“Federal officials and acquisition experts convened on Thursday to share new ways and best practices for creating sustainable government information technology contracts and acquisitions, with innovative tools designed by the public and private sectors. The General Services Administration and other agencies have launched a vast range of initiatives in recent years to go green when it comes to federal purchasing for IT and other technology products. Several of those efforts were highlighted at the agency’s data center sustainability summit this week, including online tools which increasingly provide purchasers with information on energy efficiency and examples of language for new, more sustainable contracts...” “Cate Berard, acting supervisor for federal engagement of energy and water resilience and security at the Department of Energy, recommended purchasers to explore Acquisition Gateway. Managed by the agency's digital innovation division, the government-wide portal allows agencies to review active contracts available for their use and features green checkmarks which indicate whether they have met certain sustainability requirements. The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) is another example of a tool that has come in handy for government purchasers seeking off-the-shelf energy-efficient products and solutions...” “Berard also recommended purchasers specifically tasked with supplying products to data centers review the Energy Department-sponsored website for the Center of Expertise for Energy Efficiency in Data Centers, which features best practices for purchasing and managing sustainable IT products in nationwide data centers...” Read the full article here. Source: What federal acquisition personnel can do right now to support sustainability – By Chris Riotta, April 8, 2022. FCW.