Environmental Certification

Environmental certification is evidence that an organization, product, service or facility has been assessed against environmental requirements by an independent certification program or body. It is a broad category, not a single scheme, so the exact requirements depend on the certification named in a solicitation.

In Canadian procurement guidance, the examples include ISO 14001, LEED, Environmental Product Declarations, Environmental Choice and ENERGY STAR. Federal buyers use these certifications as a way to judge the environmental performance of what they are buying. The CanadaBuys Supply Manual lists environmental certification as an environmental evaluation indicator.

How the CanadaBuys Supply Manual frames certification

The Supply Manual's green-procurement guidance asks whether a good or service has been certified through an independent program. It names the Environmental Choice Program and ENERGY STAR as examples. It also identifies certified Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), issued through bodies such as CSA Group or UL Solutions. An EPD communicates environmental information about a product, and the declaration itself can be certified.

Buyers may ask whether the good or service has independent certification, completed environmental studies, or a certified EPD. The full guidance is in Chapter 2 annexes of the Supply Manual.

ISO 14001 and third-party certification of management systems

ISO 14001 is the international standard that specifies requirements for an environmental management system. It is the principal example of certification at the organization level. According to ISO's published material on certification, third-party certification happens when an independent certification body audits an organization's practices against the standard. ISO also publishes an overview, ISO 14001 explained.

ISO 20400 is a related standard, but it works differently. It gives guidance on sustainable procurement and is not intended for certification, so a supplier cannot be certified to it. The ISO document on sustainable procurement states this.

Certification types that appear in Canadian solicitations

• Organization-level: ISO 14001, LEED and the Carbon Disclosure Project.
• Product- or service-level: Environmental Choice, ENERGY STAR, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification, and certified EPDs.
• Building and facility: LEED and BOMA Operating + Maintenance certification, or equivalents.

A Department of National Defence bid solicitation asks bidders to identify certifications relevant to their organization, such as ISO 14001, LEED or the Carbon Disclosure Project. It also asks for certifications or EPDs specific to the product or service, such as FSC or ENERGY STAR. A Fisheries and Oceans Canada solicitation contains substantially similar requirements.

A federal food and beverage procurement strategy gives proof of ISO 14001 or an equivalent environmental certification as an example of an environmental consideration. The Courts Administration Service has reported requirements for LEED Gold certification and BOMA Operating + Maintenance certification, or equivalents, on court construction projects, as described in its 2021-22 departmental results report.

What environmental certification means for a supplier bidding on Canadian public contracts

Read the mandatory and rated requirements in each solicitation closely. Identify the exact certification, or the equivalent, that the buyer accepts. Submit the certificate or other specified evidence by the bid deadline.

In the National Defence example, bidders had to provide the required certifications and additional information to be eligible for contract award. A missing certificate can therefore affect eligibility, not just scoring. Because the category is broad, confirm whether the buyer is asking for an organization-level certification, a product-level certification or an EPD before you assemble your response.