Earlier this week, an Executive Order was issued by the White House that has ramifications for green purchasers, certifiers and labellers.

Aside from all Federal Agencies setting their own emission reduction goals for 2020, the executive order includes a green procurement policy which will cover some 95% of new contracts and acquisitions; and has tasked the General Services Administration with looking into tracking greenhouse gas emissions of vendors (to track its Scope 3 emissions).

For institutional purchasers (like government procurement offices) defining and tracking what counts as “green” purchasing will likely take some orientation. As long as some credible labels have already done the job for them, we can expect to see more and more dollars going into those companies who have done the hard work of getting certified. Energy Star and EPEAT are cited in the Order.

Greenbiz.com estimates that the government’s buying power exceeds more than half a trillion spent every year on goods and services. In other words, the sleeping giant has awoken.