Overview
This section establishes the legal and policy framework for federal sustainability initiatives, identifying the specific Executive Orders, OMB memoranda, and statutory programs that mandate environmentally preferable purchasing.
Key Rules
- Executive Order 14057: Serves as the primary authority, directing the federal government to use its scale and procurement power to catalyze clean energy industries and federal sustainability.
- OMB Memorandum M-22-06: Provides specific policy guidance from the Office of Management and Budget and the Council on Environmental Quality for implementing the sustainability goals of the Executive Order.
- Implementing Instructions: Formally adopts the August 2022 guidelines as the operational standard for agencies to follow in their acquisition processes.
- Statutory Integration: Explicitly links executive policy with existing statutory purchasing programs (referenced in FAR 23.107), such as those governing biobased products and energy-efficient equipment.
Practical Implications
- Contracting officers must ensure solicitations and contracts align with the specific green procurement mandates outlined in these high-level executive directives and their subsequent instructions.
- These authorities allow the government to enforce sustainability requirements that may evolve more rapidly through executive and administrative updates than through traditional legislative changes.