs of energy. The office may rely on any national or locally appropriate fuel escalating methodology approved by the office of the state architect in performing life-cycle cost analyses. (c) The estimated annual cost of maintaining each energy-consuming system; (d) The average estimated replacement cost for each system expressed in annual terms for the economic life of the facility; (4) The life-cycle cost analysis shall be certified by a licensed architect or professional engineer, or by both architect and engineer, particularly qualified by training and experience for the type of work involved. (6) Selection of the optimum system or combination of systems to be incorporated into the design of real property must be based on the life-cycle cost analysis over the economic life of the real property, unless a request for an alternative system is made and approved by the office prior to beginning construction. Source: CO Rev Stat § 24-30-1305 (2017)

Housing and Dining Services and Facilities Management have adopted the LEED Green Cleaning practices department-wide which goes deeply into purchasing standards for green cleaning products and materials, and requires products that are Green Seal, Environmental Choice and EPA preferred.

Colorado Revised Statutes (C.R.S. 24-30-1305.5) require all new facilities, additions, and renovation projects that meet the following applicability criteria to conform with the High Performance Certification Program (HPCP) policy adopted by the Office of the State Architect (OSA) if: - The project receives 25% or more of state funds; and - The new facility, addition, or renovation project contains 5,000 or more building square feet; and - The building includes an HVAC system; and - In the case of a renovation project, the cost of the renovation exceeds 25% of the current value of the property. For projects that meet these applicability criteria, the HPCP requires projects to receive third party verification. The HPCP goal is for applicable projects to attain certification through either the United States Green Building Council, LEED rating system (with a target of LEED–Gold) or the Green Building Initiative, Green Globes rating system (with a target of Three Globes).

The Environmentally and Socially Responsible Procurement policy at CSU states: The University will work towards increasing the procurement of electronics with certain environmental attributes (e.g. reduced or no toxic constituents, recycled-content, designed for recycling, reduced materials use, energy efficient, extended product life/upgradeable, remanufactured, etc.). The Purchasing Manual will be updated from time to time to provide references to current, meaningful standards and guidelines for certain product categories (for example, Energy Star® rating, Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool [EPEAT] score). Suppliers will be required to deliver the items to the University with energy efficiency and conservation features enabled (e.g. sleep mode, duplex printing, etc.). Refurbishing services may be used in place of new purchases of computer upgrades or electronic equipment.

The university has a published Supplier Sustainability Questionnaire that is used when evaluating professional services to be contracted with CSU. This questionnaire looks at all sustainable aspects of how the potential contractor functions including transportation, material content, energy efficiency, sustainability staff, packaging, shipping, and the LCA of manufactured products. Additionally, CSU's Environmentally Responsible Purchasing policy, a policy that supports sustainable procurement, applies to material goods as well as contracted professional services. These include: Vending and concessions Automotive waste disposal Campus mailing list purchases Food service supplies Construction and remodeling

CSU's Supplier Sustainability Questionnaire states: Does your company have a Green Transportation Plan for your operation? Please select all that apply. - We encourage carpooling, public transportation, and using other alternative modes of transportation. - We subsidize public transportation for employees - We are developing a Green Transportation Plan - We have an established Green Transportation Plan (Describe below) - We offer flexible hours, telecommuting or a compressed work week - We utilize teleconference, video conference, WebEx or GoTo Meetings - We purchase carbon offsets - We own electric, hybrid, or E-85 fueled vehicles - We rent hybrid vehicles What does your company do to minimize the environmental costs associated with shipping? Please check the items that apply. - We are evaluating what the company can do to minimize the environmental costs associated with shipping - We combine deliveries with customer visits - We consolidate deliveries - We use bike couriers for local delivery - We utilize electronic communications and electronic transfer of documents. E-mail, fax and Portable Document Format (PDF) - We use eco-friendly courier’s packaging/shipping materials that include post-consumer waste recycled materials and are recyclable - Our packaging and shipping materials are reused until they eventually get recycled - We have established a sustainability plan that minimizes the need for shipping (Describe below) - We update mailing lists to minimize unwanted mailings - We specify products that can be purchased within a 500 mile radius of the delivery location - Other – describe what your company does to minimize the environmental costs associated with shipping

The Environmentally Responsible Purchasing Policy at CSU states: Office paper and bond paper typically used in copiers and computer printers is a large consumption item for the University with millions of sheets consumed each year. All multi-use office paper purchased by the University shall contain at least 30% post-consumer waste content. Paper procured must be certified to meet sustainability standards of one or more of the following: Forest Stewardship Council, Chlorine Free Products Association, Sustainable Forestry Initiative. All paper and forest products must not originate in tropical rain forests. For uncut paper uses, including but not limited to janitorial supplies, the University will adopt a standard of 100% PCW recycled content paper. The University will work towards increasing the procurement of paper and forest products with certain environmental attributes (i.e. post-consumer recycled content, processed chlorine-free, recyclable, soy-based or agri-based inks, etc.). The University will also work towards printing all University publications on at least 30% PCW and meet sustainability standards of one or more of the following; Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Chlorine Free Products Association, Sustainable Forestry Initiative. For products and services requiring the use of water, the University will give preference to technologies that ensure the efficient use of water resources.

Other commodity categories included in the Environmentally Responsible Purchasing policy include laboratory equipment, medical supplies, and meetings/conferences/hotels and lodging properties.