| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 79.54 |
| Liaison | Kelli O'Day |
| Submission Date | June 20, 2023 |
University of California, Davis
OP-11: Sustainable Procurement
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.50 / 3.00 |
Kelli
O'Day Assessment Program Manager Office of Sustainability |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Part 1. Institution-wide sustainable procurement policies
Yes
A copy of the policies, guidelines or directives:
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The policies, guidelines or directives:
The University of California Policy on Sustainable Practices establishes goals in twelve areas of sustainable practices which includes environmentally preferable purchasing of products and services. It outlines the University’s targets for sustainable procurement as well as requirements for UC sustainable procurement practices, that is, the activities of University of California buyers as they relate to sustainable procurement. As per the policy, sustainable procurement should look to reduce unnecessary purchasing first, then prioritize purchase of surplus or multiple use products, before looking at recyclable, compostable, or otherwise sustainable products.
Link to UC Policy on Sustainable Practices: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/3100155/SustainablePractices
The University of California Sustainable Procurement Guidelines act as a companion to the Sustainable Procurement section of the UC Policy on Sustainable Practices. They lay out the minimum sustainability requirements for products and services purchased by the University of California and identify those product attributes that are strongly preferred, if not mandatory. They further define green spend and economically & socially responsible spend in order to meet the sustainable procurement targets set by the UC Policy on Sustainable Practices.
Link to UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines: https://www.ucop.edu/procurement-services/for-ucstaff/sustainable-procurement/sustainableprocurementguidelines.pdf
Further information on the University of California's sustainable procurement practices can be obtained from the URL below.
https://www.ucop.edu/procurement-services/for-ucstaff/sustainable-procurement/index.html
Link to UC Policy on Sustainable Practices: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/3100155/SustainablePractices
The University of California Sustainable Procurement Guidelines act as a companion to the Sustainable Procurement section of the UC Policy on Sustainable Practices. They lay out the minimum sustainability requirements for products and services purchased by the University of California and identify those product attributes that are strongly preferred, if not mandatory. They further define green spend and economically & socially responsible spend in order to meet the sustainable procurement targets set by the UC Policy on Sustainable Practices.
Link to UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines: https://www.ucop.edu/procurement-services/for-ucstaff/sustainable-procurement/sustainableprocurementguidelines.pdf
Further information on the University of California's sustainable procurement practices can be obtained from the URL below.
https://www.ucop.edu/procurement-services/for-ucstaff/sustainable-procurement/index.html
Part 2. Life Cycle Cost Analysis
Yes
Which of the following best describes the institution’s use of LCCA?:
Institution employs LCCA less comprehensively, e.g. for certain types of systems or projects and not others
A brief description of the LCCA policy and/or practices:
Section III. G - 5 (c) of the UCOP Sustainable Practices Policy states that the university seeks to "compare the Total Cost of Ownership when evaluating costs for goods and services in the selection of suppliers, whenever feasible."
As defined by the Policy, TCO "considers not only purchase price, but also any costs associated with the acquisition, use, and disposal of the product. These costs may include some or all of the following: freight, taxes and fees, installation, operation/ energy use, maintenance, warranty, collection, end-of-life disposal or recycling, as well as social or environmental costs, such as the cost of purchasing pollution offsets or monitoring labor practices".
UC Davis has used a Life-Cycle Cost Analysis approach for evaluating several scenarios for our district heating infrastructure. With the help of a consulting firm, we evaluated one scenario for re-investment in our existing steam system, and five scenario variations, each involving methods of shifting from steam to low-temperature heating hot water. The analysis, which took a 60 year period into account and included a cost of carbon, showed that investing in hot water will bring lower operating costs and greater capital renewal, and led to the Davis campus choosing to invest in an option for hot water that will allow for deep decarbonization and full electrification of our district heating system. The campus used a similar LCCA approach to evaluate the feasibility of an on-campus composting facility. The University of California is also incorporating LCCA into capital projects planning.
