Great news, green purchasing colleagues – The City of San Francisco has just gone for Gold again! We are pleased to announce that the City now requires EPEAT-Gold registration for all new computers and displays.
On April 15, 2021, the Committee on Information Technology (COIT) approved a new Green Technology Purchasing Policy for 2021. In addition to upping the City’s environmental requirements for computers and monitors, it also creates a new City mandate to improve the sustainability of IT packaging. In response to requests from City staff, the Policy also now accepts TCO certification for computers and displays as an alternative to EPEAT-Gold registration.
Here’s a little background: In 2019, the City lowered its requirement for computers and monitors from EPEAT-Gold to EPEAT-Bronze registration. This was a result of the Global Electronics Council significantly raising the bar on the EPEAT program’s standards; most products registered as EPEAT-Gold before 2019 only qualified for EPEAT-Bronze under the new requirements. While there weren’t enough Gold-registered computers to meet City Departments’ needs in 2020, that situation changed quickly. The City’s ability to once again require EPEAT-Gold for computers in 2021 reflects manufacturers’ ample response and adaptation to these higher standards. There are currently 480 EPEAT-Gold registered computers and monitors.
Congratulations to our City staff on this exciting development and dedication to leading the way in green electronics!
