Pittsburgh City Council adopts 'environmentally and socially responsible' procurement practices

Pittsburgh City Council adopted an ordinance Monday requiring the city to engage in what it calls “sustainable and socially responsible” procurement practices.

The legislation will require city officials to score potential vendors and service providers on factors including sustainability, diversity and inclusion, in an attempt to ensure the city’s tax dollars support environmentally and socially responsible vendors and companies entering into professional service agreements.

The scoring system won’t apply to subcontractors, like crews that pave city roads. It would apply to companies such as law firms that work with the city.

The ordinance also instructs city officials to consider elements such as transportation distance and product repurposing when reviewing proposals. For example, city officials would consider things like packaging and delivery-related emissions when evaluating low-bid contracts.

The legislation also updates the city code related to the purchasing of paper products, electronics, lighting, furniture and office supplies to align with the administration’s environmental goals. For example, purchasing more energy-efficient LED lights would be preferable to regular light bulbs.

Another ordinance adopted Monday requires all Pittsburgh city departments to use electronic signature on official documents.

Using electronic signatures became commonplace during the covid-19 pandemic. The city estimated that doing so reduced waste by more than 5,800 pounds over two years.