NAEP 6th Annual Green Purchasing Survey - 2014

Thank you in advance for participating in our 6th annual Green Procurement Trends within Higher Education study. As a leader in higher education, your inclusion in the findings is invaluable. The study will serve to further advance green procurement initiatives within Higher Education through sharing of actionable insights and best practices. This 6th installment will be made available to all NAEP Members; however, by completing the online survey you will be included in an early distribution of a report summarizing key findings.

For consistency of interpretation of results, the NAEP definition of Green Procurement will be employed. Green Procurement shall be defined as the method wherein environmental and social considerations are taken with equal weight to the price, availability and performance criteria that colleges and universities use to make purchasing decisions. Green Procurement is a serious consideration of supply chain management. Green Procurement minimizes negative environmental and social effects through the use of environmentally friendly products. Green Procurement attempts to identify and reduce environmental impact and to maximize resource efficiency. Green Procurement is also sometimes known as "environmentally preferred purchasing (EPP), green procurement, affirmative procurement, eco-procurement, and environmentally responsible purchasing".

This survey should take no more than 15 minutes to complete. Thank you very much in advance for your invaluable input.

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* 1. I participated in: (Please check all that apply)

NAEP's 2013 Green Procurement Survey

NAEP's 2012 Green Procurement Survey

NAEP's 2011 Green Procurement Survey

NAEP's 2010 Green Procurement Survey

NAEP's 2009 Green Procurement Survey

This is the first study in which I am participating

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* 2. Please describe your institution's size.
Note: FTE is defined as Full-Time Equivalent (Students)

Large >10,000 FTEs

Small <10,000 FTEs

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* 3. Is your institution:

Public

Private

Not-for-Profit

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* 4. Is Green Procurement an official, recognized component of your institution's sustainability initiative?

Yes

No, not in current or future plans

Not yet, we are considering

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* 5. Have you read the NAEP Green Purchasing Policy Roadmap?

Yes

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* 6. Do you have a formal Green Procurement Policy?

Yes

Not yet, we are considering

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* 7. In what time frame are you planning to add a green procurement program?

Already have a program

Next quarter

Next six months

Next year

Don't know

Not applicable/Not planning a green procurement program

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* 8. Does your institutional policy on "Green Procurement" include any of the following:

	Yes	No	Not Yet	N/A
Environmental considerations	Environmental considerations Yes	Environmental considerations No	Environmental considerations Not Yet	Environmental considerations N/A
Economic considerations	Economic considerations Yes	Economic considerations No	Economic considerations Not Yet	Economic considerations N/A
Social justice considerations	Social justice considerations Yes	Social justice considerations No	Social justice considerations Not Yet	Social justice considerations N/A

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* 9. Is your institution a member of AASHE?

Yes

Not yet, we are considering

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* 10. Is your institution participating in AASHE's STARS (Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment & Rating System) Program?

Yes

Not yet, we are considering

Don't know

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* 11. Is your institution a signatory of the ACUPCC (American College & University President's Climate Commitment)?

Yes

Not yet, we are considering

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* 12. Does your campus have a Sustainability Plan?

Yes

Not yet, we are considering

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* 13. Does your campus have a Climate Action Plan?

Yes

Not yet, we are considering

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* 14. Do you have a "buy recycled" products procurement policy?

Yes

Yes, but it is not enforced

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* 15. Who in your organization is responsible for your institution's sustainability initiatives? (Please check all that apply)

Institutional-level

Sr. VP / Exec VP / VP Level

Director level (Sustainability or Procurement)

Manager

We do not have an institutional sustainability initiative

There is no single individual responsible for our sustainability initiative

Other, please specify

INSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGES AND PRIORITIES

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* 16. What are the main drivers for your institution's sustainability initiatives? (Please check all that apply)

"Do the right thing"

Reduce materials consumption

Reduce carbon footprint

Improve institutional image

Reduce costs

Incorporate a social justice component

Reduce liability

Attract and retain employees

None of the above

Other, please specify

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* 17. If you have a FORMAL green procurement policy, rate on a scale of 1-5 how challenging the following actions were for establishing your program (5 being most challenging and 1 being easiest).
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A FORMAL procurement policy please select N/A from the options below:

