University of Texas at Austin
OP-11: Sustainable Procurement

"Consistent with the President’s Committee on Business Productivity’s recommendations toward more active stewardship of tangible and intangible assets and critical examination of their use, The University of Texas at Austin is committed to encouraging and supporting sustainable practices throughout the supply chain. The university spends more than $800 million on goods and services annually. The type, quality, and quantity of commodities being procured have far-reaching economic and environmental impacts. Sustainable purchasing can create jobs, reduce strain on public infrastructure and resources, create and maintain a healthier indoor and outdoor environment, and inspire growth and innovation in the local economy. Responsible purchasing decisions result in a positive impact to the university and the environment and/or human health that include: -Reorganizing or redesign processes to require less goods or energy or to produce less waste -Reducing consumption of unnecessary and unwarranted goods, including focusing on the re-use and recycling of existing goods -Considering total cost of ownership -Future proofing supply chains and investments -Minimizing the amount of waste generated from university purchases, in turn minimizing materials that are require disposal Departments expending university funds should select sustainable products whenever reasonably practical. They should not purchase products that do not perform adequately for their intended use or are not available at a reasonable price in a reasonable period of time." https://financials.utexas.edu/hbp/part-7/12-sustainability

LCCA policy is applied for capital and renovation projects. 01 90 00 LIFE CYCLE ACTIVITIES 01 91 00 FACILITIES COMMISSIONING 01 91 13 General Commissioning Requirements (for projects managed by UT Austin Campus staff (“CP” projects) 1. General A. Commissioning is performed to ensure a facility functions as intended by the contract documents. Commissioning requires cooperation and direct involvement by all parties throughout the construction process. Participate in commissioning activities in coordination with UT staff and Commissioning Authority. B. Develop Project Description for each project to be commissioned. 1) Commissioning Services will not apply to all projects, particularly those with limited scope (i.e., carpet replacement). However, where these services do apply, they are to be performed according to this guideline. a. The UT System has specific commissioning requirements for projects managed by the Office of Facilities Planning & Construction (OFPC) that may vary from this UT Austin campus standard. If a project is being managed by the UT OFPC, coordinate commissioning requirements with the UT OFPC Project Manager. 2) Basic Commissioning is a Pre-Requisite for all projects pursuing LEED® Certification. Reference UT Austin’s Sustainability Policy for more information. 3) When required, participate in development of Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR) with the overall project team, to identify and document the overall scope of the project. An OPR is typically developed for any campus-managed project that requires approval by the UT Board of Regents. When an OPR is not required for a project, assist the UT Project Manager in defining the project scope, to identify and document project requirements. 4) Aid in development and maintenance of a Basis of Design (BoD) document as the project proceeds, providing input when requested by the Commissioning Authority. If a BoD is not required for a project, confirm the design meets the project scope document at each required submittal phase. 01 80 00 PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS 01 81 00 FACILITY PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS 1. The University promotes energy efficient sustainable design, construction and building operations. Whenever possible, design practices, materials specified and construction activities must follow the UT Austin Sustainability Policy and the United States Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System®. 2. All new and major renovation projects, whether designed and constructed under the guidance of the UT System or the UT Austin Campus staff, must comply with the Energy Conservation Design Standard for New State Buildings, as issued by the State Energy Conservation Office (SECO). “Major Renovation” refers to projects of a certain level of complexity, a variety of different systems and components being installed, or other criteria as set by the University. The PSP must review with the UT Project Manager, and submit certifications and the project to SECO as required. 3. For new projects, consider building siting to take advantage of natural light, wind, shade, utility performance and other similar natural qualities. 4. Maximize energy efficiency for all new and major renovation projects. 5. Maximize Indoor Air Quality for all new and major renovation projects. https://pmcservices.utexas.edu/dcstandards/documents/Div01GeneralRequirements_FINAL3-28-11_000.pdf https://pmcservices.utexas.edu/dcstandards/campus.html

Under General Requirements: 3. The University promotes energy efficient sustainable design, construction and building operations. Design practices, materials specified and construction activities must follow the UT Austin Sustainability Policy and the United States Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System®, unless otherwise approved by the UT Project Manager. https://pmcservices.utexas.edu/dcstandards/documents/Div01GeneralRequirements_FINAL3-28-11_000.pdf

From the Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) and Small Business (SB) Office: Services in Procurement "The size and infrastructure of The University of Texas at Austin makes it a “city within a city,” which means we buy anything and everything from time to time. There are more than 400 different departments and each has different and unique purchasing needs. As one of the largest research institutions, the university also contributes to the uniqueness of the types of goods purchased. The HUB/SB Office ensures the university’s good faith effort to include HUB businesses in its procurement processes, and we want to know about you and your business. We want to ensure that when the HUB/SB Program Office is seeking your type of business that we know about you. Search current UT Austin bid opportunities on the BidWeb site. Potential vendors also may find detailed resources in the Vendor Handbook." Services in Construction Renovation "The University of Texas at Austin's Project Management and Construction Services (PMCS) department enhances the university’s physical environment by managing all construction and renovation projects less than $10 million. Providing services in a variety of areas, ranging from replacing windows for an entire building to purchasing furniture for a single office. PMCS also contracts with outside professional service providers during many of their projects. Serving more than 15.4 million gross square feet of building space on the 427-acre main campus, 476-acre J.J. Pickle Research Campus, 445-acre Brackenridge Tract, 96-acre Montopolis Research Center, and several other specialized sites. To view more information on Bidding and Contracting at PMCS, please visit the PMCS Proposal Solicitation Calendar." Services in Major Building Construction "The University of Texas at Austin's Capital Planning and Construction (CPC) manages the planning, design and execution of major higher education capital projects for the university. This service center is dedicated to enabling process improvements for new buildings and major renovations on campus. The HUB/SB Program Office offers support to vendors wishing to become prime contractors and/or subcontractors on these projects." https://financials.utexas.edu/hub

The State of Texas HB432 requires all State Agencies (including UT ) to procure alternative fueled vehicles, and to use alternative fuels whenever available. The University complies by providing, diesel, biodiesel, ethanol (E85), propane, along with regular unleaded gasoline at the UT fueling stations. Self-service fueling is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to all State Agencies. At Manor Rd. hoses 1-4 are for unleaded gasoline only, hoses 5 & 6 are E85, hoses 7-8 are biodiesel (B5), and hose 9 is for propane. https://parking.utexas.edu/fleet/fuels The three preferred alternative fuels are E85 and propane (LPG) for vehicles usually powered by gasoline, and biodiesel B20 for diesel trucks. https://parking.utexas.edu/fleet/fuels/alternative

From Handbook of Business Procedures, Part 7. Purchasing, 7.12.3. Commodity-Specific Recommendations Envelopes and Shipping - what to look for: Recycled content Furniture - what to look for: Domestic soft wood (e.g., pine) instead of tropical hardwoods (e.g., mahogany) Paper - what to look for: At least thirty percent recycled content Avoid products that are bleached or processed with chlorine or chlorine derivatives https://financials.utexas.edu/hbp/part-7/12-3-commodity-specific-recommendations

The Handbook of Business Procedures, Part 7. Purchasing, 7.12.3. Commodity-Specific Recommendations lists sustainability criteria for several purchasing categories, which are appliances, automotive, electronics, facilities, food, laboratory, and office. https://financials.utexas.edu/hbp/part-7/12-3-commodity-specific-recommendations