A New Era of Federal Procurement: Managing Climate Risks and Promoting Sustainable Supply Chains

As the world’s largest buyer of products and services, with roughly $750 billion in products and services purchased each year, the U.S. government has enormous climate-related risks and opportunities in its supply chains. If supply chain disruptions caused by extreme weather and other climate risks are not managed effectively, taxpayers and program delivery—including programs designed to protect our national security—will suffer. On the other hand, if the government collaborates with suppliers around emissions reductions and resilience-building, it can strengthen national security while boosting the economy and protecting the environment. 

In 2022 and 2023, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Council, composed of the General Services Administration (GSA), Department of Defense (DOD) and National Aeronautic and Atmospheric Administration (NASA), proposed two procurement rules the The Sustainable Products Procurement Proposal, finalized on April 19, 2024 , and the Supplier Climate Risk and Resilience Proposal,. Together these rules will take giant steps toward making federal supply chains less vulnerable to climate-related risks and more effective in delivering on national security and federal program priorities. 

Join Ceres and the Security and Sustainability Forum for a comprehensive overview of the proposed rules, including their scope, compliance requirements, and broader relevance to meeting climate goals, saving taxpayers money, and promoting national security.  

Learn more about our work in support of the federal procurement rules.