As defined by the Policy, TCO "considers not only purchase price, but also any costs associated with the acquisition, use, and disposal of the product. These costs may include some or all of the following: freight, taxes and fees, installation, operation/ energy use, maintenance, warranty, collection, end-of-life disposal or recycling, as well as social or environmental costs, such as the cost of purchasing pollution offsets or monitoring labor practices".
UC Davis has used a Life-Cycle Cost Analysis approach for evaluating several scenarios for our district heating infrastructure. With the help of a consulting firm, we evaluated one scenario for re-investment in our existing steam system, and five scenario variations, each involving methods of shifting from steam to low-temperature heating hot water. The analysis, which took a 60 year period into account and included a cost of carbon, showed that investing in hot water will bring lower operating costs and greater capital renewal, and led to the Davis campus choosing to invest in an option for hot water that will allow for deep decarbonization and full electrification of our district heating system. The campus used a similar LCCA approach to evaluate the feasibility of an on-campus composting facility. The University of California is also incorporating LCCA into capital projects planning.
Part 3. Product-specific sustainability criteria
To count, the criteria must address the specific sustainability challenges and impacts associated with products and/or services in each category, e.g. by requiring or giving preference to multi-criteria sustainability standards, certifications and labels appropriate to the category. Broader, institution-wide policies should be reported in Part 1, above.
Chemically intensive products and services
Yes
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for chemically intensive products and services:
UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines have set specific standards for Cleaning Chemical Supplies. Cleaning supplies include general purpose bathroom, glass and carpet cleaners; degreasing agents; biologically-active cleaning products (enzymatic and microbial products); floor-care products (e.g. floor finish and floor finish strippers); hand soaps and hand sanitizers; disinfectants; and metal polish and other specialty cleaning products.
As per the UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines, at least 25% of Cleaning supplies purchases are required to be certified by one of the below certifications/standards: Green Seal, UL Ecologo, EPA Safer Choice. Beyond the minimum requirement, UC prefers to drive towards a minimum of 75% of certified purchases for cleaning supplies.
For more information, refer the UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines - Page 11 (https://www.ucop.edu/procurement-services/_files/sustainableprocurementguidelines.pdf).
As per the UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines, at least 25% of Cleaning supplies purchases are required to be certified by one of the below certifications/standards: Green Seal, UL Ecologo, EPA Safer Choice. Beyond the minimum requirement, UC prefers to drive towards a minimum of 75% of certified purchases for cleaning supplies.
For more information, refer the UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines - Page 11 (https://www.ucop.edu/procurement-services/_files/sustainableprocurementguidelines.pdf).
Consumable office products
Yes
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for consumable office products:
As per UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines, sustainability criteria have been set for copy paper, paper office supplies, non-paper office supplies and toner.
- A minimum of 30% of copy paper is required to be Post-Consumer Recycled Content (PCRC) or agricultural residue content or Green Seal (GS-07) certified.
- A minimum of 30% of paper office supplies other than copy paper is required to be Post-Consumer Recycled Content (PCRC) certified.
- Non-paper office supplies are required to meet the minimum EPA Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG) recycled-content levels for Non-Paper Office Products, and a minimum 30% recycled content for all writing utensils (dryerase markers, highlighters, markers, pens, and pencils) or other plastic-based accessories.
- Toner purchases are required to meet the recognized standards, either Remanufactured or High Yield.
For more information, refer the UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines - Page 25 (https://www.ucop.edu/procurement-services/_files/sustainableprocurementguidelines.pdf).
- A minimum of 30% of copy paper is required to be Post-Consumer Recycled Content (PCRC) or agricultural residue content or Green Seal (GS-07) certified.
- A minimum of 30% of paper office supplies other than copy paper is required to be Post-Consumer Recycled Content (PCRC) certified.
- Non-paper office supplies are required to meet the minimum EPA Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG) recycled-content levels for Non-Paper Office Products, and a minimum 30% recycled content for all writing utensils (dryerase markers, highlighters, markers, pens, and pencils) or other plastic-based accessories.
