RPN Webinar: Green Purchasing for Existing Buildings - September 29, 2011
Existing buildings are a major contributor to Americans’ environmental impact. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in addition to producing 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, existing commercial buildings in the public and private sector:
- Consume almost 40 percent of all electricity.
- Use at least 850 million gallons of water a day.
- Can harbor dangerous chemicals that contribute to poor indoor-air quality.
However, with procurement choices and smart operations, building owners and occupants can dramatically improve their environmental footprint.
The webinar covered:
- An introduction to green purchasing
- A review of the environmental impacts of products commonly purchased for the maintenance of existing buildings
- An overview of how to identify greener alternatives for paint, janitorial products, lighting, and other product categories and how greener choices can help increase energy efficiency, reduce waste, improve indoor air quality, and in many cases, produce cost savings.
- “Green-washing” and how to avoid misleading product claims
- The third-party standards and “eco-labels” that exist to help purchasers make greener choices
- How to incorporate environmental criteria into bid specifications and RFPs
- LEED EBOM
The webinar featured:
- Alicia Culver, Director, Responsible Purchasing Network
- Marcus Rivas, Environmental Engineer, Environmental Protection Agency
- Phillip Kobernick, Manager, Responsible Purchasing Network (as moderator)
RPN may be able to provide additional technical assistance to webinar participants in the Northeast, Southeast, and Midwest (EPA Regions 1, 4, and 7) who are working on results-oriented green purchasing projects for existing buildings. Please visit responsiblepurchasing.org/buildings for more information.
Download Slides 
This webinar was offered as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Regional Pollution Prevention Program Offices' Source Reduction Assistance Grant Program.
