What is this course about?

As building teams shift toward high-performance and sustainability-focused practices, the criteria used to purchase goods must evolve as well. Everyday purchasing decisions—from cleaning products to construction materials—can have far-reaching impacts on environmental quality, worker health, and occupant well-being.

This course explores how organizations can align purchasing decisions with sustainability goals through green procurement. Participants will learn how “green” is defined in different organizational contexts, what drives green purchasing priorities, and how lifecycle impacts factor into procurement decisions. Through real-world examples and practical guidance, the course walks through key steps for planning and implementing a green procurement policy that fits your organization’s structure and capacity.

This on-demand class is a GPRO Operations & Maintenance elective.

What will you learn?

By the end of this course, you'll be able to:

• Describe how purchasing decisions can affect environmental and human health impacts across a product’s lifecycle.
• Recognize common drivers and priorities that organizations use to guide green purchasing efforts.
• Identify different ways organizations define and evaluate what “green” means for their purchases.
• Understand practical steps and examples for moving toward a green procurement policy in your own organization.

Who is this course for?

This course is ideal for purchasing professionals including:

• Facility Managers
• Building Operators
• Building Owners
• Any staff involved with organizational purchasing

What should you expect?

This on-demand course should take approximately 30 minutes to complete. This course is free for students enrolled in GPRO Operations & Maintenance Essentials. Click through the interactive lessons below to complete this course!

This course qualifies for 0.5 AIA (LU/HSW) and 0.5 GBCI credits. To receive continuing education units, students must achieve an 80% on the learning comprehension quiz at the end of the course. The quiz can be taken as many times as needed in order to pass.

Meet the instructors

Eileen Quigley
Director, Sustainability & Social Impact, Perform Properties

Eileen is a sustainability professional with nearly a decade of experience advancing greener, healthier buildings across the nonprofit and for-profit sectors. Trained in structural engineering, she shifted her focus after learning about the significant climate impacts of building materials—especially concrete—and has since dedicated her career to reducing the environmental footprint of the built environment. Her work has spanned in-house sustainability roles and deep engagement with leading building standards. At NRDC, she supported efforts to move beyond traditional certification systems and explored the Living Building Challenge, where she honed her expertise in material impacts, embodied carbon, and human health considerations throughout the supply chain. Eileen brings a thoughtful, systems-level approach to how product choices, design decisions, and operations can drive meaningful climate solutions.

Sue Fassler
Director of Sustainable Operations, SUNY ESF

Sue Fassler serves as the Director of Sustainable Operations at SUNY ESF. In this role, she oversees a number of the College’s operational areas: custodial, grounds and the College’s fleet of vehicles. She is also an active member of the Sustainability Division and leads ESF’s zero/low waste programs. She serves as the Co-Chair of the United University Professions Environmental Issues & Advocacy Committee and sits on the board of the Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust. Sue holds a B.S. in Environmental Studies and a M.P.S. in Environmental Science (Environmental Policy and Democratic Processes) from SUNY ESF and a Master of Public Administration (Social Policy) from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.