	Very Easy	Easy	Neither Easy or Challenging	Challenging	Very Challenging	N/A
Changing user behavior to focus on sustainability	Changing user behavior to focus on sustainability Very Easy	Changing user behavior to focus on sustainability Easy	Changing user behavior to focus on sustainability Neither Easy or Challenging	Changing user behavior to focus on sustainability Challenging	Changing user behavior to focus on sustainability Very Challenging	Changing user behavior to focus on sustainability N/A
Justifying "cost" for green purchasing	Justifying "cost" for green purchasing Very Easy	Justifying "cost" for green purchasing Easy	Justifying "cost" for green purchasing Neither Easy or Challenging	Justifying "cost" for green purchasing Challenging	Justifying "cost" for green purchasing Very Challenging	Justifying "cost" for green purchasing N/A
Effectively promoting certified products and suppliers to end users	Effectively promoting certified products and suppliers to end users Very Easy	Effectively promoting certified products and suppliers to end users Easy	Effectively promoting certified products and suppliers to end users Neither Easy or Challenging	Effectively promoting certified products and suppliers to end users Challenging	Effectively promoting certified products and suppliers to end users Very Challenging	Effectively promoting certified products and suppliers to end users N/A
Securing executive support for green programs	Securing executive support for green programs Very Easy	Securing executive support for green programs Easy	Securing executive support for green programs Neither Easy or Challenging	Securing executive support for green programs Challenging	Securing executive support for green programs Very Challenging	Securing executive support for green programs N/A
Getting suppliers to provide accurate and updated product information	Getting suppliers to provide accurate and updated product information Very Easy	Getting suppliers to provide accurate and updated product information Easy	Getting suppliers to provide accurate and updated product information Neither Easy or Challenging	Getting suppliers to provide accurate and updated product information Challenging	Getting suppliers to provide accurate and updated product information Very Challenging	Getting suppliers to provide accurate and updated product information N/A
Validating supplier's green claims	Validating supplier's green claims Very Easy	Validating supplier's green claims Easy	Validating supplier's green claims Neither Easy or Challenging	Validating supplier's green claims Challenging	Validating supplier's green claims Very Challenging	Validating supplier's green claims N/A
Measuring progress with green procurement	Measuring progress with green procurement Very Easy	Measuring progress with green procurement Easy	Measuring progress with green procurement Neither Easy or Challenging	Measuring progress with green procurement Challenging	Measuring progress with green procurement Very Challenging	Measuring progress with green procurement N/A

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* 18. Rate on a scale of 1-5 how important the following issues are to your green procurement program (5 being most important and 1 being least important).
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A FORMAL procurement policy please select N/A from the options below:

	Least Important	Somewhat Important	Important	Very Important	Most Important	N/A
Measurement of green procurement compliance	Measurement of green procurement compliance Least Important	Measurement of green procurement compliance Somewhat Important	Measurement of green procurement compliance Important	Measurement of green procurement compliance Very Important	Measurement of green procurement compliance Most Important	Measurement of green procurement compliance N/A
Ensuring that all paper products purchased contain recycled content	Ensuring that all paper products purchased contain recycled content Least Important	Ensuring that all paper products purchased contain recycled content Somewhat Important	Ensuring that all paper products purchased contain recycled content Important	Ensuring that all paper products purchased contain recycled content Very Important	Ensuring that all paper products purchased contain recycled content Most Important	Ensuring that all paper products purchased contain recycled content N/A
Increasing spend with local suppliers	Increasing spend with local suppliers Least Important	Increasing spend with local suppliers Somewhat Important	Increasing spend with local suppliers Important	Increasing spend with local suppliers Very Important	Increasing spend with local suppliers Most Important	Increasing spend with local suppliers N/A
Increasing spend with diversity suppliers	Increasing spend with diversity suppliers Least Important	Increasing spend with diversity suppliers Somewhat Important	Increasing spend with diversity suppliers Important	Increasing spend with diversity suppliers Very Important	Increasing spend with diversity suppliers Most Important	Increasing spend with diversity suppliers N/A
Increasing suppliers with eco-label (i.e. Green Seal, GREEN GUARD)	Increasing suppliers with eco-label (i.e. Green Seal, GREEN GUARD) Least Important	Increasing suppliers with eco-label (i.e. Green Seal, GREEN GUARD) Somewhat Important	Increasing suppliers with eco-label (i.e. Green Seal, GREEN GUARD) Important	Increasing suppliers with eco-label (i.e. Green Seal, GREEN GUARD) Very Important	Increasing suppliers with eco-label (i.e. Green Seal, GREEN GUARD) Most Important	Increasing suppliers with eco-label (i.e. Green Seal, GREEN GUARD) N/A
Increasing the total post-consumer recycled content in purchased products	Increasing the total post-consumer recycled content in purchased products Least Important	Increasing the total post-consumer recycled content in purchased products Somewhat Important	Increasing the total post-consumer recycled content in purchased products Important	Increasing the total post-consumer recycled content in purchased products Very Important	Increasing the total post-consumer recycled content in purchased products Most Important	Increasing the total post-consumer recycled content in purchased products N/A
Purchasing products that attain ENERGY STAR certification	Purchasing products that attain ENERGY STAR certification Least Important	Purchasing products that attain ENERGY STAR certification Somewhat Important	Purchasing products that attain ENERGY STAR certification Important	Purchasing products that attain ENERGY STAR certification Very Important	Purchasing products that attain ENERGY STAR certification Most Important	Purchasing products that attain ENERGY STAR certification N/A
Reducing total shipments of delivered goods	Reducing total shipments of delivered goods Least Important	Reducing total shipments of delivered goods Somewhat Important	Reducing total shipments of delivered goods Important	Reducing total shipments of delivered goods Very Important	Reducing total shipments of delivered goods Most Important	Reducing total shipments of delivered goods N/A

