Procurement and Policies for Soliciting Sustainable Infrastructure

Project owners can require sustainability in infrastructure development in a holistic and comprehensive manner that is also enforceable by the owner using sustainable procurement practices and other mechanisms, as identified in an industry study. Sustainable procurement is a process of finding and acquiring services or products that incorporates positive outcomes for the economy, environment, and society beyond those for the project owner. Contrary to popular belief, sustainable procurement does not always increase the cost of the project. Also, sustainable procurement is considered a business best practice that can lower life cycle costs, spur innovation, and improve the project owner’s reputation. Project owners are using procurement documents to: request project staff with sustainability qualifications, require elements of sustainability in the project scope, and emphasize sustainability in the selection criteria/scoring for consultants and vendors. Project owners are also requiring sustainability in local design standards and standard operating procedures; local or regional policies, ordinances, and codes; and state or national legislation. A collection of these mechanisms are summarized in a database for reference and use by other project owners when crafting future sustainability requirements. ASCE maintains resources (guidance, examples, and the database) and plans to create more to support the development and implementation of sustainable infrastructure requirements.