San Francisco Requires Environmentally Responsible Purchasing

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom signed the “Precautionary Purchasing Ordinance” into law in June 2005, requiring city departments to consider public health and environmental responsibility when making purchases, which amount to about $600 million each year. “By exercising our economic power, San Francisco can encourage market development of new products which are healthier and more environmentally friendly,” according to Sophie Maxwell, who authored the bill. This is the first ordinance of its kind in the nation, but city officials hope the law will serve as a model for other cities.