- Toner purchases are required to meet the recognized standards, either Remanufactured or High Yield.
For more information, refer the UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines - Page 25 (https://www.ucop.edu/procurement-services/_files/sustainableprocurementguidelines.pdf).
Furniture and furnishings
Yes
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for furniture and furnishings:
As per UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines, all indoor furniture must meet the following criteria.
- Free of the below 5 classes of chemicals of concern as specified in the Section 7.E of the UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines: Flame retardant chemicals, Formaldehyde and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Per and Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) used as stain/water/oil resistant treatments, Antimicrobials, Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
- Third-party certified as meeting credit 7.4.4, Targeted Chemical Elimination, of ANSI/BIFMA Level® e-3 Furniture Sustainability Standard (2019 version); certified to the GreenScreen standard for Furniture and Fabrics Version 1 or higher at the Bronze level and listed on the GreenScreen Furniture and Fabric Certification list of certified products; or received the Green Health Approved Seal for Furniture and listed on the Green Health Approved list for Healthier Furniture
For more information, refer the UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines - Page 21 (https://www.ucop.edu/procurement-services/_files/sustainableprocurementguidelines.pdf).
As per UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines, all flooring must meet the following criteria.
- For Adhesives: Meets one of the recognized certifications (Green Seal®, EcoLogo, SCS FloorScore Standard, GREENGUARD® Gold, or Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) Green Label Plus); complies with the VOC limit (50) established in Rule 1168 by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD); is free of chemicals contained on the Prop 65 list of substances that are known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm, and those identified by the Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics (AOEC) as asthmages.
- For Carpet: Meets one of the recognized certifications (NSF/ANSI‐140® Standard (most recent version) or Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Silver or higher); solution‐dyed; has a ten-year warranty from the date of Certificate of Agency Use and Occupancy; has at least 10% post- consumer recycled content or 30% total recycled content.
- For Carpet Cushion: Meets one of the recognized certifications (Carpet and Rug Institute’s Green Label Plus, SCS FloorScore Standard, GREENGUARD® Gold, or Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Silver or higher); meets the minimum recycled-content Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines established by the US EPA.
- For Hard Surface Flooring: Meets one of the recognized certifications (NSF-332 Gold or Higher, Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Silver or higher, SCS FloorScore Standard, GREENGUARD® Gold, or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)); has a minimum warranty in line with industry standards.
For more information, refer the UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines - Page 13-14 (https://www.ucop.edu/procurement-services/_files/sustainableprocurementguidelines.pdf).
- Free of the below 5 classes of chemicals of concern as specified in the Section 7.E of the UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines: Flame retardant chemicals, Formaldehyde and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Per and Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) used as stain/water/oil resistant treatments, Antimicrobials, Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
- Third-party certified as meeting credit 7.4.4, Targeted Chemical Elimination, of ANSI/BIFMA Level® e-3 Furniture Sustainability Standard (2019 version); certified to the GreenScreen standard for Furniture and Fabrics Version 1 or higher at the Bronze level and listed on the GreenScreen Furniture and Fabric Certification list of certified products; or received the Green Health Approved Seal for Furniture and listed on the Green Health Approved list for Healthier Furniture
For more information, refer the UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines - Page 21 (https://www.ucop.edu/procurement-services/_files/sustainableprocurementguidelines.pdf).
As per UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines, all flooring must meet the following criteria.
- For Adhesives: Meets one of the recognized certifications (Green Seal®, EcoLogo, SCS FloorScore Standard, GREENGUARD® Gold, or Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) Green Label Plus); complies with the VOC limit (50) established in Rule 1168 by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD); is free of chemicals contained on the Prop 65 list of substances that are known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm, and those identified by the Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics (AOEC) as asthmages.
- For Carpet: Meets one of the recognized certifications (NSF/ANSI‐140® Standard (most recent version) or Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Silver or higher); solution‐dyed; has a ten-year warranty from the date of Certificate of Agency Use and Occupancy; has at least 10% post- consumer recycled content or 30% total recycled content.
