Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP)

Learn how Environmentally Preferable Purchasing helps your department and the environment.

Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) is defined as the procurement of items that have minimized or reduced environmental effects. 

The University of California’s Sustainable Procurement Guidelines 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, in accordance with the Sustainable Procurement Policy and Procedure Sections of the UC Sustainable Practices Policy.

Among other updated requirements around packaging materials, marketing claims, and e-commerce content management, this new Policy sets the following targets:

• 100% compliance with UC Required Level Green Spend criteria, within three (3) fiscal years
• 25% spend with products meeting UC Preferred Level Green criteria, per product category, within three (3) fiscal years
• 25% spend with Economically and Socially Responsible (EaSR) suppliers, as a percentage of total addressable spend, within five (5) fiscal years
• 15% of total points utilized in competitive solicitation evaluations allotted to sustainability factors (exceptions allowed; beginning FY19-20).

UC Green Spend Reporting Process for 2024

The University of California (UC) has a Sustainable Procurement Policy that aims to achieve 100% compliance with Required Level Green Spend. The policy also aims to achieve 25% Green Spending as a percentage of spend per product category within three fiscal years and 25% economically and Socially Responsible Spending as a percentage of addressable spending within five fiscal years.

Suppliers are asked to submit the Data Set in two rounds:

• Data Set 1 (Jul 1 - Dec 31, 2023): due Jun 7, 2024
• Data Set 2 (Jan 1 - Jun 30, 2024): due Jul 24, 2024 

Critical Dates

• April 25 - Category Manager Training
• May 8 - Supplier Training
• June 7 - Deadline for Data Set 1 Submission (spend data from July - December 2023)
• June 7-12 - Systemwide Review of Data Set 1
• July 24 - Deadline for Data Set 2 Submission (spend data from January - June 2024)

 See tools and information to complete the data collection.

Ecovadis
UC has partnered with Ecovadis, a supplier sustainability assessment tool, to ensure the suppliers we work with are dedicated to sustainable practices. While we strive to have our contracted suppliers maintain a score over 45, we will work with those are that still developing their sustainability initiatives and support their efforts towards a greener future.