The Department of Defense, General Services Administration and NASA have issued a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation to require federal agencies to purchase and use sustainable products and services identified or recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Under the final rule, federal agencies are required to purchase WaterSense-label water-efficient products and services and Safer Choice-certified products that contain safer chemical ingredients, the White House said Friday.
The final rule also mandates that agencies follow the EPA’s recommended environmental standards and ecolabels, updated in October 2023, to help purchasers correctly identify and procure environmentally preferable products and services.
“Through these enhanced purchasing standards, we are advancing the Administration’s environmental objectives while supporting U.S. manufacturing and generating significant economic benefits across the country,” said EPA Administrator Michael Regan.
“As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to support U.S. manufacturing and climate action, these new standards will help Federal agencies prioritize the purchase of sustainable products and services certified to EPA-recommended standards and ecolabels that create good-paying jobs right here at home,” said Brenda Mallory, chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
The final rule will help advance the Biden administration’s Federal Sustainability Plan, which aims to achieve net-zero emissions and other procurement goals by 2050.