- For Carpet Cushion: Meets one of the recognized certifications (Carpet and Rug Institute’s Green Label Plus, SCS FloorScore Standard, GREENGUARD® Gold, or Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Silver or higher); meets the minimum recycled-content Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines established by the US EPA.
- For Hard Surface Flooring: Meets one of the recognized certifications (NSF-332 Gold or Higher, Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Silver or higher, SCS FloorScore Standard, GREENGUARD® Gold, or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)); has a minimum warranty in line with industry standards.
For more information, refer the UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines - Page 13-14 (https://www.ucop.edu/procurement-services/_files/sustainableprocurementguidelines.pdf).
Information Technology (IT) and equipment
Yes
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for Information Technology (IT) and equipment:
UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines have set specific standards for Electronics. Electronics includes any product for which an Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT®) certification is available. EPEAT currently includes computers (including tablets), displays, servers, imaging equipment (copiers, digital duplicators, facsimile machines, multifunction devices, printers, mailing machines, and scanners), televisions, mobile phones, and photovoltaic modules and inverters.
All Electronics purchased by the University are required to have achieved a minimum EPEAT Bronze-level registration or higher, where applicable. All Electronics must also be Energy Star® rated. Beyond this minimum requirement, UC prefers and has set spend goals to further drive the purchase of EPEAT Gold-level registered products, where applicable.
For more information, refer the UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines - Pages 9-10 (https://www.ucop.edu/procurement-services/_files/sustainableprocurementguidelines.pdf).
All Electronics purchased by the University are required to have achieved a minimum EPEAT Bronze-level registration or higher, where applicable. All Electronics must also be Energy Star® rated. Beyond this minimum requirement, UC prefers and has set spend goals to further drive the purchase of EPEAT Gold-level registered products, where applicable.
For more information, refer the UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines - Pages 9-10 (https://www.ucop.edu/procurement-services/_files/sustainableprocurementguidelines.pdf).
Food service providers
Yes
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for food service providers:
The University of California has a goal to procure 25 percent sustainable food products by the year 2030 for campus foodservice operations as stated in the UC Policy on Sustainable Practices. Sustainable food is defined in Section V.H.2 of the UC Policy on Sustainable Practices as food and beverage purchases that meet AASHE STARS’ “sustainably and ethically produced” food guideline as outlined in the STARS 2.2 Technical manual. The University of California requires all food service operations to track and report annually the percentage of total annual food budget spent on sustainable food and plant-based products, and that procurement departments allocate a minimum of 15% of the points utilized in solicitation evaluations to sustainability criteria.
UC Policy on Sustainable Practices: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/3100155/SustainablePractices
The University prohibits the sale, procurement or distribution of packaging foam, such as food containers and packaging material as per the UC Policy on Sustainable Practices (Section III.F.3).
As per the UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines, compostable food service ware are required to be certified compostable by Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) or Green Seal GS-35 or made 100% from uncoated, unlined, obviously plant-based material and appear on the Cedar Grove Accepted Items List for Commercial Compostability. Further, compostable food service containers and packages that have recycled and/or sustainably harvested content are preferred wherever possible.
For more information, refer to the UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines - Page 19-20 (https://www.ucop.edu/procurement-services/_files/sustainableprocurementguidelines.pdf).
UC Policy on Sustainable Practices: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/3100155/SustainablePractices
The University prohibits the sale, procurement or distribution of packaging foam, such as food containers and packaging material as per the UC Policy on Sustainable Practices (Section III.F.3).
As per the UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines, compostable food service ware are required to be certified compostable by Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) or Green Seal GS-35 or made 100% from uncoated, unlined, obviously plant-based material and appear on the Cedar Grove Accepted Items List for Commercial Compostability. Further, compostable food service containers and packages that have recycled and/or sustainably harvested content are preferred wherever possible.
For more information, refer to the UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines - Page 19-20 (https://www.ucop.edu/procurement-services/_files/sustainableprocurementguidelines.pdf).