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* 19. Does your purchasing system have the ability do any of the following? (Please check all that apply)

Clearly identify green suppliers in the product search area

Promote ‘green’ service providers (such as paper or printer cartridge recycling) in search results

Track total spend on green products

Track total spend on green certified suppliers

Clearly promote green products in search results

Filter search results to only show green products

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* 20. In which of the following commodity categories does your green procurement primarily focus? (Please check all that apply)

Paper products

Office supplies and equipment

Renewable energy

RECs

Organic food

Local food

Vehicles

Janitorial services

Construction materials

Appliances

Computers

Office furnishings

Logistics and transportation (including shipping and delivery)

Others, please specify

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* 21. Are green product certifications used in your procurement system?

Yes

Not yet, we are considering

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* 22. What green product certifications are used in your procurement system? (Please check all that apply)

ENERGY STAR

Green Products

Green Guard

Green Seal

EPEAT

FSC

EcoLogo

GRA

Other, please specify

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* 23. In which of the following services categories does your green procurement primarily focus? (Please check all that apply)

Housekeeping/Cleaning

Pest control

Landscaping

Transportation

Fleet vehicles

Food services

Vending services

Waste handling/Recycling

Facilities services (elevator maintenance, controls, security systems and locksmith)

New construction

Other, please specify

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* 24. What % of total procurement spending is on green products and materials?

Over 50%

40-50%

30-40%

20-30%

10-20%

Less than 10%

Don’t know

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* 25. How do you measure the success of green procurement? (Please check all that apply)

Percentage of spend on green products

Percentage of green suppliers in ERP system

Percentage of unit volume on green purchases

Cost savings

No formal measurement is used

Other, please specify

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* 26. How often do you report on your green procurement performance? Please select one option for Internal and one option for External reporting.

INTERNAL Monthly or Quarterly

INTERNAL Semi-Annually

INTERNAL Never

EXTERNAL Monthly or Quarterly

EXTERNAL Semi-Annually

EXTERNAL Never

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* 27. What benefits do you see from your green procurement initiatives? (Please check all that apply)

Doing the right thing

Stakeholder satisfaction (employees, students, community)

Improving institutional image

Promoting procurement initiatives within your organization

Cost reduction and reduced liability

Meeting ACUPCC commitment

Improving your STARS rating

Increasing student recruitment

Other, please specify

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* 28. How would you rate the success of your green procurement initiatives?

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* 29. Have any of your green procurement efforts been affected by the current economic conditions?

Yes

Unchanged

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* 30. How have those efforts been affected by the current economic situation?

Increased slightly

Increased moderately

Increased materially

Unchanged

Reduced slightly

Reduced moderately

Reduced materially

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* 31. Please rate the green procurement training received at your institution.

No training available

Outstanding

Above average

Reasonable

Okay

Good

Fair

Poor

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* 32. Is there a green procurement "champion" on campus?

Yes

Don't know

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* 33. Is this Green Procurement Champion effective when working with your team? If you answered no to the previous question "Do you have a green procurement champion?", then please select N/A from the options supplied below:

Yes

N/A

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* 34. Does your campus have a buildings, New Construction LEED policy?

