Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) has introduced legislation designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the federal government through procurement processes.
The Smarter Purchasing Act would require the Environmental Protection Agency to lead key government departments in a study to determine how to reflect the larger cost of carbon, also known as “shadow pricing,” when contracting for infrastructure, goods, or services.
“Though it gets less attention right now, the climate crisis remains an existential threat to humanity, and we have to do more to address it,” said Rep. Beyer. “The United States government could be an enormous force for good when it comes to reducing carbon pollution, and that’s what my bill aims to achieve. The Smarter Purchasing Act would help give policymakers in the federal government better data about how to make contracting and procurement greener, which would result in major public health benefits for the American people and the planet.”
The Smarter Purchasing Act would require the EPA to lead a feasibility study with input from the Departments of Energy, Interior, Transportation, and the General Services Administration DOE, DOI, DOT, and GSA to determine how federal agencies can use carbon shadow pricing.
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) is a co-lead on the Smarter Purchasing Act.
Text of the bill is available here.
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