Garments and linens
No
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for garments and linens:
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Professional service providers
Yes
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for professional service providers:
UC Sustainable Practices Policy and Guidelines have set best practices for the purchase of services broadly. The UC system procures a multitude of professional services from small one-time engagements to large multi-year partnerships. As per the UC Sustainable Practices Policy - Section III.G.5, university has committed to allocating a minimum of 15% of the points utilized in competitive solicitation evaluations to sustainability criteria including but not limited to sustainable product attributes, supplier diversity, supplier practices, contributions to health and wellbeing, and materials safety.
Refer the UC Policy on Sustainable Practices (https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/3100155/SustainablePractices) for more details.
Refer the UC Policy on Sustainable Practices (https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/3100155/SustainablePractices) for more details.
Transportation and fuels
Yes
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for transportation and fuels:
As per the UC Policy on Sustainable Practices (Section III.D.1), zero emission vehicles (ZEV), plug-in hybrid, or dedicated clean transportation fuel vehicles shall account for at least 50% of all new light-duty vehicle acquisitions across all UC locations after July 1, 2023. All sedans and minivan acquisitions will be zero-emission or plug-in hybrid vehicles, except for public safety vehicles with special performance requirements.
Further, being consistent with the State of California goal of increasing alternative fuel, specifically electric-vehicle usage, the University shall promote purchases and support investment in alternative fuel infrastructure at each location with a goal of having at least 4.5% of commuter vehicles be ZEVs by 2025 and 30% by 2050 (Section III.D.3).
For more information, refer to the UC Policy on Sustainable Practices, Page 11-12 (https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/3100155/SustainablePractices).
Further, being consistent with the State of California goal of increasing alternative fuel, specifically electric-vehicle usage, the University shall promote purchases and support investment in alternative fuel infrastructure at each location with a goal of having at least 4.5% of commuter vehicles be ZEVs by 2025 and 30% by 2050 (Section III.D.3).
For more information, refer to the UC Policy on Sustainable Practices, Page 11-12 (https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/3100155/SustainablePractices).
Optional Fields
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
UC has set the following major targets for its campuses procurement spend (effective August 2018):
- Reach 100% compliance with Required Level Green Spend criteria within three (3) fiscal years of the addition of a given product and/or product category to the Sustainable Procurement Guidelines.
- Reach 25% Green Spend as a total percentage of spend per product category within three (3) fiscal years of that product and/or product category being added to the Sustainable Procurement Guidelines.
- Reach 25% Economically and Socially Responsible Spend as a total percentage of addressable spend within five (5) fiscal years.
The UC Sustainable Procurement Working Group includes procurement officers from each of the 10 UC campuses and meets regularly throughout the year to discuss and work on implementation of the Sustainable Procurement section of the UC Sustainable Practices Policy, and to consider updates and refinements to the policy and procurement guidelines.
UC Sustainable Procurement Working Group: https://www.ucop.edu/procurement-services/for-ucstaff/sustainable-procurement/sustainable-procurement-working-group.html
Cora Ballek, student employee at the UC Davis Sustainability office, assisted in compiling this credit response.
- Reach 100% compliance with Required Level Green Spend criteria within three (3) fiscal years of the addition of a given product and/or product category to the Sustainable Procurement Guidelines.
- Reach 25% Green Spend as a total percentage of spend per product category within three (3) fiscal years of that product and/or product category being added to the Sustainable Procurement Guidelines.
- Reach 25% Economically and Socially Responsible Spend as a total percentage of addressable spend within five (5) fiscal years.
The UC Sustainable Procurement Working Group includes procurement officers from each of the 10 UC campuses and meets regularly throughout the year to discuss and work on implementation of the Sustainable Procurement section of the UC Sustainable Practices Policy, and to consider updates and refinements to the policy and procurement guidelines.
UC Sustainable Procurement Working Group: https://www.ucop.edu/procurement-services/for-ucstaff/sustainable-procurement/sustainable-procurement-working-group.html
Cora Ballek, student employee at the UC Davis Sustainability office, assisted in compiling this credit response.
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.