Yes

Don't know

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* 35. Is your campus certifying existing buildings using the LEED EB/OM process?

Yes

Don't know

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* 36. Is your campus involved in a fossil fuel divestment campaign with its endowment holdings?

Yes

Not yet, we are considering

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* 37. Would you like to share any additional thoughts or ideas on your green procurement initiatives?

Yes

Additional thoughts or ideas

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* 38. If we have questions, would you be willing to spend a few minutes discussing this survey with us?

Yes

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* 39. If you would like an early copy of the results of this study, please provide us with your contact information. All responses are kept in strict confidence, and all data is used in aggregate form. Your contact information will be used only to provide you with the survey results, or to contact you if you indicated you'd like to discuss this study. Thank you for your time.

Name

Institution

Email Address

NAEP would like to thank you for your participation in helping the Association make this critical data available to all of higher education.

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* 1. I participated in: (Please check all that apply)

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* 2. Please describe your institution's size. Note: FTE is defined as Full-Time Equivalent (Students)

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* 3. Is your institution:

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* 4. Is Green Procurement an official, recognized component of your institution's sustainability initiative?

Question Title

* 5. Have you read the NAEP Green Purchasing Policy Roadmap?

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* 6. Do you have a formal Green Procurement Policy?

Question Title

* 7. In what time frame are you planning to add a green procurement program?

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* 8. Does your institutional policy on "Green Procurement" include any of the following:

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* 9. Is your institution a member of AASHE?

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* 10. Is your institution participating in AASHE's STARS (Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment & Rating System) Program?

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* 11. Is your institution a signatory of the ACUPCC (American College & University President's Climate Commitment)?

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* 12. Does your campus have a Sustainability Plan?

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* 13. Does your campus have a Climate Action Plan?

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* 14. Do you have a "buy recycled" products procurement policy?

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* 15. Who in your organization is responsible for your institution's sustainability initiatives? (Please check all that apply)

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* 16. What are the main drivers for your institution's sustainability initiatives? (Please check all that apply)

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* 17. If you have a FORMAL green procurement policy, rate on a scale of 1-5 how challenging the following actions were for establishing your program (5 being most challenging and 1 being easiest). IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A FORMAL procurement policy please select N/A from the options below:

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* 18. Rate on a scale of 1-5 how important the following issues are to your green procurement program (5 being most important and 1 being least important).IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A FORMAL procurement policy please select N/A from the options below:

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* 19. Does your purchasing system have the ability do any of the following? (Please check all that apply)

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* 20. In which of the following commodity categories does your green procurement primarily focus? (Please check all that apply)

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* 21. Are green product certifications used in your procurement system?

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* 22. What green product certifications are used in your procurement system? (Please check all that apply)

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* 23. In which of the following services categories does your green procurement primarily focus? (Please check all that apply)

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* 24. What % of total procurement spending is on green products and materials?

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* 25. How do you measure the success of green procurement? (Please check all that apply)

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* 26. How often do you report on your green procurement performance? Please select one option for Internal and one option for External reporting.

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* 27. What benefits do you see from your green procurement initiatives? (Please check all that apply)

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* 28. How would you rate the success of your green procurement initiatives?

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* 29. Have any of your green procurement efforts been affected by the current economic conditions?

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* 30. How have those efforts been affected by the current economic situation?

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* 31. Please rate the green procurement training received at your institution.

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* 32. Is there a green procurement "champion" on campus?

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* 33. Is this Green Procurement Champion effective when working with your team? If you answered no to the previous question "Do you have a green procurement champion?", then please select N/A from the options supplied below:

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* 34. Does your campus have a buildings, New Construction LEED policy?

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* 35. Is your campus certifying existing buildings using the LEED EB/OM process?

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* 36. Is your campus involved in a fossil fuel divestment campaign with its endowment holdings?

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* 37. Would you like to share any additional thoughts or ideas on your green procurement initiatives?

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* 38. If we have questions, would you be willing to spend a few minutes discussing this survey with us?

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* 2. Please describe your institution's size.
Note: FTE is defined as Full-Time Equivalent (Students)

* 17. If you have a FORMAL green procurement policy, rate on a scale of 1-5 how challenging the following actions were for establishing your program (5 being most challenging and 1 being easiest).
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A FORMAL procurement policy please select N/A from the options below:

* 18. Rate on a scale of 1-5 how important the following issues are to your green procurement program (5 being most important and 1 being least important).
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A FORMAL procurement policy please select N/A from the options below: